SpecialassistantsoftheAttorney-General，suchasMr。FrankKellogg，ofSt。Paul，andvariousfirst-classFederaldistrictattorneysindifferentpartsofthecountrysecurednotableresults：Mr。Stimsonandhisassistants，Messrs。Wise，Denison，andFrankfurter，inNewYork，forinstance，inconnectionwiththeprosecutionoftheSugarTrustandofthebankerMorse，andofagreatmetropolitannewspaperforopeningitscolumnstoobsceneandimmoraladvertisements；andinSt。LouisMessrs。DyerandNortoni，who，amongotherservices，securedtheconvictionandimprisonmentofSenatorBurton，ofKansas；andinChicagoMr。Sims，whoraisedhisofficetothehighestpitchofefficiency，securedtheconvictionofthebankerWalshandoftheBeefTrust，andfirstbrokethroughthearmoroftheStandardOilTrust。Itisnottoomuchtosaythatthesemen，andotherslikethem，workedacompleterevolutionintheenforcementoftheFederallaws，andmadetheirofficesorganizedlegalmachinesfitandreadytoconductsmashingfightsforthepeople’srightsandtoenforcethelawsinaggressivefashion。WhenItookthePresidency，itwasacommonandbittersayingthatabigman，arichman，couldnotbeputinjail。Weputmanybigandrichmeninjail；twoUnitedStatesSenators，forinstance，andamongotherstwogreatbankers，oneinNewYorkandoneinChicago。OneoftheUnitedStatesSenatorsdied，theotherservedhisterm。OneofthebankerswasreleasedfromprisonbyexecutiveorderafterIleftoffice。Theseweremerelyindividualcasesamongmanyotherslikethem。Moreover，wewerejustasrelentlessindealingwithcrimesofviolenceamongthedisorderlyandbrutalclassesasindealingwiththecrimesofcunningandfraudofwhichcertainwealthymenandbigpoliticianswereguilty。Mr。SimsinChicagowasparticularlyefficientinsendingtothepenitentiarynumbersoftheinfamousmenwhobattenonthe“whiteslave“traffic，afterJuly，1908，whenbyproclamationIannouncedtheadherenceofourGovernmenttotheinternationalagreementforthesuppressionofthetraffic。
TheviewsIthenheldandnowholdwereexpressedinamemorandummadeinthecaseofaNegroconvictedoftherapeofayoungNegrogirl，practicallyachild。Apetitionforhispardonhadbeensentme。
WHITEHOUSE，WASHINGTON，D。C。，August8，1904。
TheapplicationforthecommutationofsentenceofJohnW。Burleyisdenied。Thismancommittedthemosthideouscrimeknowntoourlaws，andtwicebeforehehascommittedcrimesofasimilar，thoughlesshorrible，character。Inmyjudgmentthereisnojustificationwhateverforpayingheedtotheallegationsthatheisnotofsoundmind，allegationsmadeafterthetrialandconviction。Nobodywouldpretendthattherehaseverbeenanysuchdegreeofmentalunsoundnessshownaswouldmakepeopleevenconsidersendinghimtoanasylumifhehadnotcommittedthiscrime。Undersuchcircumstancesheshouldcertainlybeesteemedsaneenoughtosufferthepenaltyforhismonstrousdeed。Ihavescantsympathywiththepleaofinsanityadvancedtosaveamanfromtheconsequencesofcrime，whenunlessthatcrimehadbeencommitteditwouldhavebeenimpossibletopersuadeanyresponsibleauthoritytocommithimtoanasylumasinsane。Amongthemostdangerouscriminals，andespeciallyamongthosepronetocommitthisparticularkindofoffense，thereareplentyofatempersofiendishorsobrutalastobeincompatiblewithanyotherthanabrutishorderofintelligence；butthesemenareneverthelessresponsiblefortheiracts；andnothingmoretendstoencouragecrimeamongsuchmenthanthebeliefthatthroughthepleaofinsanityoranyothermethoditispossibleforthemtoescapepayingthejustpenaltyoftheircrimes。Thecrimeinquestionisonetotheexistenceofwhichwelargelyowetheexistenceofthatspiritoflawlessnesswhichtakesforminlynching。Itisacrimesorevoltingthatthecriminalisnotentitledtooneparticleofsympathyfromanyhumanbeing。Itisessentialthatthepunishmentforitshouldbenotonlyascertainbutasswiftaspossible。Thejuryinthiscasedidtheirdutybyrecommendingtheinflictionofthedeathpenalty。Itistoberegrettedthatwedonothavespecialprovisionformoresummarydealingwiththistypeofcase。Themorewedowhatinusliestosecurecertainandswiftjusticeindealingwiththesecases，themoreeffectivelydoweworkagainstthegrowthofthatlynchingspiritwhichissofullofevilomenforthispeople，becauseitseekstoavengeoneinfamouscrimebythecommissionofanotherofequalinfamy。
Theapplicationisdeniedandthesentencewillbecarriedintoeffect。