The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1928-01-23
The End Of the Show

After seven clumsy efforts to kill her hlrs-
band for the insurance, woman finally sue
ceeded with the aid of her dupe and paramount.
The indictment for murder, confessed, proved,
indubtable, was tried, queerly enough, by a
jury insensitive to slobber. The trial was pre-
sided over by an impartial and competent Judge.
The verdict of guilty was sustained by the seven
Judges of the Court Of Appeals. Governor
Smith righteously refused to interfere The
stay, hastily granted by Justice of the Su.
preme Court two days before the date set for
execution, was vacated by him on the day Of ex-
ecution Attorney General Ottinger had set
forth the law. The atmosphere of mawkish sen
timentality which the newspaper organs Of
paresis had been creating for months surrounds
the curious plea, which we recommend to the
careful consideration Of lawyers, made by coun-
sci for the defense:
close the Civil Practice act and place it
there on the table and cast the Criminal
Code and the Code of Civil Procedure out
of the window.
Federal Judges were vainly pestered The
law had its course. Even into the death cham
Der the organs Of paresis seem to have sneaked
their cameras. Their devotees crowd to view
the carcasses of these sordid butchers. Who
cares rap for poor, honest, innocent, faith
full Snyder? Who Of the clients of the crime
haloers has any thought that the State and not
the criminal needs to be protected? 1t must
be admitted that the woman in this case had
unusual hard luck. Any murderess sufficiently
young to have her face sophisticated into come
illness by the photographers of the crime-nurs-
ing press is entitled to believe that, after her
glorious months Of publicity, she will be ac-
quilted by such a jury of idiots as Remus
|cajoled and bulldozed. Wealth, at least offers
in the movies, the making of poems and
virtuous observations on conjugal love and
domestic felicity, seem to lie ahead.
Doubtless these two martyrs Of Sing Sing
will appear posthumously in the pages Of their
fautors until their legend is exhausted. Mean
while, the rational part Of the population will
feel stern satisfaction in the knowledge that
an imperative act of public justice has been
done. We do not have to consider the ole
lproblem Of capital punishment or its deterrent
effect. On husband-murderer it has had ne
chance Of deterrent effect. It is forty-three
years since one has been executed in New York
Husband-killing has come to be safe industry
Equal suffrage has put women in q new posi-
ton. If they are equal with men before the
law they must pay the same penalties as mer
| for transgressing it.
OF criminal justice as melodrama, the glori
fication Of criminals, spectacular, indecent
efforts to defraud justice at the last moment
there is no need to speak. There is great neeC
to think. A murderess, if she is good looking
enough, is certificated heroine. The eye
Of millions run over in sympathy and tender
ness to these poor, misunderstood, persecutet
creatures The disciples Of the Old Man Of tn.
Mountain lived in the wrong century. Herr
they could have practiced their cult with vir
tual inpunity and been sure Of veneration a
holy men.