The Coconino sun., 1923-01-26
LAW NOT AFARCE IN ENGLAND

Whatever we may think of the merits of cap
ita1 punishment the execution in England OF
Mrs. Thompson and Bywaters furnishes an ex-
ample of prompt administration of justice that
might well be emulated in this country.
The murder was committed on October a. Ex-
acty 81 days later the murderers paid the PEN
atty with their lives. In the meantime they had
been given every right that the law allows. They
had been tried and found guilty by jury. They
had taken an appeal and the appellate court had
heard the case and affirmed the Judgment of
the lower court Then they had appealed to the
British Home Office and finally to the king him.
SELF all of which action is permitted by the Brit
ish law, ....t........s. i, .....~.a
The culprits were granted every essential
right that murdererS have under the American
law The difference was that needless delays
were eliminated sentence was pronounced When
the verdict was returned, and no action was per-
mitted the effect of which would have been only
to cause delay with no assurance that greater
degree of Justice would be accorded the defend
ants j The punishment followed SO promptly af-
ter the crime that the British public clearly saw
the relation between the criminal act and its PEN
atty, and the executions had their full effect as
deterrent to others who might otherwise commit
murder.
There are two objects in administering punish
nent-the reform of the criminal SO that he may
be taught never to repeat the offenSe,. and the
ex ample to others who may be similarly lnclln-
cd In the case of capital punishment, the lat
ter object is the only one, ana Cndt is lOSt anu
tie purpose of the law defeated, if too long
tine is permitted to elapse between the murder
md the execution of the criminal The public
a3ind forgets the details of the crime, and sees
oaly,a helpless individual put to death by an in
able and cruel Law. ..sF3
Too often in the United States criminal cases
are allowed to drag for months apd 1eyen years,
until the prisoner BECOMES an pdl lect of profound
svn4pathY instead of a detested enemy of society.
l5a the other hand, sometimes innocent man
is kept innpFison for months waiting his turn he-,
fore the inry and the verdict that frees him. III
tfe English case there were no eyewitnesses,
Which, of course, greatly handicapped the pros
ecution. Nevertheless the entire proceedings
consumed only three months. AS a contrast,
there was "a young man hanged IN the M MDIstrct OF
Columbia last spring for two murders con1n1tted
about two years and three months before, both
of them In the presence of eye witnesses.
It is such lax procedure of our courts ana the
looseness of our laws that are responsible more
than any other single cause, for the lynch1ng
evil so prevalent in some states. They are also
largely responsible for the Ku Klux Klan and
the outrages that apparently have been commit
ted in the name of that organization. The rad
ical menace and other manifestations of open de-
fiance of our laws would soon Subsde if the PEN
alties in the statutes could be promptly and eff
fectiveIy applied. Every citizen ought to have
fixed in his mind the idea that if he commits
certain acts he must and will suffer certain pun
ishments. Until that impression is FIRMLY m
grained, the crime record will never be reduced
to a minimum.