The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1877-12-07
cu1uxsIA's HANGING.
What the Newspapers Say About It. Our
Northern Brethren 1ispessd to
Judge Us Earshly.
Tennessee fapsrs Endorse the Preceding.

|
cedure. Hanging was too mild pun
! ishment to be inflicted upon this vile
! wretch. The people were still smart
| ing under the sting of the indignity
forced upon them by the proceedings
in the ThonassOn affair a few months
| ago and nothing else could have been
expected from them. They knew the
| laws delays and were determined that
| speedy justice should he meted out.
This is prevailing tendency every
where and will continue to strengthen
| until the laws are more Tigidly enforc-
| ed, and we would impress upon ON
law makers the necessity of more strin-
gent measures to secure the certain and
| speedy enforcement of the laws and to
restrict the pardoning power of the
Governor as the only means of coun-
| teracting the tendency to mob vio-
lence.
| From the Shelbyville Tenn, Commercial. ]
Last Saturday Miss Templeton,
daughter of Rev. \. Templeton, of Co
lumbia, had occasion to 20 out into the
back yard about O'Clock in the morn
ing, when she was confronted by ne
gro named Frank McGee, alias Bill
Roper, who fiendishly outraged her, and
then made his escape. He was captur-
ed in Athens, Alabama, and brought
back to Columbia last Monday, and
after being fully identified was taken
TO the courthouse and hung in broad
daylight by the outraged and indig-
nant citizens. He had committed a
rape several weeks ago upon a young
lady of Mobile, Alabama, and a re-
ward of 81 900 was offered for him,
dead or alive. He is now where no
pardon, either from the Sureme Court
or Governor Porter can reach him.
From the New York Herald
y case of mob law in Tennessee,
elsewhere reported, was attended lV
very dramatic surroundings. The
young lady who had been assaulted
sentenced her black assailant to death,
which was speedily carried out OH the
steps of the Courthouse, the officers of
the law assisting at the illegal cXecu-
ton.
Extract from the Pulaski (Tenn.,l Cltlzen.I
Mr.. Milt. Noorhies of Pulaski wit
messed the execution and gives graph
ic details. His fate was more than
merited. The negro, it is said, spent
Sunday III Pulaski, going to church.
He was recognized 10y Mr.. John West
mOreland as he went through Pros
pect and he telegraphed to Columbia
which led TO his capture.
From the Louisville CourIer-Journal.J
The great principles of law and ius-
tice were violated yesterday at Column
bia, Tenn, by the citizens who swung
the negro Roper out of the courthouse
window and hung him. He was al
! legged to be guilty of several dreadful
| crimes; had been identified hv the girl
he attempted to outrage last week. He
| was, however, in the possession of the
| officers of the law and should have
| been regularly tried and convicted.
| The execution was not conducted I'M
| der the forms of the law, and that was
| the supreme objection. 1t is the grow
| ing disposition OF the people to consti-
tute themselves the executors of law
which is stamping the country with
! the brand of lawlesSneSS, and "a terri
blc commentary is it upon the laxity
of the law for people to excuse such
| lawlcsS acts by the assertion that the
law does not punish.
From the Fayetteville (Tenn.,l Express
Since the above information was re-
ceived, we learn by mail that the vii
lain, Roper, by name was captured at
Athens, Alabama, on Monday, and
brought back to Columbia, and placed
i'll Jail, from which a thousand infUria-
ted citizens took him out by force
that evening TO kill him. The
| crowd WAS furious, but as the eX-
cited condition of his intended victim
rendered it impossible for her to iden-
| tify him, after much conciliatory talk,
and promises from prominent men
| that, upon Identification next day,
the fiend should be hung upon the pub
lie square, in broad daylight, without
trial, by citizens unmasked, they al
| lowed him to be returned to the Jail to
await identification. This is the la
| test we have from the affair at the
! time we go to press, but we doubt
| not the OutTager has met with the fate
he deserves before this.
Extract from the Clarksville ChronIcle.l
If anything can justify proceedings
outside of the law, here certainly was
| provocation enough. We wish that
| all crimes could be disposed of by pro-
| cess of law, but summary Justice seems
| to be the rule in such cases throughout
the United States, and we have no fur.
| ther comment to make.
From the Fayetteville Observer
| n negro nalncu GEORGE topper aIli'
Frank McGee, charged with an at
} tempted outrage of Miss Tcmpleton
an estimable young lady of Columbia
on Saturday last, was pursued by hun
dreds of enraged citizens, caught il
Athens, Alabama, on Monday, anC
carried back to Columbia. If fully
identified, he will be hung, as h,
should be, without waiting for the ac
ton of the court.
From the Waverley Journal.
| \ RIGHTEOUS DEED.
| Columbia has been the scene thi
week of an unusual excitement result