Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1913-04-01
ADVICE FROM HILLSBoRo.

The esteemed Hillsboro Independ
ent, in recent editorial relative t
the execution of the Humphreys has
the following to say:
The attempt to save the Hum
phreys like the majority of similar
movements was based almost entirely
upon sentiment and no regard was
paid to the facts. The crime OF
which they were convicted, and which
they admitted, was most heinous and
almost unparalleled in criminal history
Yet speeches without number have
been made, newspaper columns filled
and the governor besieged with ap-
peals to save these confessed murder
ers while the victim of their cupidity
and lust has been forgotten. 1t is
mawkish sentimentalism of this kind
which glorifes the criminal and ig-
nores his crime that strengthens the
determination of right-thinking peo-
pie to retain capital punishment for
cases like this.
The Observer has no wish to agi-
tate this question, fully believing that
the people understand it in all its
phases, but the argument advanced
in the above clipping is so palpably
weak and misleading that we cannot
let it pass without attention. Again
we have the old, threadbare cry of
"mawkish sentimentalism, used by
all exponents of the death penalty
when referring to those who do not
believe in this method of punishment
for murderers. The Observer is not
believer in legal killings but it sub
mits that, even if ii were. it would
not have approved of the execution of
these two mental incompetents. The
whole fabric of the prosecution rest
ed upon alleged confessions made
by these men during a severe grill
ing in which, probably, all the wileS
and the SubterfugeS of the unSpeak-
able third degre methods were en-
pleyed, by men proficient in the art, /.
who were after the rewards offered
by the state for the apprehension of |
the criminals. While the officers |
were at it they covered the whole
ground, Prolific minds suggested all
sorts of crimes. and called up many |
mysterious disappearances, and crime
after crime was laid at the door of |
the brothers. They admitted them
all. They confessed every day to
some new crime. They told any sort
of tale that the over-zealouS reward
hunters suggested. until il appear
ed that they had been instrumental
in practically all of the uuex-
planned murders in the western
portion of the state. Sub
sequently, it was proven that they had
no part in these alleged disappear
anceS, some of which were no mur-
derS at all, yet they had "eoufeSS-
ed" and there is as much ground for
belief in their guilt in these eases as
in the crime for which they were
hanged.
The Observer has no personal /
knowledge of the character Of the
Humphreys, such information as We
have comes from men who knew them !
we'll and intimately during the years
of their residence in this county. and ,
II is fact that such people are the
ones who insist that they were no,
guilty Of the PhilOmath crime. Many
alleged murderers have escaped the 6
gallowS whose mental capacity was
far greater than the Humphreys. HUI .
laws provide that no in
sane person or mental iucompetent &
shall be punished for acts which he {
cannot help If he cannot diSun- q
guish between right and wrong. he i
it only for an insane ASYLUM. and ,o
Kill him would be the acme of bru- 8
tslity, But We do not believe that
The Humphreys committed the philo- d
nsth crime while insane. we believe G
hat they did not even commit it n
The exponentS Of legal murder thirst ]
for the blood of the accused. tlc
makes little difference. IL appears. IV
whether there Is doubt Of their guilt :
The mere charge against them i two !
birds Of the battle. They have No
,atienee with the slow-muvinr ms
hinery Of the law. They want the a
nen hung. they want their ueeks q
'rOken and they want them hustled "a
nto a nameleSS grave a. quickly a. s.
'oSSihle in order that ''Societv nav .
e protected" and the CRIME aveur- VI
a." Professional ball-ueeks. at p
-sc.ed by the large rewaui> cfersi. q
D out and heat the hra>h for the g
iminals, find some poor and sense q
- fool. whose mentality Is of a low $
der. arrest him. slap the hand "
ifs upon his wrists. hustle him C. 9,
il, fighten him into Submission. a
reaten. brOw-heai. haI-dOre ard Il
use him until they have him IN the b
-ht state Of Submission. then they A.