Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1914-07-25

l have taken the law unto myself You
were not convicted of murder in this
Unitarian court of mine, but OF an
other sin. For fifteen months you
have been living under the shadow of
a crime you did not commit. was
reserying complete punishment for
you in the shape of an ignoble mar
rage, which was to have served two
bitter ends. Well, 1 had the truth
from you. / believe you to be abso-
lutely innocent of the charge 1 held
over you, for which 1 condemned you
without a hearing. Then, why should
1 not employ my own means of max
ing restitution"
You have condescended to believe
in me. That is all 1 ask"
True. that is all you ask. But is
it altogether the fair way out of it?
To illustrate: our criminal laws are
less kind to the innocent than to the
guilty. Our law courts find a man
guilty and he is sent to prison. Later
on, he is found to be innocent-abso-
lutely innocent. What does the state
do in the premises? 1t issues a formal
pardon-a mockery, pure and simple
and the man is set free. 1t all comes
to a curt, belated apology for an error
on the part of justice. No substantial
recompense is offered. He is merely
pardoned for something he didn't do.
The state, which has wronged him,
condescends to pardon him! Think of
it! It is the same as Il man knocked
another down and then said, before he
removed his foot from the victims
neck: I pardon you freely My ia
Their was opposed to the system we
doning men who have been unjustly
condemned. The innocent victim is
pardoned in the same manner as the
guilty one who comes in for clemency.
accept my fathers contention that
an innocent man should not be shamed
and Inundated by a pardon. The
court which tried him should reopen
the case and honorably acquit him of
the crime. Then the state should pay
to this innocent man, dollar for dol
lar, all that he might have earned dur
ing his term of imprisonment, with an
additional amount for the suffering he
has endured. Not long ago in an ad-
joining state a man, who had served
seventeen years of life sentence for
murder. was found to be wholly limo
cent What happened? A pardon was
handed to him and he walked out of
prison, broken in spirit, health and
purse. : His small fortune had been
wiped out in the futile effort to prove
his innocence. He gave up seventeen
years of his life and then was par
doned for the sacrifice. He should
have been paid for every day spent in
prison. That was the very least they
could have done"
81 see now what you mean" unused
Hetty. Il have never thought of it
in that way before"
We'll, it comes to this in our case.
Hetty: have tried you all over again
in my own little court and 1 have &C.
quilted you of the charge l had against
you. l do not offer you silly pardon
You must allow me to have my way
in this matter, to choose my own
means of compromising you for"
you saved my life," protested Het-
ty, shaking her head obstinately.
MY dear, 1 appreciate the fact that
you are English" said Sara, with a
weary smile, but won't you please see
the point?"
Then Hetty smiled too, and the way
was easier after that for Sara She
gained her quixotic point, and Hetty
went away from Southlook feeling that
no woman in all the world was SO be-
wildering as Sara Wrandall.
When she sailed for England, two
days later, the newspapers announced
| that the beautiful and attractive Miss
| Castleton was returning to her native
| land on account of the death of Lord
Murgatroyd, and would spend the year
on the continent, where probably she
would be Joined later on by Mrs. Wran-
| dali, whose period of mourning and
distress had been softened by the con-
slant and loyal friendship of this ex-
quisite Englishwoman.
Four hundred miles out at sea she
was oyertaken by wireless messages
! from three persons.
Brandon Booths message said: 81
am sailing tomorrow on faster ship
! than yours You will find me waiting
fer you on the landing stage" Her
| heart gave a leap to dizzy heights. and,
try as she would. she could not crush
| 1t back to the depths in which it had
dwe!t for days.
The second bit of pale green paper
| contained a cry from most unexpect-
i ed source: Gable your London ad-
| dress 8. refuses to give it to me.
think 1 understand the situation We
| want to make amends for what you
have had to put up with during the
year. She has shown her true nature
at last" 1t was signed Leslie
| From Sara came these cryptic