The Washington herald., 1911-10-22

There are fourteen persons in the
United States jail awaiting trial on the
charge Of murder. Some of them have
been behind the bars for more than
six months, and their cases have not
yet been set on the Criminal Court
dockets. Criminal lawyers, and even
members of the judiciary, urgently call
on the district attorneys Office for ac-
tion that will administer justice more
swiftly.
Besides the fourteen prisoners who
have never faced a jury there are three
convicted murderers who have noted
appeals that may take months to reach
decisions
Whether it is the policy of the dis
trict attorneys Office to delay trials un-
I'll crimes have been forgotten or the
delay is due to congestion of the dockets
is mooted question" said a criminal
lawyer yesterday:
In Maryland about ten years ago one
Schuchards shot and killed his wife. He
was arrested, tried, and sentenced to
imprisonment for life within seven days
after the Staying. Another example OF
brooks case Phi1brooks killed his en-
ployer, farmer, and was sentenced to
ten years in the penitentiary a week
later Washington lawyers want to
know why homicide cases cannot be
disposed Of in the same clean-cut way in
the District.
District Attorneys View.
District Attorney Clarence r. Wilson
declared last night that there was no
way under the present judicial system
that murder trials could be hurried. The
congestion. he said, happened every year,
after the summer intermission of the
District Supreme Court. He said he
helped.
These crimes have all been committed
since last May or June" said the district
attorney. They can't be tried when the
courts are not in session. and they have
been delayed for that reason and no other.
We are now clearing the dockets of minor
crimes to make way for the murder
trials The first OF these probably will be
tried in about two weeks, and the others
will be docketed as quickly as possible
after that"
An associate justice of the District Su-
preme Court sent an inquiry to the dis
trict attorneys Office last week asking
why dates had not been set for some Of
having them docketed in HIS court for
early trials. He was told the prosecution
was not ready to present evidence be-
cause the district attorney and his as
sistants had been trying to relieve the
of lesser criminals at the jail
witnesses Become Confused.
'T do not believe such delays ma
terially affect final Justice" said the
same Supreme Court justice last night,
though it is unfortunate that so much
time is allowed to elapse between a
crime and the trial of the accused. 1t
IS very evident that witnesses become
confused after so many months have
passed and that time colors the evil
lence probably to the advantage OF the
criminal"
Federal Prison Inspector Thomas H.
Mckee, former warden Of the District
United States jail, does not agree with
District Attorney Wilson that delays are
necessary.
1T has been the policy Of the district
ittorney's office for good many |
he asserted last night, Ito de-
ay the trials of prisoners charged with |
murder until the public has lost interest
n the particular crime, probably with
he idea of eliminating sentiment from |
ne minds of jurors.
''Of course, 1t is necessary that many |
rials must be postponed over the sum-
ner intermission, but 1 have never un- |
erstood why there have been delays of |
months at other times of the year.
hould not like to express an opinion
hat would seem to criticise the district
ttorney's office. because the system has
een practiced for years, as I said.
Long Waits Favor Criminal.
Long waits certainly affect the tesu-
1ony and evidence. And delays in justice
Iways favor the criminal. Such policy,
f course, may work both ways. 1t is
rue that delays blunt the force Of the
but at the same time, public
ointment often influences Justice, and
oppose the theory was built up along
hat line or reasoning"
Lawyers agree that little can be done
o add speed to the administration Of
ustice in Washington unless there is
ONE change in the judicial methods. At
EAST one criminal term should be in ses-