The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1878-07-10
KATE sOTmERN.
Columns ;Ga.) Enquirer

Columbus ;Ga.) Enquirer.l
We give ina this paper the evidence
elected in the much talked-of trial of Kate
/ Sothern. 1t differs as much as light and
| darkness from the sensational accounts
We have been reading in certain CORES
pondence. There is nothing in the scenes,
| the surroundings, nor in the incidents, to
! CLEAN a title of romance. The whole was
| fight between two women, while the
| gallant Bob Sothern and the rest looked
on. They were all very ignorant people.
| Kate and her sister both centered on Sis
| Cowart There is no evidence that the
men present tried to part the combatants,
nor does there appear to have been such
a scene as the sentimental writers picture,
Of Bob, with pistol in hand, forcing Hates
way through a crowd. All that was the
Imagination of fancy sketcher. Kate
Sothern Is not pretty, even. She is of
medium height, about twenty years Of
age, and has dark brown hair, and the
twang of a North Georgia cracker. She
is very ignorant, can hardly read and
and write, and Bob is worse educated
than she. Kate is passably good-looking,
and wears imitation jet She says the
witnesses swore lies against her; that she
acted in self-defense; that she can not
dance, and that night at her fathers was
the ''fust time she ever seed a reel run"
She is now on the plantation of Colonel |
Smith, in Washington County, and will |
be employed in the household. cooking
and washing for the cOnvicts on the plan |
tation. The six-months ''baby" is sick
teething-and that now requires most of
her time. She says no money has been
sent her from the North. Her health is
bad.
Her sixteen year old sister, sentenced
crime, has been in Colonel Smiths house
been taught to read and write by her kind |
mistress. On her fathers farm she work |
ed in the field and drove an OK to the plow
Her sentence has proved blessing.
Bob Sothern is nothing but strong, |
good looking ANIMAL common, ignorant
boor. He is now guard to convicts on
the same plantation. The woman Kate
killed was on par with the rest.
On reading this evidence one feels ut
terly disgusted with the amount of senti-
mental Cwaddle that has been expended
Oh the case. Not a scintilla can be OBJ
tanned to excite a single expression of ad-
miration. Why, the parties surrendered
themselves to get the reward, and the I'M
was that Hates mother was
to get $50 OF the money. Where even
fertile fancy could extract anything of
from an atrocious crime, we can
not imagine.
We do not believe there is a single wo
man, no matter how warm and sympa
thetic her heart may be, who, after read
ing this sworn testimony, will sign IA petit
ton for Kate Sotherns pardon. Cover
nor Colquitt did right. He weighed the
evidence carefully and displayed both jus
lice and humanity in his decision. n
crime has been committed, a woman kill
I'd another in her fathers house, after she
lad been received kindly by her parents
and then to demand Of the authorities
hat she shall 90 free is preposterous. If
uch an act were pardoned, the doing so
would be a mockery of law. Crime al {
eady has too much license because the
tatutes are not enforced. !