The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1912-09-25
Treachery is DespicabIe.
Wilmington Star.

,.
Inc man or the woman who takes pay
and betrays one close to them is de-
| spised. The most contemplate char
acter in the Bible is Judas Iscariot
and we always picture him as sneak
and villain. For an handful Of silver
the mercenary wretch betrayed Christ
whose follower he was. Benedict Ar
mold, who betrayed his country during
the Revolution. is to us the most con-
cemptible character in American his
tory. Nobody loves a man or a wo-
man who "squeals" for the pay there
is in it, when fidelity is due to those
who are betrayed. The deserter. the
coward, the coldfeeter have no
friends
We are glad Miss Maude Iroler
sweetheart Of Wesley Edwards. has
been freed from the suspicion that for
reward she gave her lover away and
led the detectives to his hiding place
IN Des Moines, Ia. She had poor
Judgment in going there to marry a
man who was wanted for murder and
Is llable to be put to death in the
electric chair, but that would be far
preferable than to pretend love and
marriage only for the opportunity IN
oetray him into the hands Of detec-
tives for a sordid reward. 1t has
turned out that there is nothing to it.
and it must be admitted that it was
not like woman to prove traitor.
Few women are treacherous. but rath-
er they would bare their neck to the
axe rather than sell out a man they
love.
The press generally agreed that it
was unjust to Miss Iroler to make il
appear that she had betrayed her low
er and made it possible for him to
have his life taken by the State of
Virginia. Editors generally express
qualification that she never proved
false. for it would have been a SLAM
der on womankind. Mems confidence
in the gentle sex would have been
shaken. Therefore, it is worth a lot
to know that the mountain girl re-
sents the insinuation and imputation
that she as good as betrayed her
sweetheart with a kiss. This from
the Richmond Journal shows how
sentiment controls in this matter
Governor Mann is quoted as say
ing that it is not his purpose to tell
who will receive the $4,000 reward
to be paid for the information leading
to the arrest Of Sidna. Allen and Wes-
ley Edwards. Beyond stating that
the check will be made payable to the
Baldwin Fets Detective Agency he
declines to go into details. The Gov
ernor takes the ground that it would
be against public policy to reveal the
names of persons by whom informa-
ton is furnished to the police. In
this he is probably right. But. mas
much as The Baldwin Felts people
have announced that none Of the re-
ward will go to them, and, inasmuch
as there has been some suspicion that
the fugitives were betrayed by Miss.
Maude Iroler the sweetheart of Wes-
ley Edwards, it might be well to have.
some definite utterance along this
line. In other words, if Miss Iroler-
is to get none of the money. what
would be the harm in the Governors
q NJ oi, h.
ment from him woulG relieve the
young woman of a suspicion which
has certainly put her in an unfavor-
able light. When one sells even the.
love of murderer for gold, one COM
mits sin that can scarcely command
admiration. AS we stated yesterday
we hope that the sequel will prove
Miss lroler innocent of any purpose
to betray her desperate wooer. Chief
w. G. Baldwin has already declared
that public opinion has done the girl
an injustice, and that it was not her
wish TO see Wesley Edwards again i'm
the tolls Of the law. He flatly denies
that she knowingly assisted the de-
tectiNes who were on the trail OF the
fugitives. And really it begins to look
as if the Mount Airy maid, however
indiScreet she may have been in go
ing TO join Wesley Edwards, has been
put in a false position. 1t is by no
means so certain. however that Miss
lrcler'S father did NOT aid tho datac
tiNes, though his position was decid-.
edly different from that Of his daugh-
ter. He disapproved of the match
and doubtless would have resorted TO
almost any legitimate means TO pre-
vent it. But even in his case, il will