Wilmington journal., 1869-08-06
Mobs and Mob Law.

and laylessness in which our colored peo'
ple had been led by bad and designing
men, but this being checked by decided
and timely steps on the part of white citl-
zens, we have had little to complain Of
There is a tendency to idleness which leads
to crime of greater or lesser degree, but
we hone to see this source of evil gradually
rooted out.
We attribute this condition of affairs to
the healthy influences of good citizens,
white and black, nor are we unwilling to
give the officers of the law due credit.
There has been determination to check
every tendency to lawlessness, and we have
passed through most exciting and trying
scenes without serious trouble or dill
Guilty. Even the present county canvass
more bitter than any we ever witnessed,
although confined exclusively to different
wings of the same party, has yet been
without farther harm than a free use oi
harsh epithets and violent words. And
we can hardly blame the blacks when
United States Senator sets them the ex-
ample.
We read of the hwless spirit in other
portions of the State, and indeed Throughout
the whole country, and we have much reason
TO congratulate ourselves. We feel that
it is owing to the influence of good men,
and their refusal to prostitute principles
and social distinctions to political and
mercenary purposes.
We have been led into these thoughts
by reading the following article from the
Raleigh Sentinel in regard to d series OF
outrages perpetrated in the quiet town OF
Pittsboro'. The Sentinel says
The .Stua!a'd of this morning gives an
account of the release of Dorset Davis,
confined in the Pittsboro' Jail for violation
of the revenue law, by an armed mob, on
Saturday night last. The &dndC0" draws
it very mild, and is not half SO indignant
as it usually is i'll announcing such acts of
lawlessness Perhaps this is referable to
certain facts antecedent to, and connected
with, the affair, which we proceed to give.
In the first place, the act was according
to precedent set in that Comfy by the o..
l.. AS and the H. O. AS.
Last September or October, il open
daylight, during rain storm, a company
of negro leaguers of Chatham County
broke open the Jail in Pittsboro' and re-
leased some seven or eight prisoners. all
colored, among them one or two under a
charge of murder.
During the last Fall term of Chatham
bers of the League and II. 0. AS, Were
convicted of hog-stealng and sentenced
by Judge Tourgee to d short land, as many
thought, inadequate) term of imprison-
ment On Sunday evening, willie the
church bells were ringing, and within fifty
yards of where Judge Tourgee was stay
ing, the Leagues released these two con
victs, together with several other prison
ers, two of them confined on q charge OF
burglary, 10y ascending to All upper win.
dow of the Jail on a ladder, and with axes
and poles opening the doors of the cells
in which the prisoners were confined.
About a month ago, two convicted mur-
derers, John Smith and Nero Davis, both
colored, and another colored prisoner, hay
ing been furnished tools from without, had
nearly affected their escape from the Jail,
there being only one screw of the last lock
to be removed, when Dorset Davis. who
was in one of the lower rooms, gave the
alarm. and they were secured and returned
to their cells. They have since declared
that, if they can get at Dorset Davis, they
will kill him for giving the alarm, and the
auth critics of the county have since beer
very cautious not to let any one approach
the convicts to give them the means again
| of effecting their escape.
With regard to the release of Davis, las
Saturday night, there are two solutions
Davis is Radical and is thought to be
member of the league. and it is conjectur
ed that the mob who released him consist
ed of his brother leaguers who came t.
help him in " his time of great need"
The other solution is that Davis friends
forcibly released him to prevent his being
murdered by the prisoner whose escape h,
had been instrumental in preventing, a.
they had sworn to take his life if they coul,
again get down to his cell, which former
occurrences warranted his friends in con
Guiding they might be enabled to do.
There is one more remotely probable so
luton, and that is that the mob intended
to release the negro murderers, but failet
on account of the additional precautiol
that had been taken in increasing thei
irons, and that Davis escaped while the,
were making the effort ; and that, finding
they could not easily release the prisoners
and fearing detection if they tarried, the,
locked the Jail and left.
From the facts given ABOVE, all of whicl
are we'll known and can be fully substan
tiated, it is very clear who, or what class
of persons, are chargeable with the lawless
ness manifesting itself in that part of th,
State.
JURISDICTION OF JUsTICEs-JUDGE OF TIL
SPECIAL CoURT. append the following
decision of the Supreme Court in the cas-
of Mary McIiaurin. from, this comfy