St. Cloud visiter [sic]. [volume] (St. Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1857-1858, 1858-05-27
Mob Law.

Mob Law. %~.
1t il a melancholy fact that St. Cloud is
in want Of sufficient laws and executives.
this Spring VIC have had two cases Of mob
law, neither Of them the destruction of the
Tisiter Office, for this was simple burglary;
but two mobs. The first was a case of
compelling one private citizen 70 pay the
claim Of another, by band of about thirty
men, who at the time, no doubt, thought
they were doing IN act of justice and
charity. The event proved the danger of
trying cause otherwise than in open
Court, for these men instead Of prevent
ing, actually committed great wrong upon
a respectable citizen. This we can prove
to the satisfaction of any Of them.
The second act Of mob violence was
committed on the 25th inst, when COM
pany Of about seventy lumbermen from
the pinerics above, on their way down, stop
ped at the saw mill of Inman & Co. to de-
mand pay for some logs which they assert
ed had been detained and sawedup. There
was difference Of. opinion between them
and the mill proprietors about the amount
Of lumber. They said they found slabs
bearing their marks showing that sixty or
seventy dollars worth Of logs had been used
more than was credited on the mill books.
The owners failing to satisfy them they
proceeded to carry out Il threat Of tearing
down the MILL They broke saw with a
crow bar, threw the mil! carriage into the
river and were proceeding to demolish the
building, when l.. Gorton appeared and
assured them that the mill was his proper
ty in fact, he holding first class mortgage
against it They at once desisted, and
drew the carriage up to its place again, but
avowing that the lumber belonged to the
mill Company, they vowed their determine
ton to throw that into the river, but COM
promiscdby carrying away, short distance,
and stacking up as much as would satisfy
the demand and taking 1.Gorton as security
that it should be sold for their benefit. :,
1t may be that the demand of these men
was just, but it is very possible they were
mistaken. 1t is highly improbable that
any fraud was intended by the mill Co.
If there had been, why should they pre-
serve the slabs which would have convicted
them and if men should resort to personal
violence for every difference in the account
books Of those who meet to settle, the
world would be in bad position. 1t ap-
pears that the lumbermcn only wanted JUS
ticc, and it is said that the leaders are re-
sponsible men, but they did very wrong
and set precedent for violence ofwhich
they, as good citizens, SHOULD be heartily
ashamed. 1t appears to be an inevitable
consequence Of men living, for a length of
time in the woods, and beyond the reach of
law, that they have to do as did the people
when there was no King in Israel, viz:
that which is right in their own eyes,"
without reference to other peoples opin-
ions, and to seek justice without the forms
Of law, but they are bound in all good faith
to leave these habits in the woods, and to
submit to the forms of organized society
when they enter its precincts.
The Citizens of St. Cloud should take
measures to prevent a recurrence Of these
scenes. If they have not the proper Of
fcers and magistrates to try question Of
crime or debt and to enforce the mandates
Of the laws, they should appoint them, and
organize themselves into police force to
sustain their officers in executing justice
according to established rules.
There arc men enough and guns enough
to prevent any open violation Of the rules
Of civilized society, and they ought to at
tend to it. We do not apprchend any dan
ger. of going into state Of barbarism, but
these occurrences are wrong in themselves,
dangerous in their Tenderness and should
not be permitted.
Solemn Rejoicings.