The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1878-04-03
BLOOD FOR BLOOD.
,,sTORY OF WEST NIRGINIA'S
LYNCHINGS.
correspondent OF The New York
uoreId Gives us Readable Ar
rirIe Upon the sub
ject, Partly
rS FRON HIS IMAGINATION
VI PARTLY FROM FACTS.
WHEELING, March 20, 1873.

WHEELING, March 20, 1873.
Ws., Virginia during the past few
r.,,, hiss gained an unenvisbie rePuta-
..s State where about al the cspi-
~, enlistment inflicted has been fur
.st by court of first and last resort,
,.,vn :; Judge Lynch's hus:ings. The
Inn. horrible hanging Of John Wal
~, the We,zel county murderer,
oh, On the eve of last Sunday was
. bv An excited mob from the Gus
.sr Of bis guards in the little village OF
p ton, dragged nearly two miles along
Oh. Baltimore and Ohio Railroad track,
..s with bsck broken and neck dissOlo-
..,s4 wss lett suspended from an apple
..s. 10 view of passing trains, has had
..sasc. o.. calling the attention of the
,-.r, 10 the weakness mani 'ested by
... sc.o On for this style Of execution,
,-tyogr correspondent looking Into the
...-5s trds that while the Stste has
never srce its creation executed an
,e.si .dsader regularly, her mortality
.s The shape Of sudden takings of
...l,a organized mobs who were de-
-sn,rs.ed IS parties unknown" in the
-51e,s ir4uos.s, Is large enough to sat-
...r sav dcmsud in that direction.
HOW TEE CUSTOM CAME ABOUT.
Before going into review OF the facts
which prove this assertion, it may be in
.-s.irg to ilquire how the people OF
.s State contracted its habit of dcclin
,, to Wal, for the regular sdminIstrs-
,,g. Justice and taking the law INTO
.-.- 5.a hands when they desired TO
7.,pa criminals who had excited pub
Indignation. 1.-THE history OF the old
safe lad no. been so free from Ir7egu-
,....s o.. this character for years before
- ysrs.on it might be supposed that
Ws,. Virginia II herted the Peculiar,ty
-ya lgr maternal ancestor, for Lynch
.,gr winch Is SAID to have taken its name
4. .-. country from q Virginia farmer
.sugI Lynch who whipped thieves HIM
......ead OF waiting for legal process,
sd .1e founder Of Lynchburg ls said
% 1sys been the original judge who laid
.-s foundation of numerous line OF
blowers. However this may be, Flr-
r-.s Of late wears has shown no vicious
.s-selcv in this direction, while West
Tlrgilla has rivslled early California in
he number and variety Of her illegal
executions.
One o. the causes which have con-
.-..el 20 THIS result is TO be found In
.-s tsmorsIzing effects OF the war,
.-cl increased evil and lswless ten
.s-uss 10 maLy portions OF the new
Ss.a As the mineral resources OF the
ss.a 1sye been developed and It's tim
--set, opened, the effect has been fur
.-r tia. large numbers Of men, imper-
'v educated, naturally dIs.rus.iul OF
-. certainty ant justice OF legal pro-
.s1ls: turbulent sud easily wrought
90 20 deeds # violence, have been
1g,sgs.sd ut various points, and
noticeable that 1t has been at
.s. point. that tie scenes have been
r4.s1 .1a. have given the State such
agreeable u0.0rletv. The enactment
s-.-ssa.i psrt OF me State Code and
81 permit. ..ries, who ind criminals
;..y Of murder 10 the first degree, to
"a .lsir sentence At imprisonment for
the peutentIsry, or hanging, at
.-.- discretion, las contributed much to
.-ss..e-E.1 OF the mob spirit 10 cases
.-s'- . has been aroused; for even
.-ar conviction Of the most heinOus
..-.s 10 .ls calendar follows an arrest,
"s l7 20 ueaus certain that q jury will
BE- found vl.cl is firm enough TO con-
-.-l prisoner 20 death when i. holds
'-.o option o, sentencing him TO impris-
.-uar.
.l2 Iy.G.AG or TIE JENNINGS
FAMILY.
Having glanced at some of the causes
zach have tended 20 make several sec
.-'H .aa State prolific of crimes ana
amos. equally prolific in cases OF lynch
.- -...a,.c g.o-c thereafter, let US eX-
.-1ssou %. The notable casCs OF the
a...' MOTTO -a 1ack 20 ap0iCt when
.. a..l.s..es Ut the wsr took on tue
.-'I. e.. mob violence we,will begin with
gsa- i,Il ape-lod comparatively re-
. a0t take up the .yuching OF the
-l..ss family ty the Red Men of
"@h: county 10 lho latter part Of that
', >llgu.sr.y enough the de-
1 0t TINS family, which,
'- Us a"-laol-rs, numbered near
hundred persons, took place
same county, and but q few miles
.a-. Hgu the spot where the murder
wallace did bis cruel Work, and met
miserable death few days ago. The
E sora OF the most mountainous
'.-Sse- 10 the State. One end of 1t
.' On .le Baltimore and Ohio rail-
81 Burton and Ll,Ielon, two small
''.-' SIX miles apart, aud the other
- '1" on the ONO river, the county
's" Mar,nsyile, lying on the lat
os."ten the two extreme ends q
f..' Tya-s, almost impossible a.
.sa- through hills, businesses and
gems whose loneliness and forbid
-fe.. strike terror to the heart
.-l traveller. The county
with good timber and
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