The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1875-08-25
JOHN C. WEBB.

s 4 asa azsms 49, UEA III ..na.re,.,,. :
! kfaioQ zKNoxzmLE,sAug. l16s 1876.
70 the EDITOR or the sso1ristovns saGasette:
Z ? sFhirty.seven years have elapsed
siaceaalumau bring was deprived 0
his life by hanging in due course 0
j the law in Knoxville; so long a time
that the older inhabitants ofthe city
are not sure as to the precise date
but the nostreIiaBle information de
rived fzes the date 1889, and th'
4 victim 4 man by the name of Long
A whole generation have been called
to sleep their last sleep in the bosom
4 OF mother earth since. the "strons
4 arm of the law was soutstretched
! demanding life for life. During the
war, however. there were several in
! Edivid0aIs hahg by the military or
4 each. side, ana two by mob. Consid
4.ering the one phase of this, we would
! say that it speaks well for the com
muninfty, thatthere have been none
found so demeahing themselves as
\ to deserve. such dire punishment. On
the other hand. we are led to inquire
kwbethef all ehavelised peaceable and
iqaiet lives? or whether it was not
the result of q lax enforcement ol
the law by people who had grown
eallons by having witnessed SO oft.
repeated violations of the the law,
and who had become hardened by
witnessing strife and bloodshed
through all tie ramifcations OF soci.
ETY.? At any rate let US congratu'
late ourselves upon the return of a
better state of things. when every
citizen feels that his life, liberty and
property are carefully protected and
defended. whether be wakesor sleeps.
May the day never come again when
we all viii not feel secure under
our own vines and fig trees" Con
sidering then the great length OF
time, and that very few now living
in our midst who were living here in
| 1888, is it any wonder that there was
such vast assemblage to look upon
the execution OF John G. Webb
Nor are our people to be blamed for
| what some. have been pleased to
! style a morbid or prurient curiosity,
since it seems to peryades and to be
pretty equally distributed among all
/ classessof societyyutlf rich and the
poor, the educated and the illiteratc,
city audaeountry alike. The ques
tion of public and and private execu
tions have for the past few weeks
been pretty thoroughly discussed
and various and sandry persons have
taken occasion to ventilIate theiI
opinions pro and con. and some have
even advocated the dong away will
"a
capital punishment altogether.
wonld heartily second end support
the last motion, except in cases O
murder, rape, arson. robbery and the
rest of the list of offences deserving
death by capital punishment. The
crowd, as has already been intimated
was not an assemb4age OF ignoran
/ and british persons, although some
/ persons think it better than the mar
hung. Among the country people
noticed no ",coperas breeches will
one. galIas'' fellows. do not near
to be understood as saying that ther,
were no Democrats in the crowd
but that their clothes had better anC
brighter colors in them, and of ia
better material. and better fitting
garments than use to be worn ga wa,
back Their clothes were clean
their faces bright and.intelligent, ano
wore q happy expression, and all ap
peared glad that the majesty of tbs
3law was again being asserted. Meth
er were they devoid Of sensibility 0
sympathy. They expressed both
! Each one seemed to feel as did th,
Sheriff, Matt. Swan. 81 must b,
cruel only to be Kind There wer,
little children in attendance on tn,
baHgingS and 2 great many Of them
Most of them, no doubt, will neve
again desire to witness such sight
and 9letiis hope that the day may b,
far distant when the peace and dig
nifty of the State will require a repe
tition. There were quite a numbe
of females in the crowd, and among
these many ladies; nor can this seen
unnatural. Had not the person Of
good woman been Violated. and her
husband, "a good man, murdered b,
might attheir own home? Do not
therefore, allow it to be said tha
any of these had "a tigers heart
wrapt IN. q wonan's hide!"
It-is- a striking coincidence that al
IahreeEof the men hung ON Friday
4he. 18th Of August, il East Tennes
see. asserted their innocence of thu
cEimes with which they had beer
CHARGED. and which had been proven
by the Testimony of reliable witness
es in every case. I have heard i
sgggested that they might have
agreed together, while in Jail a
Knoxville, during the session of tht