Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-09-13
PRESS OF NATION CONDEMNS
LEOPOLD-LOEB SENTENCE AS
PROOF OF TWO-LAW SYSTEM

pold and Loeb escaped death solely
because their families We're rich
enough to pay large fees to lawyers
What the lawyers did OR said for the
defense went for nothing. Judge
Caverly simply ignored it. Had the
youthful murderers, been poor and
friendless they would have escaped
capital punishment precisely as Leo
pold and Loeb have escaped it." The
Times holds, however, that Ito jas
tify life Imprisonment instead of
execution for so monstrous a crime
it must mean life eXtinguishment for
the murderers, virtually an eXtinc-
ton for them as complete as DEATH"
Moneys Queer Influence
The Baltimore Evening Sun be-
ieves that if the case had been
brought before a jury there might
have been greater likelihood of CAPT
tai punishment, but it laments that
"even in cases of jury trial it is be-
coming more and more difficult to
enact the extreme penalty of law
tically blunt in it's comment that the
decision is rotten" Why society
should preserve the archfiends' is
beyond the comprehension of the
Post. Money" it says, seems to
exert a mysterious influence over
Justice
The Portland, Ore, Journal agrees
that Loeb and Leopold were not nor
NAL but it asks what murderer isn't
abnormal? If abnormality is to be
considered as an excuse for murder
where will society get protection?
The inference is that the more
bloody and more vicious the less
reason for the extreme penalty
The Salt Lake Deseret News takes
the philosophical view that the de-
cision should be accepted and adds:
Let Illinois be sure that Loeb and
Leopold are kept where they can do
no more harm, and let the world get
back to normal again.
"DOuble-Law" System
The San Francisco Bulletin fears
that the social political effects of
Judve Caverly's verdict are grievous-
ly to be dreaded. 1t will be widely
regarded as illustrating a fatal
weakness and a moral defect in our
system. 1t will augment the grow
ing sense that there is one law for
the obscure and another for the So
cially powerful"
The Milwaukee Journal declares
the sentence strikes another blow at
the courts" and aVows mo crime
could be committed that calls for
capital punishment if this doesn't"
The Kansas City Post boldly as
serts that the theory that there is
one set of laws for the rich and
another for the friendless poor has
received substantial support as ~
civil propaganda gnaWing at the
very vitals of national confidence
and pride"
To the st. Paul Dispatch it is
narrow legalism" to excuse Loeb
and Leopold because of their youth
and their pleas of guilty. Their
crime was mot the outburst of
youthful responsibility" The Nash
vile Tennessean says society does
not seek revenge 1T wants protec-
ton from such criminals" and will
be protected if the sentences are
served.
The Birmingham News, comment
ing that respect for courts does not
exist to the degree that it should
for the safety of American institu-
tions, concludes that this decision
will not serve to increase that re-
Spect."
Canada Is Cynical
A Canadian view of the situation
is expressed by the Toronto Star
Laconically it says: The two Chi
cago degenerates have been sen.
fenced to life Imprisonment but in
Chicago that may mean a quiet re-
lease after a few months in which
to let public interest turn in other
directions. 1t is not surprising that
the Chicago murder record is about
the worst in the world"
IF any murderers in all the an
nails of American crime deserved
capital punishment" the Syracuse
Herald believes the kidnapers and
slayers of Robert Franks did. The
Albany News is one of the papers
that believes capital punishment
should either be wiped from the
books or it should be administered.
The Utica Observer Dispatch de-
mands that the sentence be served
to the full, for it says no trumped
up expert testimony can ever satisfy
the public that these boys deserve
release. The Washington Star re-
CARDS the decision as a shock that
may have serious reaction"
evoking expressions inmical to the
prestige of the courts as the agency
for the enforcement Of the law.
Inadequate and less than jus
tee are hundreds of other editorial
comments. The sentence may be
said to have met with well-nigh
universal condemnation, showing
Judge Caverly was right in saying
that the path of least resistance
would have been to send the young
men to the gallows.
KANSAS CITY JUDGE SAYS