Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-01-23
MISPLACED SYMPATHY.

Quisits ,~sayr, says. TO KNOW al is
20 forgive ALL" That 10 beautiful
sentiment. ono which strikes rcrpon-
alive chords In tho human breast. etc.
nut sometimes 60 know all causes
hate, and not pity 20 surge through
ones be,ns. There In such a thing
se earryins this pityins business too
far. witness the case OF Luther Boldly,
murderer extraordinary In New York
city,
r-hat hlsck boy was arrested by |
two detectives several weeks ego on
q charge of murder. when taken IN
custody he haa a revolver hidden up
his sleeve. Before reaching the police
ststion no brought that gun into 40
ton and killed both detectives. Then |
began a Wild man hunt that ended in
. philadelphia.
NRHNN NV ~ ''NAhN FttN'h h~%N -
Manhattan. Three charrcs Of murder
hav. b~n placed against him. The
rrisoner admits without hesitation
that he Killed tho two detectives. eey-
F ,nr tina, no feared that he would he
rut through terrible third desrece"
hy tho police. poddy therefore Is a
sonfc-~-i criminal. But IN the eyes Of
, the law no s innocent until proven
suilty. lie has IN. right 90 fair
trial and every protection that the
law ofcrs a prisoner. But 81 Is de-
ha,ahis point whether ne is entitled
90 r~c~Rvc the consideration tina; is
sensrAi,y heM IN reserve for dHtin-
uuish-i pcr~ons.
TO sxp,a,ni about one half of ths
New rort City newspapers have gone
Wild on thn licddy case. sob sisters"
have eesn sent 20 Interview him, and
have r~,urncd from tho Tornne with
pluful stories % how the young
black boy dearly desires 10 read Par
sdl.o Loot" and how he never ~ally
had a chance In childhood. etc. Hey
wood proun. tho distinguished liter
AIRY critic of q certain morning paper.
several days ago devoted his entire
column 10 psycho-analy,ioal inter-
probation % Boddy's case. lie told OF
how he tried 20 ascertain whether
there was anything In the prisoners
early iifs ,hs, might have Influenced
him townrd a criminal career, and
tho like
Now perhaps Broun merely took a
day or from books and the theatre SO
~ 20 give hls readers treat. Perhaps
ne intended merely 20 satirize the
learned gentlemen who attempt TO find
"a hidden motive FOR every act. II so. he
was making poor Jest indeed. on the
other hard. n he was serious--ss the
cob sl-,erhood ccrtalnly was and Is
then he was prcstituting his talents in
mos, unworthy cause. There Is nc
need 10 erou~e public sympathy for a
man who admits that he killed. ir
cold blood. two detectives who had
arrested him.
This Boldly case ls not the exception
that proves rule. ~ II fast becoming
. rule that the criminal II TO receive
ell the piai>e and the pity. and IN,
uricer Of the law who is killed per.
forming his sworn duty of protecting
the public Ia % be speedily forgot. By
this we would not imply that a mar
should bc held guilty before bein,
proven 80. bu, this We do know-al
too frequently public sympathy makes
herooe of the worst types OF criminals
And certain newspapers. we ara sorr,
,o say, eid and ebet In that practice
Every Evening is distinctly tired o
hearing about poor criminals" witt
never had chance; of lovely ladies'
who killed their paRmours becaus
the latter we're untrue; OF viciou
thugs who mlEhl have been mani!
hervs" n the fairies had waved thei
wand. otherwise az the birth hour
We want 20 hear Of a little sympath,
esprco~ed for the hard-working. an'
none too-hlshly paid officers OF tn
law who day in and day out take. thei
liv.s IN their hands Will. shielding
the public from harm. ... II ther
10 any sympathy q be handed out. let
si,e n 20 the families Of dead detec
,ly,s who ded at the post os dut,
no, go I've criminals who talk abou
wanting ~ read lootry.