The Semi-weekly leader., 1922-12-16
SATURDAY, DEC. 16, 1922
HOSTILITY TO THE DEATH SEN
TENCE.

That there Is growing hostility
in Mississippi against imposition Of
the death sentence for murder is
strikingly emexplified by many jury
verdicts in the state during the past
few months.
Despite his oath that he is mot
opposed to capital punishment in pro-
per cases, the average juror shrinks
from imposing the penalty, and Of
ten violates both the spirit and let
ter of his oath.
This has been strikingly illustra-
TED in the Kinds county circuit court
term now drawn to a close. The
term started with seven murder cases
on the docket. ALI have been dispos-
ed of, but the death penalty has not
been imposed in single instance,
although several of the killings were
of the most atrocious and cold-blood-
ed sort. A notable, instance was that
Of a negro who, in a fit of anger
knocked his wife in the head with
an axe, and then chopped her body
to pieces. From the abdomen of the
dead woman protruded the tiny
hand of her unborn child. The ne
gro was sentenced to the peniten-
tiary for life, upon recommendation
Of the jury.
In the celebrated case of the two
Atkinson brothers, Leake county
moonshiners, charged with the assas-
sination of Joe Owens, federal pro-
hibition officer, the eldest brother
goes to the penitentiary for life, and
the younger to serve ten years for
manslaughter. The sentences were
agreed upon as compromise after
a jury in the case of Will Atkinson
had deliberated twenty hours with
out reaching a verdict, and on final
ballot stood eight to four on acQuit-
tai. Atkinson's readiness to take a
life sentence rather than undergo
another trial, doubtless made the
eight jurors who wanted to acquit
him feel foolish. Attorneys for the
defendants, after the compromise had
been made, frankly admitted that
their clients were mighty lucky.
Everett Lumpkin, young white
man followed j. l.. Lewis, Capitol
street boarding house keeper to his
fish traps on Pearl River, and shot
him to death, also escaped with a
life term. The evidence against
Lumpkin was circumstantial, but
convincing, and brought out, with
bread intimations, relations existing
between the accused and the widow
of the victim.
In still another case wherein a
half-witted negro, defenseless and
unarmed had been shot to death by
a young white man in drug store
at Terry, the jury promptly return
ed verdict of acquittal.
This record is frequently duplica-
ted in the other circuit courts of the
state. Where one man is sentenced
to death for a cold-blooded murder,
a dozen others guilty of crimes e.
qually as atrocious, escape with life
sentence, and a life sentence usual
ly means less than ten years in pr1S-
on, fer before a decade has elapsed
the friends and relatives of the con-
Wet have managed in some way to
get him a pardon.
The above was written before
Governor Lee M. Russell was ac-
quilted of the well-known charges
made against him by his former ste
nographer, Miss Birkhead.
In Russells case the jury was un-
able to avert the blow that public
sentiment has pronounced, regard
less of the fact that the Governor
was legally acquitted. There can be
but little doubt that Mr.. Russell, po-
litically speaking at least, has re-
ceived "the death sentence"