Year: 1872




to one murder no sooner subsidies than another
presents it's claim. Who next? is the question
which society asks, as soon as one murdered map
or woman is hustled away by the Coroner ard
the murderer has been passed over to his
lawyers. What unknown variety OF killing will
present itself next? must be the daily inter-
rogatory Of the peaceable classes. Vie can
imagine the mingled anxiety and interest
with which the morning papers are scaJ med for
the sensational headlines Of some new and
startling murder. The city authoritie we're in
a quandary several weeks ago as to what they
should do for the comfort Of the murderers.
There were at that time more than thirty per-
sons in The Tombs awaiting trial on capital
charges. Since then the list has been augment
ed by dozen at leaat, the moro prominent ones
alone commanding tho attention OF a people
overta1ed with bloody sensations. Even then,
there was u disposition On the part Of the mur-
derers in the Tombs to organize against scan-
nell, the new candidate for admission, IS having
increased the dangers Of their conviction by ex-
citing public indignation at the spread Of crime.
When scannen was finally admit
ted and recognized, he Joined in the
some Indignation against King, the next candi-
date. So We suppose each murderer has come
to regard his successor as an enemy, whose act
is calculated to diminish his Own chances for
escaping the gallows. Perhaps there is q lurk-
Ing suspicion among the criminals that there
may be 3 limit to the Safeguards Of the criminal
law, and that the indicted 1nurderers are be-
coming 80 numerous as to exhaust the various
pleas OF emotional insanity and justifable hon.
icide. The criminal lawyers themselves are be-
coming chary Of their resources. It will be- re-
membered that Graham and one or two others
deserted Stokes because he persisted in writing
cards to the newspapers; and now those who re-
main as his counsel threaten to abandon him un-
leBs he will give up the dangerous practice Of talk
ing with the reporters. While this circumstance
may Indicate that there is limit to acceptable
pleas in extenuation Of murder, it also indicates
lasting confidence among the criminal lawyers
Of their ability to free the culprits, if they are
only permitted to manage the cases in their own
way. The man who murdered Maud Merrill, the
other day, walked into police-station With the
most perfect sen-possession, and gave himself
up, in entire confidence that his action would be
justified by an intelligent jury that never read
newspaper, never heard Of murder case, and
never formed opinions. The murderer Of Maud
Merrill "Hled her for her mother" He could
no longer bear to see his niece, the daughter OF
his sister, in house Of ll-fame. The circum-
stance that he had himseH seduced the girl, and
had bounded her into the life Of shame she
WAS leading By his demands for al her earnings,
is probably regarded as additional evidence Of
insanity. King, who stepped out OF court
room and shot O'Neil as he was going down
stairs, presents clear case Of "emotiona1 in
dozen times and unto death, has the reputation
among his friends Of being the most amiable
and harmless Of gentlemen. Both murderer and
victim have been regarded as men Of good
standing, though engaged in the lottery busi-
ness; and it would not be surprising if new
variety OF insanity should be developed in justi-
dcation Of the murder, based upon the nervous
excitement incident to speculation in lottery
tickets. at all events, Simmons knows enough
to keep quiet, and trust to the genius
OF experienced counsel, who understand
much better than he what particular
plea may be suited to the time and
OCCASION Meanwhile, tho second trial Of 1Ir.
Stokes has begun, so far as the empanelhng Of
the jury may be said to begin q murder trial,
and he and his friends are perfectly confident
that he will be acquitted The Stokes case WAS
a irst-claes murder, and it would be dangerous
precedent to convict him. The only hanging
that has taken place in the neighborhood Of
New York for many years Was the execution Of q
poor, ignorant, trembling, and fainting brute in
Brooklyn, the other dag, and the sympathetic
newspaper accounts Of the exhibition have con-
tributed toward making hanging odions. The
aristocratic Stokes can scarcely believe that 80
plebeian fate can come upon him; and as
King, and Simmons, and Maud Merrilrs mu1-
derer do not come to trial until after Foster, the
car-hook slayer, and Scannell, the champion Of
the Vendetta, shall have been tried, they cannot
contemplate their fate with anything like serious
apprehension.


NOTES AND OPINION.


No less than twenty -four amendments Of the