The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-12-12
THE BIRMINGHAM AGEHERALD, SUNDAY, DECEMBER 12 1920

simply with uncomfortable passion then killings, maimings. all kinds of crimes of a serious nature could be committed and go unpunished because of the fact that temper was not con
 trolled. or that the desires for venge-
 ance were not restrained.
 T have stated this much, because I
 believe it is necessary for the public interest that this should be, if possible,
 the last offense of this nature that is
 ever committed in the county. I be- lieye that it is necessary for the re- straint of others who might be like wise inclined that there should be a penalty adequate to meet, not only the punishment of the accused but ade- quate to deter or restrain others from the commission of like offenses.
 NO PLEASURE TO SENTENCE Tt is never a pleasure to me to sent tence any man. however serious may be the offense, I am not as mere ma chine, nor would the public have such a man on the bench. No man has the | right to administer punishment who I has not human feelings and who is not l careful to see that all circumstances are considered before penalties are in- | flicted And there never comes a time when have to sentence a man that I do not try to see some way in which the gravity of the offense may be softened UT cluGllOIdtSu Dy CtTCuT0SldnC6S.
 There has never been a sentence, so
 far as I know, that l have ever given with~ view of injuring any man, but i solely with the view of exacting public justice and restraining others from the commission of like offenses. Person i ally do not know. except in a casual
 way. either party-either the defendant or the man who is alleged to have been injured. Judicially have examined the l oxrfIa l. xkz | raised and have carefully gone over | them, in order that my conscience might be satisfied. in order that I might rem 1 der an act, not to the people of Jeffer- con county alone, but to the highest 1 tribunal to~ which each human com i science must eventually respond.
 Vengeance is mine; will repay so 1 says the Almighty, and the vengeance that you wrought upon this man was taking the task of Almighty God into your own hands, taking the task of the courts away, and leaving him stripped of his mandhood, a human wreck. That | is the way the offense impresses me- f"I have thought of what should be q minimum penalty in the case. I have | maturely considered 1t, even only, six | days having passed since the trial, and must say that l do not believe coun- sel for the defense. concerned as they are for their clients cause, have given any more consideration to it, because | am here to represent, not one side or the other, but my high sense of justice to do what is right in this case, as in all others, but with all that can be said and done, there is no Justification; there is little attenuation, except the good faith that believe the defendant acted in on advice from his wife at the time something enraged him undoubtedly; something influenced him to the action. Therefore. 1t is the mature judgment of the court, and 1t Is the sentence of the law from that that the defendant Charlie Wade. be imprisoned in the pen itentiary for term of 19 years as the
 minimum punishment and of 20 years as the maximum. This Is the judgment and sentence of the law"