The New Orleans Democrat., 1876-05-31
TME HARMON TRAG EDy.
The Execution Follows the verdict Given
at the Inquest.

at the Inquest.
Especial Dispatch 10 Tho News and Courier,
ApnBviLLE. y. g.. Thutsdny. May ~.
From eye witnesses of the lynching Of
tho murdcreiE Of Mr.. and Mrs. Harmon,
j gather some further details that will
be OF interest To the readers OF the NrirE
and Courier. II seems that tho lynch
ing wns the direct result Of the formal
verdict Of the jury Of inquest upon the
bodies of tho murdered couple The
jury found that tho IIarmons were de
liberately murdered by Stephen Lake
Larkin Holloway. Marshall Perrin
Austin Davis. jeff Settles. Jesse Lake,
Bette Perrin. and Tidn Holloway. all
negroes. These parties had previously
been arrested. and when the inquest
closed were delivered into tho custody
Of Sheriff Richardson for commitment
10 Jail But Immediately the sheriff
was seized by the crowd. which mum
bercd about six hundred persons. his
head was hastily covered with " bag,
and he WIS Carried Off hy furca and
confined
The nour of rettibution fpi tho flrnda
who had go mefpileasly butrhored Mr..
and Mrs. Harmon had now arrived. All
~ TAO prisoners were taken hy the
crowd. which was composed Of both
black ana whito riiizena. aud marched
To n poiut about half n milo from the
scene of the murder. There Tho six
men who had committed the urime were
tied together IN a row. and five minutes
were given to them to pray. nj tho cSri
ration Of which time volley nf one
hundred shots were fired. and the six
wretehea fell dead 70 the ground. About
three hundred men took part IN tho last
act Of the lynching They were yari
al 1. 81, n
pistols. No masks were worn by any
body. aud there was no exhibition ~
excitement Of any kind. no loud talking
and no whisky.
Previous to their execution Austin
Davis aud stephen Lake had con Tossed
that the party had been concorting tho
murder for several weeks. Stephen frat
knocked his victim on tho head IIollo-
way turned tho bodies over. and stephen
cut their threats. After the murder the
house was gutted Of everything vnIu-
able. and part Of the goods were recov
cred in the hands of Austin Davis.
The two women were turned loose and
told to leave the county.
VIA. the News and Ce"r,er Thinks
About u.
The lvnohng OF the mirIerers Of Mr..
and Mrs. Harmon, IN Edgeileld county.
was, we grant. an extreme measure, but
tho crime was unusually horrible, and
tho surrounding circumstances were
such as to provoke resort to means Of
assuring public safety which obtain
where courts and juries are unknown.
The age Of the murdered man and his |
wife, their feeble and unprotected con
dition. and the absolute absence. on the |
part Of the murderets, Of any other mo
tive than plundor. make tho crime most
s.,,I rr.,1 I..I ,.,t,.
Mr.. and Mrs Harmon knew. engaged |
the old man In conversation and Tho
bloody gang. Selling the opportunity SO
made for them. beat down their victims /
with bludgeons and finished their work |
with the knife. There was no doubt of /
tho guilt Of tho accused. There was no
danger, as in some eases Of lynching Of
tho wrong persons. One of the
purderers confessed tho crime, aud
Iis confession was fully Corroborated
We grant that even the character of
tho decd md tho certainty Of their guilt l.
might not. and would not. serve IA any
excuse for the summary killing of the
in other States than this
but they do. in n measure. excuse II in
South Carolina. and We say IT. with deep
sorrow that II should be So Tho negroes
outnumbcr tho whites
in this State. They are passionate and
Needless. and have n narrow sense Of
moral responsibility. When negro IL
tempted to commit u crime only ono
tr ing will restrain him. aud that IL the
certainty Of u quick aud severe punish.
ment. In this State there il no such
certainty The ignorance Of tho
iuries and their olannishncss give
II criminal " fine chance t. oa-
cape. ono man on u Jury will save the
feion'g neck. Then the onrelesaneaa
and inexpcrience of the prosecuting
officers is such that IN Indictment l.
rarely drawn that an astute lawyer can
not pick 10 pieces. There Is usually m
appeal. or motion for now trial de.
lhy, and delay and delay. and possible
escape nj last The negroes understand
This. and 50 the death penalty loses IFS
tarrors for them They kill their victim,
and trust to their color and 10 luck for
safety. lt was. therefore. as an ex
ample to others, as proof that punish
ment does swiftly follow crime, even in
south Carolina. ~ much "a 70 punish
he special offenders. that tho Harmon
nurderers were shot to death.
Violence IL always to be deprecated
md generally to be condemned Espc.
tally must this be 50 in South Carolina,
hy peace Is all to be gained, and
~ bloodshed Is SO much to bo lost But
n dwelling upon the act Of an outraged
)eople, and In condemning ''lynching,"
Except where tho law has been tred and
nag failed, we must bear in mind the
nature OF the crime, the prov location the
)eople had, and the danger TO which
hey are exposed when. In any way.
luch crimes can go unpunished