South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1875-10-08
Horrors Of Lynch Law.

AOAAOiO VI Lynch Law.
If the facts as mentioned elsewhere. in.
dicating doubt as to the guilt OF the man
who was lately hung by mob in the
neighborhood of Bellefontaine, o.. for an
alleged murder Of a young woman. whom
he had attempted to Outrage, shall be
confirmed, it will afford commentary
on the injustice as we'll rs ferocity of
lynch law which ought to impress itself
deeply on the minds Of those who think
it well that the public should occasion.
ally take the law into their own hands.
A resort to violence in communities
where there are regularly constituted
tribunals TO administer justice, can only
be justified when those tribunals utterly
fail to accomplish the object for which
they were established. A resort to the
brutal and lawless processes oflynching
is reflection by the people who engage
in such practices-upcn their own capac.
ity of self-government. Our laws and
our courts are the creation Of the people.
and it is self-stultifying and suicidal
when those who made them take the ex.
ecution of the laws into their own hands.
1t is in fact substantially relapse from
civilization to barbarism. and creates a
precedent for resorts to violence in all
cases OF individual wrong. IS well as in
Furnishing q violation of the laws. 1t
tends TO make every man judge. iury
and eXecutioner in every case OF assum-
ed public and private injustice While
I legal tribunals are not inlallible vet ex-
perience has shown that on the whole.
as general rule, the ends OF Justice are
better secured by them than by any 9th
er methods which the wit Of man has de-
vised. Time is given for reflection; cv-
ldence Is carefully and thoroughly stiff
cd: all that can be said on both sides
is patiently heard. and the utmost avail
able professional learning and intelli-
gcncc are brought to bear upon the case.
1t Is true that, even where courts are
pure and upright, and jurors honest and
conscientious, the guilty, through legal
technicaiities or defects in the evidence.
sometimes escape. These cases. how
ever. are exceptional. and are probably
not more frequent than those in which,
under resort to individual violence. the
innocent suffer. And if st better that
ninety and nine guilty should escape
than one innocent perish" it would seem
that the fallibility of judge Lynch IS
! likely 20 work good deal more mischief
to society than that Of the regularly con.
stitutel courts OF law If the man hung
by the Bellefontaine mob shall turn out
TO be innocent, it will be one of the most
conspicuous and horrible Instances of
the bungling and murderous madness of
! lynching that has ever occurred. The
clrcun stances OF the case for which the
man was punished were so remarkable
! that rational men might well have paus-
| ed before taking the examination orthcm
out of the hands Of the regularly con-
stituted tribunals Of the law. II was
upon the sole testimony of the wife Of
the alleged criminal that lie was hung ::
but while at first sight it might be con-
| cludcd that being his wife she would be
the last person TO testify against him. if
innocent, it might have been remember
ell that a wife would be the last person
in the world to accuse her husband even
II guilty. The story she told was 50 cx-
/ traordinary as TO he we'll nigh Incredible.
That man should reveal to his wife
that lie intended 10 commit such an out.
rage. and afterwards TO kill his victim.
and that then he should have made con-
! fesSion TO her afterwards, threatening TO
XIII her if she told OF it, when but for his
/ own voluntary statements she need not
have known of it at all, is beyond I'M.
man belief. 1t is equally improbable
that wife should also accuse her hus.
| band ofotbcr crimes. If, however what
she stated was true, there is no court in
the country which might not have been
relied on TO do Justice 10 such mon
ster. Yet the unreasoning mob, In ;ts
frantic passion, hung this man. though
protesting his innocence; and now.
when it is too late 10 repair the wrong
when, IN order 10 punish an alleged muir
derer, they have committed murderthem-
selyes--thc dreadful apprehension has
arisen that they have murdered an inno-
cent man. The wife herself is suspect.
Ell Of being double criminal-of hav-
ing put the young woman TO death and
also caused the death of her hu ,band bv
false witness. If these suspicious shall
he confirmed hy future developments.
the lesson that will be taught Of the i'm
beciIity n we'll as wicledness Of lynch
law will not soon be forgotten.-B 4lti-
more Sun.
LITTLE FINGERS.