The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1877-06-16
The Carroll Lynching.
Strict Obedience to Law the Peoples only
Safeguard.


Safeguard.
A number of prominent citizens OF
Carroll parish have addressed letter
to District Attorney II. R. Steele con-
corning the recent lynching of a col
ored man charged with robbery in that
parish, and it is such a forcible plea
for the maintenance Of law and the
prevention of mob rule, that We copy
it's full text:
Dear Sir-You have heard, we
have no doubt, of the recent homicide
at our town: man who had been COM
mitted to jail upon charge of rob-
berry was taken from the officers of
the law at midnight by a mob and
shot to death.
This most reprehensible and pain
full act has caused profound feeling
in our community, and as the court
having full criminal jurisdiction, aided
by a carefully selected Grand Jury, is
about to convene its term, we re-
spectfully call your special attention
to the case. A few, bat gerry fen of
our people may be disposed to excuse
or even Justify this great violation of
the law. They say land as some of
US know truthfully,) that this was
most desperate and violent criminal,
who had not only committed repeated
robberies accompanied with threat
enings and outrages to the wives of
colored laborers who happened to be
away from their humble cabins at
work in the fields, but when captured,
/ threatened those who held him i'll
custody with vengeance even unto
| death but we can not for a moment
| think that these facts can justify what
has been done. The accused was III
the hands and under the protection
of the law; he was in the custody of
the State, and his guilt or innocence
should have been determined by a
fair and impartial trial. This he did
not have. A mob has tried, convicted
and executed him, and we call upon
you as the representative of the peo-
pie in prosecuting those who violate
the laws, to see that the guilty be
punished, and we severally pledge to
you our personal and earnest aid in
securing this result.
It is true this matter has been care
fully inquired into by the inquest held
upon the body of the deceased, and
the character of the officer who acted
as Coroner and of the citizens who
composed the jury-being prominent
and good men of both races-makes
it certain that they faithfully and
diligently discharged their duty
their inquiries however, did not re-
suit in discovering who perpetrated
this killing, and we might, under the
circumstances in any ordinary case,
probably assume that further inquiry
would be fruitleSs, and consent to
await the Developments of time, but
in this case we can not consent to do
so, and we ask that the whole matter
be brought before the Grand Jury
about to assemble, and every effort
be made to discover the guilty and
bring them to justice. :.
Such outrages (which we may say
are almost unanimously condemned
by our citizens) can not, must not be
allowed to go unpunished. The law
must be maintained, and when vio-
lated must be vindicated, and our
people are resolved it shall be SO.
The good name of our State and of
our parish and of our neigborhood
is dear to US all; we wish to secure
and maintain it, but this we can not
| do If lawlessness is to rule the hour.
An active and energetic enforce
ment of the law is the only protection
to our lives and property, and we
look to our Judges, to our prosecut-
ing Attorneys, and to our Grand
Jurors to secure those blessings to us.
| e->oa.a-
| Seduee a Chinaman into a pair of