The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-10-10
A TRIUMPH OF LAW AND
A WARNING TO THE LAWLESS
Death may be a glorious or an ignominious thing.

Well has it been said that 1T is not all of life to live; not all
OF death to die"
The radiance that wreathed the faces of the heroes who died
Tor country, for loved ones or for honor, is a reminder that a life
IS a small and insignificant thing to give for a noble cause. Those
who looked upon the lads who offered their all upon the altar OF
their country, and witnessed the smile upon their faces and heard
the prayers upon their lips in that fateful hour may we'll ex-
claim; 20 Death, where is thy sting? O Grave, where is thy
victory"
Deep and abiding inspiration has come to those privileged
to lnger beside some departing saint and hear the final words,
just before the long and peaceful sleep: 81 have kept the faith
| have fought the good fight
Then there is another death, a penalty required by society,
%antedating the law OF Moses, that decreed, AN eye for an eye,
a tooth for a tooth :" as old, in fact, as the word of Cod, spoken to
Noah and his sons: Whose sheddeth mans blood, by man shall
his blood be she'd" '@
And out of this law there grew another law to fit a crime
worse than taking in coldsblood the life Of a fellow man,
1t was for this c~rime'that Allen Mcnamara was tried in the
criminal court of Shelby county, convicted and sentenced to death.
II the verdict of the twelve impartial jurors who heard the evil
dence and based their finding upon the law and the facts is
carried out, Mcnamara will be put to death by electrocution in
the state prison in Nashville.
1t is a penalty demanded by society, by civilization, and it
will continue to be demanded so long as wonanhood is respected
and virtue is held sacred.
There is not a heart 50 hard, not a mind so firmly fixed in
the opinion that no otherkpenalty would have sufficed, but goes
out in tenderest sympathy to his family, to all Of them-the sweet
little girl he abandoned and the dear old mother who showered
kisses upon him and wept with inconsoable gref-the mother
whose heart he ~broke-for after all, is he not flesh Of her flesh
But the Nervousness of his crime must not be forgotten. It
must be remembered that those who love him, and for whom he
had so little consideration, are not the only sufferers. The VIC
tim Of his lust must be taken into account,
She was " years old She was an orphan at 4. She had a
hard life, but she earned an honest living. 1t was to her credit.
that she preferred to work in a bag factory at hard labor rather
than live a life of ease without work. Many girls have solved the
problem and chosen the easier course, Enough credit is not given
to the girls who remain straight when every influence tends toward
a different direction; girls who keep in the narrow path through
an inherent force of character even in the absence of proper sur
roundngs, without training or the protection of a home,
The law had another purpose to serve in visiting this penalty
upon Mcnamara. 1t waslnot alone that he should atone for the
ruin of this girl, but that other men of his type should be re-
strained from the commission OF similar crimes,
This conviction is going to have a good AND much-needed
effect upon this community, The girl victim in this case was not
trespassing the laws of co1ventonaity.
Perhaps it will t~eachiyoung girls to be careful Of the COM
pany they keep. Certainly it will be a lesson to a set Of young
ruffans who seemingly had come to the conclusion that they were
immune from punishment and not amenable to law.
If there has been recently an epidemic Of lawlessness there
likewise has been an epidemic OF law enforcement.
Two men tried before Judge Harsh on the charge of attempt
to assault were given an indeterminate sentence of from 10 to
90 years in the state penitentiary, One Of the trio implicated in
the affair made his escape viii the assistance or because of the
indifference OF the police department, II he comes back he will
probably receive the same punishment, and If he stays away the
city will have lost an undesirable citizen.
There is yet another man to be tried for the same offense for
which Mcnamara was convicted. He is in jail The third mem
Der of the party is at large. He can get a trial any time he elects
to make his appearance. d
The people are beginning to talk about the efficiency of thu
criminal courts of Shelby county, The county has two splendt
Judges. Judge Richards and Judge Harsh are making a recor
for themselves. A member of the Tennessee Law and Orde
league, a professor in Vanderbilt university, was In Memphis
few weeks ago and visited Sheriff Perry. When the interview
ended, he remarked to a friend: 81 wish might take your sheriff
with me to exhibit to the people over the state and show Their
a real mana red-booded, courageous m%an-that they might b
inspired to select such .nen for their law reinforcing officials" Nj
Bates, the district Encouragement and his assistants, Mr., McLai
and Mr., Exby, are doing splendid work. These officials are solv
ing the question OF mob violence. When the law is enforce
quickly, vigorously and to the extreme limit %lynching will becom
a thing of the past. ,
Not all law violators have gone out of business. The iouc
sellers have about run out of goods, and official protection doe
not seem to help toward replenishing the stock seized with sue
avidity by the discriminating public. The gamblers are en-
joying a special dispensaton, extended usually along about Gle
ton time, and there are other lines of activity that permit III
operators to make a comfortable living and lay aside a little som
thing for the campaign fund.
But if they have not all gone out of business the eonvictic
with them is strong tina. they are on thin ice. There is might
little comfort available for the guilty who find themselves in Il
criminal court.
A few more convictions for capital crimes that have be,
committed and there will be an end to the commission Of su,
..:-.xn