p. 576 | Woman Killing by Editor

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Sep 18, 1884

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 10, No. 36.

Woman Killing.

By Editor

THERE seems to be an epidemic of woman murdering in these days. Last Friday, Sept. 12, a man named Hutchings was hanged in San Francisco for choking to death a woman with whom he had lived, though they were not married. His counsel labored persistently to get him to move for a new trial, but he refused, declaring that he would rather meet his fate now than to prolong his life, for he knew the hanging would come. There was not a particle of doubt of the murder, and all the physicians who examined him declared that he was sane. Why the lawyer wished to saddle upon the tax-payers the expense of a new trial is a mystery to us. We have no respect for this sickly sentimentality which spends all its force in sympathizing with crime, and tries to reverse the words of Scripture that government is a terror to evil-doers.

On Thursday night previous to the hanging another man murdered his wife in San Francisco. And while the crowd surrounded the jail in their efforts to catch a glimpse of the execution, a woman ran into the street from an adjoining house followed by a man with evident murderous intent. The woman was rescued, and before the man could be arrested he was lost in the crowd.

Of course Hutchings was "converted" before he was hanged. Murder seems to be an easy way of getting to Heaven speedily, according to common or popular belief. Not a murderer fails to make a sure passage there, while no one would ever think of insuring them such a boon were it not that they killed somebody! The Bible says that "no murderer has eternal life abiding in him," but that is fast being changed to read: "Every murderer has eternal life abiding in him."

We referred to the expression of the murderer hanged in San Jose this year to show what kind of religion he had imbibed, from Dr. Bentley, who baptized him, to prepare him for Heaven. The following will show the nature of Hutchings' preparation to swing off into glory. Among his last sayings was this:—

"I have been converted through the good priest who has come to see me. I do not know that a death-bed repentance will avail, but I believe if I die like a man it will be looked on in my favor by the Almighty."

This we call gallows theology! Under such instruction the vilest of criminals are deceived into the belief that they will be saved, while they have no conception of the nature of true repentance and faith in Christ. And the terror of retribution is removed from the sight of other criminals, and they make light of sin and despise the threatenings of the word of God. It is a shame—a reproach to the gospel of Christ, and an abuse of the grace of God shown forth in his Son.