The Missouri herald., 1922-09-08
ADULT CRIME
JUVENILE PUNISHMENT

Last week we told in our news COL
young negro bucks upon two white
umns of an attempt of rape by two
girls near town.
Among other things we stated:
The outcome of the ease will be-
wachcd with considerable interest. If
these two negro fends nre not given
the nximum punishment the law pro-
vides, it will stand out ns nm incentive
for an outraged community to handle
such criminals differently in the fut-
ure. for black devils cannot lay hands
on white wOmen's thrOnts, rs was done
in this case, and escape their dues.
We hasten to take the first oppor-
tunity to state that the writer of the
above paragraph little dreamed that
Missouri law for such a crime was
but a short course of board, clothes
and education at the expense of the
taxpayers of the State-provided
the guilty parties are under eighteen
years of age, as the two brutes in
question claim to be. We repeat
we little dreamed that such a trav-
esty of justice could be enacted in
the name of the law of this State
But ii appears such is the fact, and
that being the case, none of the
county and State officials can be
criticised They did not make the
law and their duty obligates them
to enforce it as it is written in the
statutes.
Judge McCarty, we are informed,
took particular personal pains tc
investigate the age of the two black
young bucks, and was convinced
that neither had reached his eight
eenth year. Nothing, therefore
could be done, we are told. but tc
turn the guilty scoundrels over tC
Hans Doerner, county probation of,
ticer, who has, or will, sentence
them to the reform school.
Such a law is farce and shame
to this great State. Here is al
ADULT CRIME of the most heinou:
sort, with a JUVENILE PUNISH
MENT, if that is even what the law
rOntamplates the reform scho,.
be. Clothes and board and training
at the expense of the State, however
is not punishment. In such cases
such an application of the law i:
really nothing more nor less than ;
reward offered by the State to black
brutes to clay hands upon Whit
women's throats thu
said brutes are under eighteen years
of age.
The page Of the Missouri Statute
J containing such law ought to b'
torn out and burned and the ashe
scattered to the four winds. II tn
revision of our statutes now in th
course of development does not an
initiate this law, we advise that Hu
next representative, who should b
Mr.. Doerner, himself, introduce ;
measure for its immediate repeal
Nearly all rape crimes are cor
mitted by black beasts Of about tn
age of these two bucks and. as said
the crimes be!ag only possible afte
adult years nave arrivei Missolr
can no longer offer such beasts stat
utory protection. The white citi
zens of this State, when they com
| to understand, will not stand TO
such abuse of justice as the allege
law itself imposes.
Thus we have the outcome Q
this case. and II has been very inter
esting for its disgust.
Possibly these two negro brute
have the ignorance of the people q
the law to be thankful for. but be
ing now fully enlightened, the mex
case of the kind may be preside
over by a different sort of court, cal
1t what you may.
The highest law In the land is tn
! protection of the white woman