The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1909-12-01
"LET ME HANG, JUDGE"

SuS Helu a tllai lndl mas interested
he people throughout the entire state.
ohm w. MesServcy, who had shot and
illed two state constableS, was called
ipon to explain to tho state why the
;illing had occurred. Mnsars Fish
)urnc and Altman, regular officers OF
he law, had seized Il barrel OF alcohol
hat Messervcy was attempting to take
ITom the express Office it being con
signed to him and he having arranged
with the express agent to get it at
this particular timc-while Constable
Altman was at supper. However. his
reckoning was wrong for Constable
Fishburne had been appraised of the
matter and was Oh hand to assist Ait
man
When the two officers attempted 20
seize the alcohol Messervey shot and
KILLED them both hence, his presence
lin the cohrts oi Justice to explain the
killing. The defense was that the de
fendant shot to protect his own life:
that the officers We're Just about to
shoot him for resisting arrest. Evi-
tale, for the verdict was guilty OF man.
slaughter. The sentence of the court
was that he be confined to the state
Denitentary at such labor as he was
able to perform, since he was crippled
tor period OF twenty years.
1t was when sentence was passed
that an unusual scene was enacted
in the court room. According to the
correspondent of The News and Couri-
er the defendant broke down and cried
and called upon the Judge to let him
hang. Change it to hanging, Judge:
let me hang, judge; there is no use
for me to waste my life up there for
I'm not guilty; I'd rather be dead"
And the newspaper man went on to
describe the scene, saying that IL was
pitiful indeed to see this man, a Grip
pie and with just one eye. crying and
sobbing and begging to be hanged
Yes, we agree heartily with our
Brother in the profession: it must
nave been pitiful scene, and one cal
(ulatcd to move the hearts of many.
Messervey is, we understand about
thirty, and when his sentence is com
pleted If it ever shall be. there will
be little left, in years and usefulness
for the condemned man. 1t is pitiful
yes, to to hear a man begging to be
hanged
Messeryey sits in judgment in his
own case; lie declares himself inno-
cent even though a jury of his peers
have declared him guilty He ad
mits the killing OF two human beings.
and his explanation failed to satisfy
those who sat in judgment against
him. But of course he has poor opinion
OF the law; he was once convicted of
selling liquor against the statutes of
the state. He served a term on the
chain gang; he said that was unjust,
ana even went so far as to say that
no justice could be got out of the
courts. In this statement we are per-
suaded to agree, particularly in Mes
serVey's own case. From the testi-
mony we are almost constrained to be-
iieve that if Justice full and complete,
had been done In the case, this same
John w. Messervey would in the
course CT thirty days hang by the neck
until dead.
But about the pathetic scene that
the correspondent has 80 beautifully
and we'll pictured. or course, 1t was
pitiful; and we guess our heart would
have been somewhat touched, had we
beheld 1t. But must the law take in
to account the pathos Of scene In the
court room? Many sentences are doubt
less much lighter just because the
conditions are such that pathetic
scene is enacted. Judges are human
and their hearts must often be stirred
by the events that transpire before
them. But must the law reckon with
these feelings?
Why not recall the pathos OF those
scenes in the homes Of the two murd
cred men? Picture the events of that
July evening around the hearth stone
in those two homes, when the kindly
neighbors brought the sad news that
the husband and father of each had
been slain by the hand of a yioIator
of the laws. Think of the reason be-
hind this scene In the court room;
why was 1t necessary; who caused It.?
In whose power was 1t to prevent such
a scene? We are too much inclined