Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-05-17
Shall Georgia Abandon Capital Pun
. iShment?

The Frank DuPre case and the
George Baker case have brought out
peculiar condition in state at'
fairs, and it should be honestly
considered and openly discussed for
many and obvious reasons, 1t Is
cowardly to shirk such Considera-
ton and such discussion, as it is
cowardly to run away before the
enemy in war. There is just one
way to meet such crises, and that
is to give your view of the case, and
if you are later convinced you are
in error, admit it and confess your
mistake.
I was seated in the Kimball
House cafe in Atlanta when Dupre
fired on Hon. Graham West at the
foot of the stairs leading. up to the
cafe floor
After I had eaten my lunch I
walked across the lobby from which
Mr.. Vests bleeding body had been
removed only a few minutes eaI-
| lier, and I said then and say now
it was a most unprovoked and cold
| blooded attempt to murder that ever
came so near to my knowledge or
personal acquaintance.
! He. had killed one man before he
raced into the lobby and that man
was in his line of duty, trying to
protect a merchant who was being
robbed by this young desperate.
| There was also widow and sew
| eral children thus made fatherleSs.
rhe law of Georgia was appeale
to to say what should be done %
this young desperate. There was
everything done to cheat the galloWs
of its prey that money could pay
for, but the courts pronounced the
| crime to be worthy of death. an
the crime was doubly heinous be-
cause a vamp woman was seeking
a valuable diamond ring and the
| desperate aimed to steal it for her.
And because the prison commits
sion refused to change the verdict
| to life imprisonment, the case came
to the governor. And because the
| governor did not reverse the YER
dict Of the courts and the prison
commission he was violently abused
and probably defeated for the gov.
| ernOrship.
All of this has passed before the
men and women of this state.
heard two men, fathers Of families
and supposed to be good citizens
rave and almost froth at the mouth
DuPres was not committed by the
governor. Now comes the Baker
| case:
If the facts are correctly stated
by sworn witnesses George Bakei
and his younger brother Wen
forth to kill a man who had never
done either of them a minutes harm
in their lives. They were despera
does. They We're filled with drinl
and blood lust. They assaulted az
officer of the court in Walker couu
ty determined to kill him, and Whilt
the governor committed the younj
brothers punishment to life i'm
prisonment, he again declined to re
verse the courts and the prison con-
mission. And again the clamO
against the governor is heard in tn
land. He is abused without mere,
and without limit, when he is sworl
to track the law and execute TIL
order of the courts. The prison
commission was organized to exam
inc into the details of both thes
cases-and they were unanimous il
declaring that Baker deserved tn
verdict and should be executed-an,
the great majority of the Wake
county citizens approved their deci
sion.
A movement is developing, AM
gathering strength to abandon car
ital punishment for criminals of al
sorts and all characters, and t
make life Imprisonment the end o
the law, for those who kill ever
with malice aforethought."
Grimes and criminals are increas
ing all the time. The state prison
is full, the federal prison is full, anC
the chances for escape are SO many
that life Imprisonment holds out nj
particular terror, to desperadoes Of
the Dupre and Baker variety.
What do the hysterical men, anC