Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-04-22
DeKALB COUNTY.
A History of Some Acts of Law
Iessness - Misrepresentation Cor

A History of Some Acts of Law
Iessness - Misrepresentation Cor
recfed.
To the Editors of the Union and American:
LIBRBTY, April IS, 1871.-The events
of the past few weeks in the good county
Of DeKalb will no doubt create an i'm
preston abroad, that will be unfavors-
BILE to us as people. Uninfuened by any
desire save that of placing things in their
true light before the world, will give as
brief statement as l can, and base the
same upon facts as developed either by
proof or strong and well founded belief.
/ believe only one case will come under
the latter head. The murder of Mrs.
Billings has already beef given to the
wolrd as far as weil-grounded belief can
go, and the supposed guilty wretch is
quietly abiding his time in prison.
Then comes the burning of two
disreputsble houses, and unfortunately the
killing of, l believe, two of the inmates.
Five men were arrested, vigorously
prosecuted by able counsel representing
the interest of the State, and the magis-
trate before whom the examination Wss
conducted, with the proof before him,
decided that they were not the guilty
parties, and all the people said, amen.
Now, let no man infer that the people
wished the trHe criminals TO go scott
free" but on the contrary, the general
expression was, that the perpetrators of
this foul outrage justly meTited the
severest penalty of the law. One word
Cd To fha
best families in the county, except one
American citizen of African descent, and
l think he was well spoken of. Another
remarkable feature was, that they en-
braced men of both political parties, q
hope the reconstructionists will bear that
in mind) that suspicion did not fasten its
fangs absolutely to one party, though as
| l said awhile ago, the four white men
stand high and unsupported, save by the
parties having them arrested. This brings
us down to the beating up of
two United States Deputy Marshals,
| the particulars of which we are not fully
in possession of. This was done in the
county of White, but the deputies are
residents of Dekalb. From what is re-
ported as the way in which it occurred,
hear all men COndemniDg it in the
strongest manner. On the night of the
18th of this month man was taken by
guised men from house (ssid house
some three miles west of Liberty snC
tied to an apple tree and his back cut tc
pieces by being whipped with switches.
Report saith further that he was sho
through the fleshy part of the thigh.
Well, this occurred In a community OF
good men, and also community in
which there existed but one man whose
politics had ever been of a Rebel cas- te
| do not wish to create the impression
that the citizens (or any part of them) IL
that community had anything to do will
it; but quote from them. The citizens
in that community say that this maj
had left his wagon at the toll-gst
some two miles off, and gone to thi
house, where lived woman of bad re
pute, and there he was found by the part
who inflicted the illegal and unCOnstitu
tional whipping, which has been pre-
nounced by Union men to be well merite(
but improperly done. Said Union me
, who talked to ME never voted for even
conservative Union man. Now, l stat
this to show that good men, whose loyalt
cannot he questioned, give version {
, the affair that robs it of its Rebel X
{ Klux appearance. This is statement
! facts, so far as am able to learn then