Isaac Charles Parker

Isaac Charles Parker

Isaac Charles Parker (born October 15, 1838 in Barnesville , Ohio , † November 17, 1896 in Fort Smith , Arkansas ) was a notorious judge in the Wild West .

During his career as a judge, he sentenced 160 people (156 men and 4 women) to death by the gallows , and 79 were ultimately hanged . This fact earned him the name "Hanging Judge". Parker was popular with ordinary people for his harshness on convicts. They saw it as the only effective means to get the countless criminals under control of that time. In 1875 he succeeded William Story in Fort Smith in the court presidency, as this was convicted of corruption . In the 21 years he served there, he negotiated 13,490 cases and 65 U.S. marshals died while on the job .

"The certainty of punishment is the only prevention of crime, " was Parker's credo. To his critics, for whom the penalties he imposed were often too harsh, he replied: "If criticism is appropriate, it must apply to the system and not to the man who serves it."

For him it was less the type of punishment that was important than the fact that the punishment was consistent: “I am even in favor of the abolition of the death penalty, provided that a punishment is certain, whatever it may be; because the uncertainty as to whether and when a crime will be punished is the weakness of our indecisive judiciary. ”Parker had no understanding of the“ laxity of the courts ”and the willingness of the Supreme Court to deal with even the“ windiest formalities ” deal. Rather, he was also happy with illegal evidence if it served to “prove the defendant's guilt or innocence.” He vehemently defended his uncompromising approach: “During the 20 years in which I have campaigned for the application of the law here, it was about the struggle between civilization and barbarism; barbarism was represented by the invading class of criminals. "

During his career he met several "customers" who also went down in history, for example the famous Belle Starr was convicted by him.

Parker served in the United States House of Representatives from March 4, 1871 to March 3, 1875 as Republican representative for Missouri .

Others

• Isaac C. Parker appears in Lucky Luke Volume 69 Belle Star .
• In Henry Hathaway's western The Marshal (1969), Judge Parker is played in a supporting role by James Westerfield .

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Paul Trachtman: The gunslingers . Time Life 1977, p. 164
2. ↑ Paul Trachtman: The gunslingers . Time Life 1977, p. 150
3. ↑ Paul Trachtman: The gunslingers . Time Life 1977, p. 157
4. ↑ Paul Trachtman: The gunslingers . Time Life 1977, p. 163

Web links

Wikiquote: Isaac Charles Parker  - Quotes

• Isaac Charles Parker in the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress (English)