The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1869-06-21
LEXINGTON, VA, June IS, 1869.


LEXINGTON, VA, June Is, 1869.
We have just had visit from detective
J from General Canby's headquarters, who
came up to ascertain the facts in the mob
| bing of the negro Jesse Edwards. 1t had
| been represented at headquarters ''that no
such ncrson existed rs Miss Susan IIitc !;
| that no rape and no murder had been COM
mitted. but that Jesse Edwards had been 4
very active politician, and was m0bbcd TO
prevent the negroes fromrcglSterlnS." we
would like to have the name of the mlscre-
ant who furnished that information. Docs
not General Candy owe it to this Slandcred
people to give his name?
| Your correspondent has heard resume
of the testimony against Edwards, and IL ls
perfectly conclusive of his guilt lndepen-
| dent of his confession. The details are truly
horrible. He nearly tore off her upper lip
in sitting her cries while accomplishing MS
| ticndish purpose, and then beat her to death
with rock which he held in his hand
fracturing her skull, beating in her nose and
| face. and hacking her in the most cruel man
ner. The tiend made full confession of all
of these and other sickening details the day
of his commitment to Jail. 1t also appears
| that upon two occasions, not long before, ne
had attempted to outrage negro girls. lie
was only eighteen years old, and OF course
not entitled to register or vote, and it Is not
known that he had shown any activity i'll
politics. The miscreant, then, who at
| tempted to make political capital out OF this
affair deserves to be hung on the same tree
on which the brutal murderer and raVlSher
met the reward of his crime.
/ Wells and his satellites will doubtless circrl-
late this base falSehood in every negro cabin
| in the State, and will, of course, not let the
poor wretches have the full account of the
| affair, which has been carried General Candy
| by his detective. By-the-way, this gentle
man does not seem to have tried to ascer-
tain who were engaged in the hanging ol
Edwards. He doubtless concluded that IL
would be cloves labor lost to do so. Per
haps military commission may be con-
vened; but there is an old saying that
"catching is before hanging" and us no.
body seems to know aoho composed the
mob, the g gentlemen in blue would have
a lively time making the arrests and proving
the charge, even to the satisfaction of the
Bureau of Military Justice" Your cor
respondent has heard, by-the-way, that the
gentleman from headquarters. on rcceiy-
ing from our civil authorities here a
fun statement of the facts, did not
actly right" We do not say that; but we
do say that the palliating circumstances are
very strong. In addition to those given
before, we may add that there is now in our
iaiI a negro who was convicted at our last
/ court of an attempt to rape most respect
able Young lady, and that there Is rumor
atloat that Wells has already ordered ms
pardon TO he made out. The miserable all
venturers who seek to fasten themselves on
the Treasury Of our State may urge the ne
croes to vote for Wells because he has par
doned Cesar Griffin, Burns, and hosts OF
other criminals: but surely this should be
another incentive to white men to work for
! Walker. 1t is having that effect IN this
county. The whites who failed to register
before are all coming forward now, an q
nearly four whites to one negro nave mus
far registered Reliable data fix the white
majority i'm the county ut l,400, and you
may count on old Rocllbridgc for at least
that majority for Walker
We have recently had visit. from Inc
estate lecturer" of the Friends OF Temper
ance. who made line impression and organ-
| lied two "CouncilS "-one for the town
numbering thirty-lour, and one for Wash
inpton College numbering twenty-five.
The examinations at the Institute Will be-
Gin next Monday. Their commencement
occurs on the I'd of July. -,
Our town is beginning already to I'LL up
with visitors TO the college commencement.
DIR. Bagby had fine audience, and made
Il very decided hit. LEXINGTON.
Edgar Allan, OF Prince Edward, IL ac-
Itiyely cauvasSing the southslde counties
against Wells. We have cheering accounts
from his labors amongst the colored people.
From both white and black he receives
warIa reception &<@ $50 ...
The negroes are hocEling to the cities and
towns, and will lose all the counties Where
they had small majoritics.
Result of registration in Lynchburg Fri
l day. Whites, 81: negroes, IL.