The White Pine news. [volume] (Treasure City, Nev.) 1868-1906, 1875-05-29
Saturday, May %, 1875.
MOB Law.

That there Is danger in resorting to
mob violence there can be no doubt, for
it is at best. but the movement of an ex-
cited and unreasonable people, who, hav-
ing permitted their passions to get the
better of their judgment, convert them
selves into legal tribunals and cry for
blood. 1t is not unfrequently the case
that some half-crazed or drunken vaga-
bond, irresponsible in every sense Of the
word, takes the lead Of an excited popu-
lace and cries the loudest for vengeance.
This individual gathers around him per-
sons of his ilk, and with a spark thus set
In an excitedassemblage, tits Dor famed
into a blaze, and then reason is dethroned
and nothing but the dangling form of
their victim will satiate the blood-shot
eyes of those who revel in becoming COW
ardly and cruel murderers. When we
read of lynch-law taking the place of
judicial forms, we always find the head
ing Of the article something in this form:
ga number of excited people," etc. etc.
Yes, the people are excited, and the cases
are not few in which that excitement
arose., and the inspiration to shed blood
was canght while indulging too frequently
in intoxicating liquors during the storm
of excitement. Courage gotten up in this
manner is the poorest, most cowardly and
cruel, for every instinct of manhood is
lost, and the hot blood of passion courses
through a heart at best but cowardly, but
now fendish, cruel, and inhuman. Men
in this condition have a reckless disre-
gard OF human life, and they know no
difference between innocence and guilt.
How often has it been the case that the
innocent have been made to suffer by the
unreasonable passions of an excited peo-
pie ? Who cannot recall to their minds
instances of this kind. where, upon cool
elaboration, it was conclusively shown
that the victim of an excited people Was
entirely innocent of the charge against
him ? If this be true, then, what shall
be said of the self-constituted execution
ers who gloated over the murdered form
of an innocent man? What else can be
said OF them, than to dignity them with
the name the law gives them ? Too much
care cannot be exercised by those who
wouldn not go to the grave with the blood of
an innocent man upon their hands. We
cite q case near at home to illustrate the
danger of IN excited people taking the
law into their own hands At the late fire
at Eberhardt City, John Yule was charged
with firing the town. He had been ar
rested and was under charge of the off,
GERS of the law, when it was discovered
by the officers that an excited mob were
"steaming up" with a view of ~rescuing
the prisoner and hanging him then and
there. This plan was only frustrated by
the prompt action Of the officers in beat
ing a hasty retreat with their prisoner
and safely lodging him in the county Jail.
This excitement was kept at fever heat,
and the news reached the Sheriff's Office
that an effort would be made to take the
prisoner from the Jail and hang him.
Proper steps were taken to prevent this,
and John Yule, after undergoing two
searching Investigations, was discharged
by the Court (; and yet, had he not been
removedf from Eberhardt, he would doubt
less have suffered an ignominious death
to satiate the passions of a mob. but
would have died an innocent man.. Such
a n-example should be a lasting warning
against mob violence, where there is no
reason to fear that the majesty of the law
will not be indicated, and the guilty pun
ished according to the avs of the land.
How Is 1.-THE Hamilton stage ar
rived yesterdaya al 4P. M, says the Phoebe
Record Of the 25th inst, bringing eastern
and western letters and eastern papers,
but no California papers. This failure
is of frequent occurrence, and there is
evidently some one at fault. The people
are very anxious to know what is the
reason, and which postoffice is to blame.
II. A. BENTLEY, who was better known |
Dick" Bentley, died at Elko last Fri
day. He was buried with Masonic hon
ors. Dick was n of the pioneers of
Eastern Nevada, and an old resident Of
Shasta county, California.
VIRGINIA CHRoNIcLE..-D. i. Mccarthy. |