The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1923-01-25
CRIME AND PUNISHMENT
JUST|CEMOvESTOOSLOW
BRITISH SYSTEM AND CRIMINAL
PRACTICE IN THE UNITED
STATES COMPARED.

Whatever we may think of the mer-
its of capital punishment, the execu-
ton in England of Mrs. Thompson
and Bywaters furnishes an example
of prompt administration of justice
that might well be emulated in this
country, says the Republican Public
lily association, through its president.
Hon. Jonathan Bourne, Jr. The muir
der was committed on October 4. Ex-
actly 81 days later the murderers paid
the penalty with their lives. In the
meantime they had been given every
right that the law allows. They had
been tried and found guilty by a jury.
They had taken an appeal and the
appellate court had heard the case
and affirmed the judgment OF the low
er court. Then they had appealed to
the British home office and finally to
the king himself. all of which action
is permitted by the British law.
The culprits were granted every
essential right that murderers have
under the American law. The differ
ence was that needless delays were
eliminated, sentence was pronounced
when the verdict was renderd, and no
action was PRINTED the effect of
which would have been only to cause
delay with no assurance that a great
er degree of justice would be accord
ed the defendants The punishment
so promptly after the crime
that the British public clearly saw the
relation between the criminal act and
it's penalty, and the executions had
their full effect as a deterrent to 9TH
ers who might otherwise commit muir
der
There are two objects in adminis-
tering punishment-the reform of the
criminal so that he may be taught
never to repeat the offense and the
example to others who may be simil-
arly inclined. In the case of capital
the latter object is the
'nly one, and that is lost and the pur-
'ose of the law defeated. if too long a
ime is permitted to elapse between
he murder and execution of the GRIM
nal. The public mind forgets the de-
ails of the crime, and sees only
elpless individual put to death by an
nexorable and cruel law
Too often in the United States Grim
lal cases are allowed to drag for
lonths and even years, until the pris-
ner becomes an object of profound
instead of detested enemy
society. On the other hand, some
mes an innocent man is kept in pris-
n for months waiting his turn before
he jury and the verdict that frees
inn. In the English case there were
0 eye witnesses, which, of course.
realty handicapped the prosecution.
evertheless, the entire proceedings
only three months. AS
there was a young man
anged in the District of Columbia
st spring for two murders commit
d about two years and three months
fore, both of them in the presence
eye witnesses.
What IL Leads To.
1t is such lax procedure of our
urts and the looseness of our laws
at are responsible, more than any
her single cause, for the lynching
il so prevalent in some states. They
e also largely responsible for the Ku
lux Khan and the outrages that ap
rently have been committed in the
me of that organization. The radi-
menace and other manifestations
open defiance of our laws would
on subside if the penalties in the
flutes could be promptly ana erect
'ly applied. Every citizen ought to
We fixed in his mind the idea that If
commits certain acts he must and
! suffer certain punishments I'm
that impression is firmly ingrained
crime record will never be reduce
to a minimum