Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-11-23
Members Of Tar Party Ex-
coriated as Barbarians
and Cowards and Severest
Penalty is Demanded.
DENOUNCES DEED AS
CRIME OF CENTURY
Taking Of Testimony Closed
and Prosecutor McCand-
less Makes Opening Ar
pument for the State.

,.
Lincoln Center, Kan, Nov. z2.-
Branding the tarring OF Miss mary
Chamberlain, as barbarous, cowardly
and BRUTAL, a thing almost unbeHeV'
able in civilized community, frose'
cutor McCanless here this afternoon
IN a ringing address to the jury ue.
manded that the severest penalty that
! III was possible to inflict be meted OUT
to her defamers.
"To think" he thundered, that q
crowd should attack q defenseless
girl, even dog deserved better treat
ment.'' ,n
Recess was taken at 2:20 until 4:3o
when Judge Grover will read MS IN
structions. The case should get 10
the Jury about Ave o'clock.
Prosecutor penounees AssaIiants. :
prosecutor McCanless said in part:
.eDuring my practice have sent men
to the penitentiary for felonies but
have never had case that could equai
the one at bar in enormity OF coward
ice and brutality.
q regret indeed that our laws are
80 lame, our legislatures SO lax, we ma
It necessary after an offense OK tn1s
nature has been perpetrated In our
midst. at we must be content 70 send
the nffeniers to Jail or heap upon them
X an insignificant fine. Certainly an OF
tense Of this nature will never be com.
rnitted again and be subjected TO SIM 20
ilar punishment, and yet. our legisla-
ture, our people, our students OF poii-
tical economy doubtless never dreamed
that a law Of this nature would De
found necessary to put into seffect
..Tar and feathers. "A relic OF ancient
times. Tarring girl, think OF it! One
of o,r own girls; one OF our own citl.
zens: right here In the center OF lclvl-- Sr-
lization. have heard OF sucn tn1ngs
taking place in barbaric times put
never believed it. have heard tnat
they would some times take man ana
tar him and then ride him on rail.
Rut did you ever hear OF q bunch OF
men tarring a helpless girl? One who
cannot defend herself. It is simply
awful. Why, Robin Hood and his gang
of desperadoes would start at such a
thing. They who made their Hyell-
hood by forage. by highway robbery
would blush to do such a thing as this
hand of desperadoes did the night OF
the seventh Of August, 1911.
Girls Character Not an Issue.
..It has been intimated through the
conduct OF this trial that Miss Cham.
berlain is not girl Of good reputation
or character. This, would challenge
most strenuously II it were necessary;
I If her reputation were an issue IN this
case. but It is not an issue i care not
who Miss Chamberlain is. nor what she
il. That matters not. She may be the
yilest character on top OF the earth.
vet she is Just as much entitled to the
protection OF our laws as If she were
An angel. No matter how previously
she has broken the moral or legal
laws. her punishment is not q coat OF
tar. II she did that which was i'm,
proper. let her be brought before this
same tribunal that is trying these de-
PENDANTS. There she. would get her
lust punishment II she deserved it..
j But where in the name of God and all
reason have these men who on this
awful night SO desecrated our laws.
customs. ethics, get their all-import-
ant right to Judge her without a trial;
take her ruthlessly and forcibly out Of
the conveyance in which she was riding
and thus chasten her? Why, even a
dog deserves better treatment than
was given Mary Chamberlain that
night.
aGentlemen, this girl is our sister;
this girl is one Of the daughters Of
Kansas, this girl calls for the protec'
ton Of our laws and our state. 1t is
your duty to give it to her. You can
II YOU will. Will you. in your verdict
today. blot from the star spangled ban.
ner the bright star that glitters to the
name of Kansas and leave the stripe
behind, fit emblem OF her degrade
tion? or will you by the word guilty
continue to make 1t one OF the bright
est stars that shines upon the broad
field of our national flag?
"Mary Chamberlain was tried, con-
demned and punished before worse
fudge than Pontius Pilate. hope by
your verdict you will triumphantly
punish her unjust treatment. / will
leave the matter in your hands,
Defense Closed This Afternoon.
The defense in the ''tar party" case
closed its direct testimony at the
morning session OF court and the state
Continued on Page 81
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