The daily gazette., 1877-06-04
MURDER BY U. S. DEP UTY
MARSHALS.
get the glory

ENFORCING THE REVENUE LAws-MEN
SHOT DOWN WITHOUT CAUSE.
A correspondent, of the Journal of
Commerce, writing from North Carolina,
who gives his name, and says he is per
sonally known all over the distri ct, makes
the bold charge that the United States
Deputy Marshals in enforcing the reve-
nue. laws against illicit distillers, are gull
ty of murder. We give part of his letter
below. The condition of affairs in the
South have been such that innocent men
would flee from u s. officers. They ex-
pected no justice-were shown neither
justice nor mercy, but forced to 60 to
foreign PRISONS without trial, and not al
lowed to communicate with their families
or friends, often their families were not
permitted to know where they were. 1t is
no wonder therefore, that when a sudden
dash of armed men is made into section
of country that some of the innocent, ig-
norant of the purpose in view ,and having
the dread of the treatment formerly prac-
ticed, should run away. And if under
such circumstances men are shot, surely
murder attaches to those guilty of the of
fence. The correspondent of the Journal
of Commerce, says:
give the case your correspondent al
luded to (his supposed basis for my COM
nunication of the 7th). This account
was written by Republican of differ
ent State, called upon to prepare an ac-
curate account of the affair for one of our
State papers. You can judge who are the
| guilty parties and who are responsible
for the murder of two innocent men.-
| The extract l send you is from the Raj"
| eigh Ne,1S-one of the most rel: able of our
North Carolina papers.
| inclose, also, another brief paragraph
| clipped from a North Carolina paper OF
last March, and giving an account of the
deliberate murder of an inOtfensive old
man who was shot down because the
roaring Of mountain torrent prevented
his hearing the voices of those calling
upon him to halt. In this case there wa
no difficulty in the revenue men crossing
the stream and capturing the old maj
| without the least resistance on his part
Investigation shows that there were NJ
charges whatever against the murdered
J man.
IAese ars not simply isolated cases. Al
stated to you before, l could fill column
J with such extracts from the North Caro-
lima papers.
Il enclose partial refutation of you
Virginia correspondents statements, by
I North Carolina editor who formerly ive'
, in your city, and whose reliability ma
be known by consulting the publishers a
II Marray street, New York city, wher
you may also find my reference. l send
| also, the sworn affidavit of one of our eli
z iZens, which will show you what kind c
l. a man Major Wagner is and how he puI
n ishes his victims. If there is either law
authority or justice for such treatment, ,lt
o it be shown.
think your correspondent is exceed
iDgly rash, TO say the least of it, In til
d statements he makes in the last paragrap
n of his letter. He has made wholesal
onslaught on the press, the judi ciary an
IS the bar of this State. 1t is not true ths
n the etfoIts that are being made are direc
ed to the driving ont of the revenue of
e cials. These officials will find hearty c.
s operation all over the State in their labor
to break up frauds on the revenue, If the
will contine themselves to lawful an
just means to attain their ends. Bl
10 when they go marching through th
10 country like band of highway ASSASSIN
,e and pubic marauders, stealing poultT
d and pigs and shooting down men Lib
wild beasts, common decencv and outra
is ed humanity alike protest against the
al actions, and demand the punishment
guilt. Heretofore, when one of the,
is United States officials has been arrestt
d for his crimes, an easy process ofthe Fe
40 eral courts in the South has allowed fac
~ tiles for escape. The local authorities
le this State have determined to submit
in such mockery of trials no longer, al
hence the recent orders about which
DIS wrote in my letter of the 7th. There
s. NO collusion, as your Virginia correspon
ent assumed. Nor do we want any Sec
ciliation" at the expense of justice. v
do not want the revenue men to ha
>" "hcense" to come here and slay our pt
is pie without making them amendable
claw" If they commit otfenses agair
cl the laws of this State it is but right I'll
nd the State courts should have jurisdictit
=, The accused can fave such a jury as tn
N'' choose and our courts allow in tn,
Is cases,