Republican vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1857, 1857-06-13
Lynch Law i'll Rockingham,


JEFF RANDALL HuNG!tl
The public have already been apprized
that considerable excitement has prevailed
il tic ncighborhood of Port Republic, ow-
iag to the fact thai several Barns had been
burnt and other high e1isrey committed by
q gang Of desperadoos (some two or three
innunber) who infested that noighborhood
TO remedy the grieyous evils and wrongs
which had been committed, the citizens
orderly and respectable men organized a
committee few days since, fer the avowed
purpose of driving these desperadoes out of
he country OF Of bringing them to justice.
That higl, crimes Lad been committed there
was no Doubt the people wore alarmed fer.
their own security, as they had ii'st cause
10 be,-and that these crimes were commit
ted by the suspected persons there was 10
question. The difficulty in obtaining test-
aony sufficient to convict them was appa-
rent to all. 4 negro man who had inform
ed on them, was taken by these miscrcauts
end most inhumanly beaten. Several per-
sons were implicated in tie yillainies COM
united, "a fellow by tlie aap!e Of Jones,
and man named Randall tnder these
circumstances the citizens determined to get
rid of the rascals, aud accordingly advised
Randall to leave the county, offering to pay
him for his effects and to furnish him with
the means necessary 10 removal. This
Randall consented to debut afterwards
returned EARNED to the teeth" and swore
he weuld take the lives of some dozen per-
sons, whom he mentioned by name.
To show the determined character If this
villain, we will state that at the time of his
first arrest several guns were presented at
him. ard he was informed if he did not SUR
render be would be shot his reply was,
"shoot opd be d. lie was, however,
taken without the firing of any weapon and
understand, TO hang him but the fell
lew SO importurod with his aecusers.
as to draw tears from the eyes of
some. He stated that he was bad
man, ;.hd had done many bad things; but
implored them not to usher him into ctcr-
nifty without time fer preparation lie said
the law allowed a.man time to repent and
requested the same clemeney. lie was ae-
cordingly respited, at that time, (last week.
but on Monday night last, about 10 per-
sons assembled and took Randall aad hung
him. 1t is said that lie met his fate with
Tie asost stole indilerense-aot a muscle of
his eonutenance being moved by fear.
These are the facts as We have been able
to gather them from the reports i'll eircula-
ton, and which came from persons acquaint-
ed with the tragedy. That Randall was a
bad man, no one will doubt-but he was
entitled to fair trial by the laws of the
land. The precedent is Il bad one, and the
whole proceeding should and does meet, in
this county, the strongest denuneidtion. No
nan or set of men has the right to take the
execution Of the laws into his or their hands,
no matter how bad the offender may be, or
wat the crime with which he may be charg
cd. Allow such things to obtain suprc-
macy and the life Of no man is secure. Al
low mob law to rule, and FIFE, liberty and
happiness are always IN peril. The vicious
and unrrincipled may plot against tie inno-
cent and the virtuous-aad the characters
Of the best men in the land may be ruined,
aud their lives taken away. Even the Judge
upon the Bcach would not be safe from such
misrule.
We regret to write thus for we know
lie people of the neighborhood in which
this tragedy occurred hitherto an orderly,
law abiding people--but the laws have been
outraged, and ii becomes the duty of the
press and the people 70 denotnc9 these un-
warrantable proceedings
p S. Since the above was in type, we
have been informed by one OF the actors IA
this tragic scene, that our account, though
IN the main correct, does not detail all-that
Randall was given liberty to leave the
country-his family actually sent away-that
they returned though escorted to the State
line-that Randall was told fhe would make
such disclosures as the committee knew he
could make, lis life would be spared, but
must undergo imprisonment for life, &c
3 This and all the other elemencics extended
to Randall is no extenuation for the viola
lion of the Lawsuit we will give fuller and
more correct details in our next, when we
shall have something more to say on this
subject. Jones has been apprchcndcd, but
handed over to tho civil authorities
Striking Snrinms