MURDER AND POPULARITY IN THE UNITED STATES.

Colonist, Volume XII, Issue 1244, 27 August 1869, Page 4

MURDER AND POPULARITY IN THE UNITED STATES.

A MuitDEK trial, which has just taken place in Maryland, illustrates in a striking manner the truth that in America there is something much stronger than law, and which overrides and sets aside law at its goodwill and pleasure. "When a young lady, in the perfect and undisputed possession of her senses, walks up to a man sitting in a hotel and empties the contents of a revolver into his body, continuing to riddle him with balls after he has fallen dead at her feet, the law provides that the young lady shall be hunc:. But in Maryland, and for that matter in nearly all the other States of the Union, they manage these things after a fashion of their own. Near the city of Baltimore, there resides a highly respectable and well-to-do family, named Cairns, one member of which is an unmarried daughter. Mi.ia Martha Cairns has reached the age of twentyeight years —an age when a young lady may not unreasonably be supposed to know what she is about —when she fell in love with Mr. M'Comas, a gentleman some few years her senior. The wooing proceeded well—tho wedding-day was appointed, and the trousseau was prepared; but tho lover failed to come to time, and soon afterwards Miss Cairnfj became the mother of n. cliikl,for whoso existence M'Comas admitted himself to bo responsible. ISfegotiations took place between him and Miss Cairns' family ; but although "he always spoke in tho highest term?) of the girl, and said she waa a lady," he refused to marry her, asserting that ho had never agreed to do so. lie was warned to the neighborhood, " as the girl stood high, and the thing would not die out." Ho disregarded the warning; and on the 10th of last month, while he was sitting in a hotel with some of his friends, Miss Cairns rode up, accompanied by her brother, dismounted, inquired for M'Comas, walked up to him, and levelling a revolver which she held in her hand, shot him through tho heart. He fell to the floor ; but Mies Cairns exclaimed ' Grentlfctnen, you all know what it is dono for," fired three other bullets into him, and then calmly left tho hotel, mounted her steed, and returned home. Sho surrendered herself to the authorities the next day, and Jaafc week &he wan tried. Of course, as her offence was not bailable, nho must have spent tho intervening time in gaol had not " tho moral strength of tho nympathy of the people for tho unfortunate young woman" boen so vividly displayed thai; tho jailor was apprised that if he " incarcerated, her an a felon" the gaol would bo torn down. " Tho county gaol, occupiod chiefly by nogro thieves, and containing Homo few whito culprits of tho lowest riff-rail', wan not con-1

sidered the pl'Qper place for a. lady." So sho was provided "with more becoming accommodation," and " was quartered accordingly at Glenn's Hotel," where, it is pleasant to know, "she received her friends and relatives at pleasure, and appeared unostentatiously, at the public tables." With such a prelude, the conclusion of the farce was not at all doubtful. The " trial" resulted in a verdict of acquittal. In order that nothing might be lacking to manifest the popular sympathy after the verdict, she held quite a levee at her hotel, visitors of both sexes constantly coming and going, and almost all proffering encouragement;" and at night " she was serenaded, as was also the jury." It is not surprising that the murderess was "in fine spirits;" but it is to regretted that nothing is told of the state of mind in which the widowed mother and brotherlesa sisters of her victim received these ovations to the woman who had deprived them of their only earthly support.— English Paper.