The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1915-02-20
WHISKY DID 1T
Remarks of Judge Pollock i'm Passing
Sentence on Hendrickson, the
North Dakota Wife
Murderer.

Divine and human law declare,
Thou shalt not kill. You stand be-
fore the bar of justice confessing to
having committed the revolving
crime of numbering, in cold blood,
the woman you promised to love,
honor and protect. Another crime,
that of attempted self destruction
could justly be laid at your door.
The innocent babe which came to
bless your home has been robbed of
a mothers tender care. You having
plead guilty now await the sentence
of an offended law.
1T is a solemn moment in the life
of a court, when he is called upon to
sit i'm judgment upon his fellow men.
Murder and treason are kindred of
fenses. The one affects the individ-
ual, the other the state. Both alike
are heinous and the penalty of death
may be inflicted for either.
Your only excuse in mitigation is
that you were drunk when you COM
mitted the deed-a plea which can
only be received to save you from
the gallows.
Il do not know, and. under the
present state of our law, l V
want TO know, who sold you the Ii
quor, under the influence of which
you committed this unnatural crime.
Let that mans conscience bring
such emorse that its energizing pow
er will never let 60, until the largest
possible reparation be made.
Whoever he was, and wherever
he may be at this sad moment;
whether his place of business is in
the we'll adorned and highly decorat-
ed room. where tempting viands APP
peal to the taste; where sweet music
delights the ear and lulls to sleep the
reasoning faculties; or whether it
was in the lowest, dirtiest, man-aban-
doned, God-forsaken and death-deal-
ing charnel house of despair, where
only abides thoughtless and sullen
greed for gain, IL matters not; before
the bar of God, If not of man, he
stands alike with you morally respon-
sible for this horrible crime.
THE trouble is he is not here with
you to receive a merited punishment.
The statute says All persons con-
cerned in the commission of a public
%offense, whether they directly COM
NIT the act constituting the offense.
or aid or abet in its commission; or
who by fraud, contrivance or force,
occasion the drunkenness of another
for the purpose of causing him to
commit any crime, are principals in
any crime so committed
IF your partner in this offense
were here, he would plead by way of
defense that he did not by fraud,
continuance or force occasion your
Drunkenness plea which would
have to be sustained.
How much longer will the courts
be deprived of authority to do COM
plete justice between their fellow
men? An enlightened and long suf-
fering public will some day. and that
very soon, rise in the majesty of its
power, and demand that the legisla-
ture strike out the words by fraud,
continuance or force and for the
purpose of causing him to commit
any crime and boldly declare that he
who in any name sells intoxicating
liquor to another as a beverage, un-
der the influence of which a crime,
whether of murder or of some lesser
offense is committed, is equally gull
ty as a principal in any crime so COM
mitted. Such a law would distribute
the blame and place it upon all those
responsible for the crime.
THE persons who, for business OF
other reasons, vote to permit the con-
tinuance of a traffic which robs mer
of their reason. increasing the liabii'
ity of crime being committed, are In
a measure responsible. Away with
your mistaken notions of business
necessity. 1t does not exist. Urea
son against the state stalks abroad In
our midst. How much longer viii
the people permit both treason and
murder in order that there may bt
continued a system of dealing will
the liquor traffic which preys upor
the appetites and passions of men?
"A quarter of a century ago tn
good people of our state dissolved
partnership with the accursed license
+. system. The state of Minnesota still
! permits the evil. Her splendid west
ern city of Moorhead, we'll located fol
! business and containing some Of thu
: best people on earth, seems blind t.
the great wrong of the traffic in rum
: We must suffer because of their In
ability to see. Most Of the persons
TENT to the pe~nitentiary by this cour