Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-08-26

the great mass Of people because the
| mass of the people are taking it
for granted that you are going 10
do your duty without a petition from
| them. The great mass of the people
| consider it beyond reason and be-
yond comprehension that a murder
Gus highWayman without a single
extenuating circumstance should lie
| granted executive clemency.
| 'They try to make it appear that
this murderer is a moron. They
! bring here the testimony of lady
| psychologist, who tells the prison
| commission that DuPre has the
mind of an eleven-year-old boy. Wha'
test did she give his mind? She
gave him no mental test at all, but
merely asked him questions to test
| his knowledge Of grammar and his
tory. Certainly he is not educated.
| ] have never yet seen an educated
criminal. The criminal is usually u
man who refused an education when
a boy. They are the ones who
| knew more than their parents OF
teachers. They are the ones so fill
| ed with their ego and self-conceit
| that they accept advice from nobody.
! eff We are going to repeal the lazy
/ against murder, and if we are goiog
| to repeal capital punishment, let us
do it by statutory enactment and not
! by executive clemency. When are
we going to end this maudlin senti
| mentality which pours itself out in
| behalf Of every murder? There is
| never a murder case which is not
urged as an exceptional case.
Few Hangings
"They urge you that this case is
| exceptional. They come here to you
with lot of tomnlyrot, which, when
you analyze it, it consists Of moth,
|! ing except the argument that DuPre
is too young to be hanged, that he
I is too dashing to be hanged, that
he is too good-looking to be hanged,
that he ought not to be hanged be.
cause he is mothers boy.
IF we are not going to hang Du-
Pre-, what murderer are we going
to hang? The reason why we have
SO many murders in this city, and
in this state, is because we have so
few hangings."
Governor HardwicE asked Solicitor
Boykin if he knew how many hang
Ings there had been in Georgia in
the past twelve month. The solicitor
replied that he did not.
There probably have been more
than you think" said the governor.
|. The spectators broke into ap
plause, which the governor stopped
tby rap on his desk. In conclusion
Solicitor Boykin, pointing to Mrs
Walker and her child, delivered the
following climax of the argument:
"How many of these sentimental
lists have visited that widow, ano
L.
Of these people here today went tc
see her when her husband lay a
corpse and offered sympathy AND
been raised to tide her over and tc
help her along with her little girli
How many of these here today when
this hearing adjourns will go to her
with a word of sympathy?"
MI. West Speaks
City Comptroller West, in his
statement to the governor, seemed tC
be laboring under a great strain
He was pale and thin, and apparent
ly in a very weakened condition from
his wounds. He said:
"It is extremely unpleasant to ASH
for the death of any person, ever
for the death of DuPre. I only ask
your excellency to allow the verdict
of the jury to stand in this case.
know you have before you many
petitions, but if had circulated peti
II lions on the other side of the case
believe I could have filled this sen
ate chamber. I do not know The
number Of people who urged me tt
circulate counter petitions but, after
mature reflection, have decided moi
to do so.'
At the request of Governor Hard
wick, Mr.. West related the details
Of the attack upon him by DuPre
and in reply to a question as t.
| whether his life was endangered, re
Piled my doctors tell me it was E
miracle that lived"
In conclusion, Mr.. West said: 81
wish your excellency to understand
that 1 have no interest in this case
except the interest of society ana
the enforcement of the law"
you mean" said the governor
that you believe this sentence
/ should be executed"
Exactly So" replied Mr.. West. :"
can conceive of no greater calamity
no greater blow at law and orde
than for your excellency to commute
this sentence from death to life in;
prisonment."
Attorney Allen Closes
} Attorney H. A. Allen, leadins
: counsel for the defense, closed tn
case for DuPre. He argued at con
: siderable length the contention o
the defense regarding the charge o
? ! Judge Matthews, and stressed tn
point that the judges charge was s.
[ questionable as to cause an ever
division Of the justices of the su
preme court.
He argued at length the conten
ton of the defense that four juror
were prejudiced against DuPre, an
, therefore, deprived him of an i'm
: partial trial.
ct seems to me-" said the COVER
nor, ''that those questions have bee
| decided by the court, at least, b,
= ! operation of law in this particula
case. The only question before me
;. as I see it, is the question Of tn
, | degree Of punishment which shout
:, be imposed upon this young man
q ! Is that not true?"
- Attorney Allen accorded with thi
T view and the governor then request
| ed him to address his argument
to the point that the death penalt
{. would be unnecessarily severe.
, Attorney Allen accordingly proceed
:, ed on that line throughout the re
mainder of his argument, and pal
4 no further attention to the lega
D | questions involved.
e 1--WE contend, your excellency,
said he, that the record in thi
case contains no evidence of tn
l. previous criminal acts of DuPre e1
:, | rent tho evidence of his own &C