| Show DANGER OF THE LAWS DELAY 1 s on sunday aug ath the anarco anarchist I 1 Anglo angiolillo lillo murdered the prime minds ter of spain on friday aug he be a was executed we do not know that even those malignant professors of alff bs creed who exulted in his crime had bid t complained that the legal processes N his ca case s e were conducted with ind in eceil deceA t haste certainly the civilized borki has not been shocked by the clr cuto a stances of his trial the tribunal ws a court martial but there was lack of gravity and deliberation its proceedings he was not bro brought 4 1 before it until the eighth day atter after tt death of his victim when the unreasoning passion and tumult of the populace had subsided he was defended by an advocate who made a power ful plea for a benevolent Judg judgment raeA I 1 and he was allowed not only to haleff statement read in his name buts but aft speak in his own behalf so long jw 10 what he said was relevant to the fc W sue after suitable consideration ako tko tg supreme council confirmed the no aw tence of the court martial but eft 1 then the final act was not immediate f ly ordered an interval of two fall all 1 days was allowed for the settle of his affairs and for the ministrations 5 of religion which he rejected on the 3 third day he paid the penalty or of aisi hideous crime and the record w warel 14 closed A on july 2 1881 guiteau shot tse president of the united states many weeks garfield lingered between 4 e life and death but on september ista L 1 the fact of murder was but not until october did gulte 09 1 plead to the indictment found aga I 1 him on november his trial wb begun and on january he wjk wi convicted on february ath a mo for a new trial was denied and he oja sentenced during several days dava may arguments on a bill of ex eions were heard by the court june 3rd ard a petition for a rell rehearing egri on june a writ of habe habeas were denied at last on june days less than a year atter after was shot and more than nine r aiba his death guiteau was executed asla fere re is no need to dwell upon the incident of this protracted trial the accumulation of evidence important and worthless the cloud of witnesses the incessant public discus atom the offensive displays which the was allowed to make the ext Wel prisoner discrediting one another the seamed learned disquisitions and the ignorant chatter about the conditions and characteristics of insanity the inflammatory nonsense that was written and spoken month after month and the agitating wi tating fears that the wretch might matey escape through the ingell ew imbecilities of the law justice was done at last if the final act in such each procedure can be called justice the trial of guiteau is vividly re called because his crime was monumental but many prosecutions for murder in this country which are well ofa forgotten have in all their stages lasted afta 10 longer it is a serious defect of vox our judicial procedure that it can be employed and in cases which develop sense sensational interest almost invariably to Is employed to make conviction or of a crime a long and difficult and costly business and to postpone its ment indefinitely beyond a doubt the realization of this fact is brodu producing in much popular discontent and in inciting biting a spirit of rebellion Aik against alnet fl a system which is susceptible af fauch such abuse we confidently believe that the laws delays inspiring contempt pt rather than terror in the minds almi nals and leading to a common L that the guilty may es cape are the chief cause of the preva flence and the aud audacity acety of lyn chers and one of th most serious dangers threaten the stability of ameri ate institutions judges and lawyers r admit more often in private i than in public discourse the 46 reality and the magnitude of this twel nor is the administration of the 5 nal law alone at fault in civil also and perhaps to an even beaw e extent thou though gh less notoriously be processes ace ases of the courts axe are so em as to work substantial injustice A tere is in urgent if not absolutely im dative need of a radical change we not conceal from ourselves that the iao 44 Wedy cannot be easily found but to be diligently sought |
