Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1857-06-10
Proceedings at Port Republic.


fishes the following resolutions communicated Il
that paper:
Eat a public meeting of the citizens of Por
Republic and its neighborhood, assembled on tn
18th of May, 1857, it was
ssResolced, That Jefferson Randall and his as
soeates, William Jones and others, are guilty o
incendiarism and burglary.
"Resoloed, That vigilance committee be ap
pointed, whose duty it shall be to ferret out al
persons in our midst who are guilty OF commit
ting such depredations. And inasmuch as TIT
juries impanneed by our courts of justice have
failed to punish such offenders, we have adopt
ed measures to protect ourselves; consequently
we have resolved to send Jefferson Randall anC
his family not less than one hundred miles from
our midst. And as William Jones has made his
escape, and is now supposed to be in Albemarlt
county, whence he was driven to Rockingham
in Justice to the citizens OF Albemarle we have
resolved to publish in the Virginia Advocate
the substance of the action -four citizens in gen
eral meeting.
''Resolred, That in order TO garry out in gooC
faith the resolutions we have adopted, we have
pledged our honor, and subscribed our names
mounting to one hundred signatures.
B. F. KEMPER, Secretary"
eve are informed by the Clerk OF our county
says the Advocate, that the above named vii
liam Jones was outlawed at the last term of oul
Circuit Court, upon charge Of assault and bat
tery-the first case of outlawry in Abemarle fol-
more than forty years"
Accounts received since our last issue repre-
sent the popular excitement in the vicinity O
Port Republic as having increased ten fold
For some time past Randall and Jones (son-in'
law to the former) have been engaged in burn
ing barns, stealing and depredating generally
upon the citizens of the surrounding country
but no evidence except that Of negroes could be
obtained against them. The people at last held
a meeting, on the 18th ult, and resolved to
transport them to free State and furnish them
with means for beginning life in an honest way
The two men made their escape, but Randall;
family, including three sons nearly grown, were
started to Ohio on Sunday, the 9Oth On Fiji
day last, the citizens who accompanied them
returned after rapid trip, and the Randalls go,
back on Saturday. In the mean it was ascer
tanned that Randall was across the Blue Ridge, in
Green county, and a party of fifteen men from
Port Republic proceeded to capture him on Fri
day night; he surrendered without. resistance
although armed with doubled barreled gur
and revolver. He was brought to Port Re-
public on Saturday, just in time to meet his
family after their recent jaunt, and since then
has been kept in close confinement. 1t was re.
ported here on Monday that the "Vigilance
Committee" hung the prisoner, or had resolved
to do it; but later account states that they
were keeping him with the, hope of obtaining le'
gal testimony, and would then hand him over to
the Sheriff. In no event, however, it's said, Will
thew let him loose. Randall is described as O
man of remarkable physical strength. Jones
was lurking in Albemarle at the date of our last
accounts, but party of men was in pursuit Of
him. The excitement is not confined to Fort
Republic, but extends to Mt. Meridian, in this
county, and throughout the country around
Since the first meeting of the citizers as many
as 100 men have constantly been employed IN
patroling.
The citizens Whose names are mentioned IN
connection with the affair are gentlemen OF in
telgence and the highest respectabllity' and
the last men from whom we would anticipate
any irregular and unlawful proceedings. They
must have suffered long and severely before
they could resort to the dangerous eEpedient OF
'vigilance Committee" We trust that ru-
mors which have reached US in regard to their
intentions on Saturday may prove to be untrue.
Rather than that such lnen should set an exam
pie fraught with so much evil, it would be bet
ter and safer for the Randalls to go on burning
and pllaging until they can be convicted and
punished as the law directs. If it be not too late
we would earnestly recommend to them the ex-
ample of the Irish Judge, who when murdered
by mob exclaimed with his last breath, "Let
no man suffer for my death but in due course OF
laWn