The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1875-10-02
LYNCH LAW.

We published, Thursday morning, a de.
tailed account of the dastsrdly murder,
otherwise called "lynching" of James W.
Schel at Belefontaine, Ohio, by the ''staid,
respectable citizens" of Fulton county.
The facts, in brief, were that one Allie
Laughlin had been murdered that Schell,
a tenant of her father, was suspected of
the murder and that, on the statement of
his wife, he was held to be guilty and
that, after his arrest, he was taken from
jail, the sheriff and other officers OF the
law making no resistance, and hanged to
tree in the court house yard. He died pro-
testing his innocence of the crimes alleged
against him and praying that the Lord
would have mercy on his murderers.
Undoubtedly these staid and respectable
citizens, these honest farmers, these law
abiding merchants and artisans, these God
fearing men thought they were doing God
service, were indicating the violated laws
of the land and meeting out equal and ex-
act justice TO hardened, unrepentant
criminal, but if any men ever needed the
prayers of dying man, even If he should
turn out to be guilty impenitent wretch,
it was these same 'staid and respectable
citizens" OF Fulton county, Ohio. Among
these citizens, we doubt not, were to be
found men who had acclaimed against the
delays of the law, the corruption of jurors,
the want of integrity of judges, and the
easy way in which criminals escape through
the meshes of the law there too, were,
doubtless, republicans who had shrieked
themselves hoarse relative to the lawless
white leagures, ku klux and banditti of the
south, and had carried many an election
by the waving of the "boody shirt" by
the grinding of the "outrage organ :" there,
too, were democrats pratling about the
majesty Of the law, the sacredness of the
constitution, the blessedness of home rule,
and fresh from denouncing Ben Butler for
the hanging of Mumford without an in
dictment, trial and conviction by the civil
courts. 't '-'
These men forgot, for the nonce, all po-
ltical differences forget even southern out
RACES and home rule, and united for the
vindication of the law, and, taking the law
in their own hands and constituting them.
selves accusers, court, jury and execution
ers, did most foul and bloody murder.
1t now transpires that they put to death an
innocent man, man whose hands were
unstained with crime-and whether he had
been guilty or innocent, the crime would
have been all the same. Schell il dead,
his wife bore witness against him, and
when it is too late to wash the bloody
stains from the hands of these "staid and
" respectable citizene" Of Fulton county, II
is shown, unquestionably, that Schell'f
wife bore false testimony, that from mo
tives of jealousy, she, herself, murdered
Allie Laughlin, and then to be rid of hei
husband falsely accused him OF the murder.
The story of the woman was absurd to the
last degree, she asserting that her husband
had confded his intentions to her, that 10
gether they had taken ride with the vic.
tim whom, enticing away. he had muir.
dered In accordance with his declared pur-
pose. Notwithstanding the absurdity OF
the story, Notwithstanding his protestation
OF innocence, 1t suited the purpose of these
honest, God fearing, law-abiding citizens
OF Ohio to believe in his guilt and to con-
stitute themselves the avengers of fate.
We are not surprised that these free, in
telligent citizens of Ohio 80 acted. 1t was
the natural result Of the teachings of the