The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1935-02-25
CIRCuMSTANTIAL EVIDENCE
Steele, N. ..
February l6. 1885.

FEBRUARY IL, 1885.
Editor. Tribune:
In your paper under date Of the
18th inst. we note your comment on
the Bruno Richard Hauptmann kid
mapping matter. We note that you are
OF the opinion. that when this man
goes to the electric chair and there
gives up his life, that there will be q
quiet satisfaction that justice has
been done. We hope you are right in
this that justice will have been DONE"
but no one but the Almighty God In
heaven knows to certainty whether
or not this man Is guilty. This man
was convicted on q chain OF circum-
stanttal evidence and no chain Of CIR
cumstances ever was 50 perfect that
1t would not at times point the finger
OF guilt at an innocent person.
The writer followed this chain Of
evidence as 1t was given and we know
that there were handwriting experts
who swore as positively that the ex-
tortion notes were not written by the
defendant. as did those who swore
they were in his handwriting. Now
to begin with, what IS the purpose Of
our laws with reference to such crimes
as he was charged with? Are our
laws intended to cause the accused
just as much pain and discomfort as
he is charged with having caused his
victims or are they enacted and en-
forced for the purpose Of protecting
society from the communicating In
fluence and vicious tendencies Of the
accused? II one Is sent to the peni.
Tertiary for life-or until he has eS-
tablished his innocence beyond ques.
ton Of doubt-haven't We accomplish
ed what we set out to do as fully as
though we killed the accused? That
is my idea of such matters and I am
OF the opinion that, when God issued
his mandate Thou Shalt Not KILL"
he meant just that, and find no
place within the Holy Writ where he
has modified that edict one iota. Two
wrongs never made right and the
killing of Hauptmann will not bring
back the Lindbergh baby-even II he
did kill that child, which I have grave
doubt he did. Why not do away with
the parole system, send him to the
penitentiary for life and give him q
chance to establish his innocence, II he
really Is innocent.
thank God, that I live in a state
in which capital punishment cannot
be inflicted. would say the same had
it been my baby who was killed.
I would say put him where he can
not commit any more such crimes II
he Is guilty, and if he Is not guilty,
give him time to establish that fact:
but don't murder him. I also thank
God that the state Of my nativity
(Michigan) long since saw that 1t was
wiser to send people who were con-
victed Of murder to the penitentiary
for life than 1t would be to hang them
If innocent, and the wisdom Of that
plan was very conspicuously brought
to the front many years ago when
Mr.. Begold was governor Of that
state. One Samuel Ulm was sentenced
to life imprisonment from Detroit,
Michigan. for the murder Of q man
whom he never knew or saw. Ac-
oordingly Mr.. Ulm was incarcerated
in the state prison at Jackson, Mich
igan. He spent Is years behind those
prison bars: went there when he was
30 years old and was pardoned out at
forty-six, at which time, the real
murderer took sick unto death and.
feeling that he could not 60 before
his God with that dirty deal staring
him in the face. confessed to the crime
for which Samuel Ulm was doing time.
The good governor Of that state ct