Litchfield enquirer., 1856-08-28
oriejn of tho Lynch Law.

x1kxM VI SeN0 AAyMNas As@Ws
 From the old diary Of the distinguished An drev Elicott, his grandson, J. c. c. Kennedy, Fso.. hss copied tho subjoined extract, giving an account of Capt. Lynch of Virginia, who apueass to hays been the man who introduced md gave name to that wild justice which U known in our country as Lynch Law"
 Capt Lynch, just mentioned, was the author Of the Lynch laws 90 well known and so fre- qusntly carried into effect some years ago, fir tho United States, h violation of every prin- clpls of justice aud juisprudence Mr. Lynch resided in Pittsylyania in the State of Virginia, when Dc commenced legislator and carried his system into effect. The detail had from him. self and is nearly q follows:
 The Lynch-men associated for the purposes of punishing crimes in summarx way, with ont the tedious and technical .fof{hs of courts of justice. Upon complaint being made by sny member of the association of crime being committed within the vicinity of their jurisdic- fion, the person complained of Was immediate ly pnrsued and taken, if possible. If appre- hended, he was carried before some member of the association and examined if his answers were not satisfactory, he was whipped till they were 90 Those extorted answers generally involved others in the supposed crime. who in their turn were punished in like manner. These pnnishments were sometimes severe, and not nnfrequently inflicted upon the innocent through spite, or in consequence of answers extorted under the smartng of the whip, to tue inter- 1r. Lynch informed me that he had never in sny case given vote for the punishment of death; some, however, he acknowledged, had been actually hanged, though not in the con- mon way g horse, in part, became the execu- ti0ner. The manner was this the person who t was supposed ought to suffer death, was placed on . horse, with his hands tied behind him and . rope about his neck, which was fastened to the limb of tree over hIs head.-- In this situation the person was left when the horse, in pursuit of food or any other cause, moved from his position, the unfortunate per. son was left suspended by the neck. This was called aiding the civil authority. It seems al- most incredible that such proceedings should be had in e civilized country, governed by ull- known laws it may nevertheless be relied on. should not have asserted it as fact had it not been related to me by Mr. Lynch himself, and neighbor, MT. Lay, one of the original as- sociation, together with several other Lynch men, as they are called. This self-created tri- bunal was first organized in the State of Vr- ginia about the year l776, from whence it ex- tended southward, as before observed
 Mr. Lynch has the appearance of an ancient athletic, and had he lived in the times of the Olympic games, would probably have figured lon the bloody arena" He possesses Q stroag bat uncultivated mind, is hospita5le. and gener- ous in the extreme :; to which may be added great stickler for equality and the rights of man, as established by law So contradictory are tho ideas and eonductsso the only creatures supposed to be endowed with reason and iudg- ment in the universe.