, 1921-09-16
CRIME AND PUNISHMENT.

CRIME N PUNISHMENT.
What is true in Chicago is true in equal or lesser
degree in many other parts of the country respecting
the delayed punishment of clearly proven murder, be
cause of the twistings, postponements and technic
alities in the practice in American courts. Review
ing the most notable of recent murder cases the Chi
cago Tribune sounds an alarm for the safety of every
American community evidence in the court proceed
ings of the cases cited. The Tribune says:
.'Carl Wanderer murdered his wife, her unborn
child, and the ragged stranger June 81, 1920.
"He was tried twice and his execution set for April
16 last. He was given a third triai-on the issue If
his sanity[1n July. He was found sane, but before
the moment of his execution Governor Small. on the
petition of Illinois Department Commander w. r. Nc
Cauley of the American Legion, reprieved him and
he is now awaiting another trial.
when Wanderers cold blooded crime became
known the public conscience revolted and no one
doubted he should and would pay the extreme pen
atty. No one being capable of such a crime as Wan
derer's should live.
But time and the strange machinery of our adj
ministration of justice leave him unscathed.
The public forgets.
"a month earlier than Wanderers crime oene
Geary, a notorious gunran, killed Harry Reckas. a
months before Geary had been acquitted of killing a
taxi driver. He had been in many shooting ARRAYS
hut he had escaped justice each time.
This time public opinion was reused. No ont
doubted such a crime as Gearys. would be punished
with the extreme penalty. No one doubted that such
a man ought not to live.
1.-TWO months after the killing Geary was tried
found guilty and sentenced to be hanged. That waf
a year ago last July.
Gedry Deen nauReu. lit mas Dcen Ir1eG
since, on the issue of sanity, and found sane. He is
being tried a second time on the same issue today.
Meantime the public interest has died down. But
it is burning hot and bright over a new crime, the kill
ing of Daugherty and Ausmus.
''This is another slaughter, deliberate, cold blooded
ca1lous, w~antonly cruel. To call it british would
SANDER the brutes. Public indignation is real. 1t de
mands justice upon the criminals. The police and the
states attorneys office have acted with promptness
and vigor. Two of the believed perpetrators have
made confessions. A third may be in custody before
these lines are read. Indictment and trial will be
pressed. Within two months perhaps the guilty may
be sentenced.
How many twistings and turnings and long delays?
"And meantime the public will forget.
Justice has been made a farce in this community.
Murder, even of the most atrocious and unmitigated
kind, has become a good gamble, with the chances of
immunity better than good. The law has almost
ceased to be a warning to the vicious and the violent.
1t has been Knocked too often.
"This is a condition which disgraces us all. No self
respecting community can tolerate it. 1t does not be-
long in civilization, and barbarism itself is not futile
IA the face of crime.
Justice which is not prompt is justice deprived of
its chief terrors. Justice delayed means justice viz
tually defeated. If punishment is to have the social
effect of lettering crime it must. follow swiftly upon
the act in order that the possible criminal may have
the circumstances of the crime freshly before him and
read its consequences in the punishment melted out.
Delay blurs the lesson besides multiplying the chances
of evasion.
"Our system with its complications and delays is an
encouragement to law breaking, and the immunity
won for the worst crime is a continuing peril to the
community.
"The Tribune has repeatedly protested against this
evil. But the evil persists in spite of repeated de-
feats of justice, because the public will not face the
facts and compel the reform of our methods"