Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1871-06-23
From the Raleigh Sentinel.
Another Radical Outrage.


Young Robert Logan, son of the judge
and co-editor of the star newspaper II
Rutherfordton, arrived here Yesterday
morning in hot haste, with the information
of another outrage In his town, amounting
in the detail to the whipping of Mr.. JUS
tice, the member from that county. and
the demolition of the Star cfice The
Judge, his son Robert and others were
closeted with the Governor yesterday
morning, consulting upon the matter
They say that the parties who whipped Mr..
Justice told him 1t was because of his pol
itics-that he had taken a prominent part
as republican, and that he must stop it
at once, aud much more of such stuff. If
Justice, the Judge and the two editor
| "ruuners were to swear upon the Holy
Evangelists that this was so that the po-
litical complexion of the Star and of Mr..
Justice provoked their attack, we would
not believe them. We denounce the out
rage, condemn it as much as any one, and
only wish that every one engaged in it
could have been pnnished on the spot !;
but We denounce as equally infamous and
contemplate, the conduct of those judges
and officers who, instead of doing their
duty like upright, honest men. sworn to
maintain the law, and proceeding at once
to the arrest and punishment of the viola
tors, lay aside their duties and fly, ''amit
their party, in Raleigh and Washington,
aud parade the matter most unblushingly
and outrageously misrepresented, to the
whole country as an uprising OF the people
against the State and general governments,
and an effort to overthrow them.
There is no excuse for this outrage, par
ticuIarly in the manner in which it was
done. j. @. l.. Harris informed us that,
as Robert Logan tells it, the Ku-Klux, dis
guised as usual, went into the town of
Rutherfordton on Sunday night last, ar
irving from different directions, and as
sembled at the Court House. There were
some fifty in number. Upon arriving at
the Court House they fired off q oONey, and
then some twenty went to the Star Office
and destroyed it, and some thirty went to
the room of Mr.. Justice, right in the
town, got him out, struck him over the
head with q pistol, cutting a cash, and
struck him over the back with something
then carried him cut OF town, threatening
to kill him, the chief saying he was or
dered to do SO, but would not, upon con-
dition that he quit his radical politics, &c.
Why is it that this firing did not arouse
the citizens ? Why could not Mr.. Justice
himself have given the alarm, at least as
soon as the parties had released him, and
then all have started in pursuit Why
did not the battering open of the doors of
the Star Office, and the noise necessarily
created in breaking the press and fixtures
have attracted some one And where is
the military command that was sent to
that place some few weeks since ? If it
has been withdrawn we have yet to hear
Of it.
The whole truth of the matter is, that
mean, cowardly rascality underlies the
whole of this transaction. We repeat our
denunciation of this violation of the law,
and hope the perpetrators may be brought
to punishment. But until honest, fear
less. intelligent judges shall be put on our
superior court benches. and honest, up
right gentleman be selected to execute the
law, instead of rowdies and tricky, paltry
fellows, we cannot look for that respect
for the law and TIE law officers, that every
good man so much desires to see in our
State. We want officers of the law of suf-
fcent integrity of character and intellect
to do their duty as they ara sworn to do,
and not SO conduct themselves as to merit
the contempt of all decent people, the dis
trust of honest men, and to provoke the
assaults, it may be, of thoughtless, if not
criminally dispos sd men.
Will Governor Cald we'll do his duty in
this matter Will he order a court of
Oyer and Termi1ae,' to sit at once for the
investigation, trial and punishment of
these offenders ? Will he appoint q Judge
to preside at that Court who is fit for the
position who will have the sense and the
Integrity to do his duty -? Or, will he sus-
tain these miserable whippers-in of his
party and join in with them in decryipg
the good people of that section, hold them
up as organized breakers Of the peace,
and endeavor to opprees all, simply be-
ceause a few disreputable characters have
violated the law !? Gov. Caldwell knows,
as well as he knows that he is Governor,
that no respectable man is concerned in
these outrages. He also knows fully as
we'll, that in every instance wherein such
violators have been arrested within the
past twelve months, they have not only
been disreputable characters, but members
Of has 0aCn party.
Without further comment for the pres
ent We will await the action of the Gov
ernor and of those in authority. We shall
then have more to say. We have mach
more to say about the Logan-J ustice CO.
operation and some others in connection
with this mater. To our mind their skirts
are not SO clear of this as they should be-
A deed Of trust for So 600, 900 second
hapIo to ho kuh hho