A. Lincoln, 1838: “When men take it in their heads to day, to hang gamblers, or burn murderers, they should recollect, that, in the confusion usually attending such transactions, they will be as likely to hang or burn some one who is neither a gambler nor a murderer as one who is; and that, acting upon the example they set, the mob of to-morrow, may, and probably will, hang or burn some of them by the very same mistake.”
The best approach is for the intended victim to kill the
perp before the crime is finalized. No chance of getting the wrong guy that way.
Agreed. It saves everyone else a lot of time and money too.