The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1915-10-29
ENCOURAGING CRIME.
Spartanburg Journal.


Spartanburg Journal.
Calling attention to shooting
scrape which occurred in the heart
of Memphis, The Commercial-Appeal
of that city states that one man was
shot in the leg and a messenger boy
was probably wounded. The man
who was shot said he didn't care to
prosecute and the boy is in the hos
pital and in no condition to prose-
cute. The shooter gave bond short
time after the affair and serenely
goes about the city.
This is not the first time that such
things have happened and unless the
officials become more alert and the
people themselves more aroused 1t
will not be the last. The CONNER
cial-Appeal makes this Memphis in
cident the subject of a very strong
editorial on the question of law en-
forcement. 1t says:
''It is seldom that we punish those
who shoot with intent to kill. who
shoot and are not successful in kill
ing, but succeed only in taking off
an ear, a finger or a leg, or giving a
surgeon practice in an abdominal op-
GRAFTON. OF the number of men who
kill, not one-half are punished.
"The majority are turned loose,
and they acquire additional prestige
in the community. In some parts
killing throws an atmosphere Of dig
nifty around the killer. Basing their
point Of view upon the prowess of
Saul Staying his thousands palling
into insigniflcance against the Prov
ess OF David, who slew his tens of
thousands, we are prone even now to
look upon the taker of human life as
an exhibit of qualities commanding
the deepest respect.
"It is coming to pass that we have
an artistocracy of killers and a gentry
OF near-killers. The man who has
not killed anybody or has not at
tempted to kill anybody is regarded
as not counting for much in the
equation of living and letting live.
"If we were as vigorous on killing
as we are about statewide the prac-
tice would soon be stopped The
possession of a Uunited States reve-
nue. license is prima facia evidence
of the guilt of the holder is a seller
OF liquor. Why can't we have a law
that when one man shoots another
man, though he may be acquitted of
the shooting, that the act is prima
facia evidence that the shooter was
carrying pistol in violation of the
law? If every man who kills in these
parts was put in the workhouse IL
months and 20 days for carrying a
pistol, even If he did his killing in
self?defense we confidently assert
that within IL months after the en-
forcement of a law of this sort that
the business OF killing deliberately
and of killing in self defense would
show an appreciatiable decline.
Down in Georgia the mob lynch
ed Frank; the grand jury met and
an investigating court went through
some sort of legal incantations;
everybody shut their eyes and ears
and after time resolved that nobody
knew anything about how Frank was
~,lynched or who did it,
"A few weeks ago we had hor-
rible tragedy in this city A bird of
passage from the Pacific, while So
Journing in Mississippi, met up with
married man. Later she came to
Memphis. and the married man, for
getting his sacred oath of faithful
ness to his wife. most estimable wo-
man and the mother of his eight
year-old child, followed her. His
conduct or her conduct. or the con-
Duct of both. resulted finally in both
being murdered. The affair Is still a
mystery. For three hours after the
discovery OF the murder 1t did not