| Show A GOOD UNWRITTEN LAW Governor McEnery of Louisiana has the proper conception of one thing whatever may bo hig pinion as to other matters Our readers will doubtless doubt-less remember a telegram from New Orleans some weeks ago telling of the killing of John C Kirkpattick by Dr F S Ford of Shreveport The former was a society man of some prominence he ingratiated himself into the family of Dr Ford and finally induced Mrs Ford to elope with him the two taking up their residence in New Orleans Some time afterward Dr Ford met Kirkpatrickand shot him down The doctor surrendered to the officers was indicted for murder pleaded guilty of manslaughter and was sentenced to fifteen years imprisonment Since then many petitions have been sent to Governor Gov-ernor McEnery asking a pardon for Ford Not long ago many ladies signed a petition for the doctors pardon whereupon the Governor wrote a reply saying I assure you when the application reaches me I will promptly grant the pardon Had I the power to do so he would have been pardoned par-doned before conviction J have followed fol-lowed the noble precedent made and I hope it will always be followed by Governor Lowry of Mississippi I have not except in cases of this kind given any expression in advance in any matter thatmay come before the pardoning par-doning board It is the unwritten law of the land It is imperative in its man I o date that the destroyer of temale virtue i of home and happiness shall forfeit his life It is explained that before the Governor can issue a pardon the application must be approved by the fcoid of pardons composed of the trial judge the LieutenantGov ernor and the Attorney General In this case the board it is said will unanimously approve the application and Dr Ford will be a freeman free-man as soon as the formalities of the case have been arranged Of the unwritten law there is no provision more to be respected than that which gives the dishonored husband hus-band father or brother the right to slay the seducer of his wife daughter or sister Next to murder the crime of seduction is the foulest in the calendar It has been the occasion of wonder and comment that lawmakers have treated the matter so lightly that they have left the righteous punishment of the guilty to individuals and have made these individuals liable to the severest of punishments making them criminal in the extreme sense If the statute law were strictly enforced the slayer of his wifes seducer would be hanged as a murderer Fortunately in such cases there is a higher law and one against the application of which the courts and prosecutors cannot array ar-ray the statutes A jury that would declare guilty of murder the man who had slaycd the debaucher of his wife or daughter the man who had brought dishonor disgrace ruin and unhappiness unhappi-ness to the home would be regarded in any American community as worse in morals than the foul rake himse f It is fortunate that there are such Governors Gov-ernors as McEnery to prevent the enforcement en-forcement of despised laws in such cases |
