Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1871-07-28
The Incest Case.

TIE tale Of horror and shame which
aDpeared in yesterdays AVGtGnche, pro
vOked criticism, but the facts are so true
monstrous and shocking, thst for the sake
OF human natur we regret the puhltca'
lion. especially because the namo OF the
monster could not be given. In its horTi-
bic details it is more shocking than those
which befel Lot and his daughters, The
grand iurv will no doubt pursue the mon
Ser and rid society of his presence.
We need not say the above is from
the Avalanche. When our attention
was called, on the day before, to the
Infamous and shocking article to
which it alludes, and when, since, We
heard that the chief proprietor Of
that paper disapprOved Of it, the lesst
we expected was q prompt disavowal,
and the equally prompt discharge Of
the writer from employment in the
office. That was the least atOnement
which could be made. But now, in
stead of better, the whole affair is
made worse. 1t declares the state
ment TO be true, as well ss mon
strOus and shocking. What, then,
we ask, is true? A horrible crime,
an indelible stain, a shame, an in
fanny, a blot on the fair fame Of the
honorable and respectable white pop
ulatiOn Of our city? Or is it a com
mon story Of the brutes herding like
so many pigs, sent forth by a true
agent to the circles of Radical DEAN
alton against the ladies Of Memphis,
TO take its place by the side Of that
other hideous SANDER of a true gentle
man which went forth but the week
before? What do such things mean?
Has defamation been let out to follow
the bsyonet and be executed by con-
tract? Was it carried out by a tele-
gram Tuesday night to the Northern
Radical press" The Memphis AUa-
ldncbs tomorrow morning UU
contain the full particulars of a
tale OF horror and disgrace" a
4" shocking revelation of the
ruin Of a girl by her own brother, in
the first circles of the city," We are
on the lookout TO see. In the name
Of our outraged community, we deny
that there is any truth whatever ia
the statement of the AUalanche, ex-
cept that there may have been an ae-
cident, not very uncommon in negro,
African and HOttentot families. We
deny that there was ground, honor
ably to MIKE such a statement even
misadventure. We deny that any
is admissible under the Ordi-
nary and requisite precautions Of Jour
nalism. And we denounce the
fabrication ss the it
ting work Of a public en-
envy. We do not doubt the editor
regrets the publication" Getting
caught is apt TO produce regrets with
SEINE people. Perhaps the Avalanche
will heed a question we now put to it
worse than that already put as to its
political allure. II not, the public
VIII. 1t is this: If it is true that
'Me name Of the monster could not be
why isthat true? We wonder
whether our neighbor regrets the
publication most on his own account
u "for the sake Of human nature"
20 far as the white population Of
Memphis is concerned, we brand the
whole story as a very foul and infa-
nous lie. We have information
rom a respectable source, which
warrants the assertion that what
-ccurfed was in a negro iami-
", and that tn pretense that the
anne Of the guilty ''could not be Civ
n" is a false pretense with which to
the oracle from the scorn Of a
candalized people. AS the c0nclu-
i've proof Of this we affirm the AUd-
niche will never dare TO give the {
rue names and color Of the parties :
Implicated. It may be said that we !
re cruelty prosecuting our neighbor (
DO severely in this matter. We an c
wer that as public journalists, tits a I
uty to protect our people against 6
Ianders and slanderers. II he should +
sympathy because we are rivals. r
re answer that his best protection for L
he future will be to be more careful q
'