Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1857-07-01
The RandallCase.

4 ~N'N'eNh
nected with the hanging of Randall at Port Re
public, which we expected to receive, we fine
in the Rockingham Register of Friday last TIT
following anonymous communication. We hav,
given it careful perusal, but discover no rea
son to change the opinions we have heretofore
expressed in reference to the matter:
We are fully satisfied that in no portion O
the Commonwealth is there greater respect 70
the laws OF the land, or less disposition to usurI
the prerogatives of official justice, or to inter
fere with its regular administration, than in tn,
neighborhood in which those unhappy disturb
ances have arisen that resulted in the execution
Of JEFF. Randall. We think that every candle
man that will calmly look into the facts in tn,
case, and all the circumstances attending it
however repugnant to his feelings or principles
the practice of Lynch.law may be- can coin,
to no other conclusion than that the people her,
have manifested great forbearance towards Ran
dall-that they have long borne with his lawles.
conduct--that wien the crisis had arrived they
tried by peaceabe means to induce him to leave
the eighborhood-that they raised money tt
send him and his family out OF the State-tha
after he had refused to go, and had threatened
to Kill more than dozen of our most valuable
citizens, every exertion was made to obtain L.
gal evidence upon which to found an indictment
for some OF the numerous crimes of which he
had been guilty; but owing to the fact of hi:
having generally employed negroes to execute
his robberies and incendarism, and the reflSa
of his white accomplices to testify against him
no such evidence could be obtained-that they
finally resorted to the fatal necessity with very
great reluctance without any feeling of malice
or personal ill-will but were actuated alone by
the conviction that neither the life or property
of any one who had taken part in his arrest, OF
given him offence, would be safe-thGt he and
his gang of desperadoes and negro accompces
would not hesitate to waylay and murder, and
burn and destroy the property of any ndividu-
al that Randall should designate. Randall was
not executed as q Punishment Tor the crimes he
had already perpetrated, but because il was
considered to be a necessary act of self. defence
Before Randall came into the neighborh0od, il
was the most qniet and peaceable part of the
county. Theft by white man was rare oc-
currence. We have often seen hundreds of
barrels of -four sometimes more than a thousand
at time, lying for days and nights together,
on the beach below the forks of the river,
waiting for boats to carry them otf,-nut one
had ever been stolen before Randall located
himself between this place and the mountain
But no sooner was he fixed there. than stealing
| from the beach has become so common that for
several We ars past no one has thought it safe to
| leave any there without watch over it. Rob-
berries and thetts have been Of frequent occur
renee in our neighborhood for several years past
and for the last twelve months greatly on the
increase. Our negroes have been corrupted, and
used as instruments to plumber their masters, or
to burn and destroy the property of our neigh
bors How many Of them have been employed
by him as spies informers and carriers of stolen
goods, it is impossible even to conjecture Yet
we know that Randall knew of almost every
thing that was said and done in the neighbour
hood, in which he had any interest. 1t would
| fill volume to relate all that we have heard
and believe to be true, OF this mans atrocities.
| Information, which although not legal evidence
| vet so corroborated by facts and circumstances
clearly ascertained, as to leave no doubt what
ever of their truth, prove conclusively the exist
ence of IN organized band of desperadoes and
rogues, Doth oohite and black,) of which Ran
dali was the head and director or to use his own
| phrase, ''fm King!" There is reason 10 be-
| lieve, from information received, corroborated
by known facts that for several years past he
has been trying to organize band strong e.
nough to set this community at defiance. 1t is
a notorious fact that ever since Bill Jones, Ia
bully Of great strength and bad character,) has
been living with him, his boldness has greatly
increased, and his villainies become much more
common. He has often boosted that every
man in the neighborhood was afraid of him :" u
boast, which in one sense was certainly true:
dread of private revenge or robbery.
In order to give the distant public some idea
of this mans character, we will cite few in
stances oat Of many, of his atrocities.
Randall came into the neighborhood of Port
Republic some eighteen or twenty years ago.
He came with q bad reputation. 1t was said
| that he had been shot by woman whilst in the
act of stealing her corn. Some time afterwards
the house of this woman was burnt with herself
init. Suspicion has ever since attached to Ran
dali, as having been guilty of this crime of arson
and murder.
Some years ago, he was accused on the oath
IT has 0aoD daughter, of having aauished her. A
warrant was issued for his arrest-he evaded
The officer, until the girl, accompanied by her
mother, both of them no doubt influenced by
fear of death, went to the Justice, and declared
that she had been instigated by her mother to
swear to a fulsehood against her father, in re-
| venge for some cruelty inflicted on her by Ran
dali. The mother acquiesced in the statement
The warrant was never executed. although the
neghbors did then, as they, no doubt, do aoar,
believe that the crime was actually ae,petra-
ted He once went to the house of neighbor
and whipped bis wife. This he considered so
clever an exploit, that he boosted he .had cut
a hickory and went to Ms, pulled up his
wifes clothes and Saoitched her,"
lie has more than once pulled down a house
from over the heads of its occupants. For some
of these acts he was bound in q recognizance to
keep the peace. He gave the required security.
His hands had just as well been bound with
straw or cambria thread. He has, for years,
been notorious for selling liquor to negroes or
exchanging it for stolen goods, yet he has never
been convicted of the offence. In one instance,
information was given to Justice of the Pence
of his retailing spirituous liquors without a IL
cense. He was bound in recognizance as the
law directs, and at the next grand jury term of
the Court about 80 indictments were found a.
gainst him; but by intimidation or other means
he prevented the attendance of witnesses. and
believe that not single conviction took place
To those who know the laYless character of
Randal-hs uncommon strength-and mali
cious, revengeful temper, it is no wonder the
witnesses did not attend
With this slight introduction of Mr.. Randall
to the public, let us hasten on. About year
ago. the merchant mill in Port Republic was
broken into and robbed. About the same time
the meat house of Mr. Harnsberger was broken
into and robbed. Some time afterwards, the
meat house of Amos Scott was broken into and
plundered. In August last, the barn of Geo. W.
Eutzer, with whom Randall had an old quar-
rel,) was burnt In October last the barn of
Daniel Murray, with whom Randall has had a
deadly teud for many years. was burnt. About
the last of March, the barn Of Mrs. Argenbright
was burnt. On the night of Eastern Sunday last,
The meat house of Jno. Lewis was, in his absence