The daily gazette., 1878-03-20
WHAT THE PEOPLE SAY.
Letter from Samuel Townsend

For the Gazette.
Mr.. JoHNsoN:-I sent you few lines,
last Friday, concerning the rape case
last summer, or early fall, near Middle
town. In the Philadelphia Times, the
Benedict Arnold newspaper, there is a
communication, purporting to come from
Middletown, but the writer showed his
ignorance of Delaware, when he stated
that Governor Cochran prefers his own
country home, near Middletown, to the
Executive Mansion at Douer. This of
| itself showed the Ignorance of the fellow
in regard to Delaware, for Delaware has
not, nor never had an Executive Man
sion at Dover. He further says old Sam
Townsend, the war horse of Appoquni-
mink hundred, says the negroes must be
hung. l am no war horse, and not 80
old but what ] can tell the writing of a
jackass squirt. In regard to the Cochrans
they are an industrious, honest set of peo-
pie, and respected by both white and
black people in the neighborhood where
they reside. There is not, think, a man,
woman or child in this part of Delaware,
who wish to see or hear ofpersons being
hung; and all this abuse in the Philadel-
phia papers IL because the people in
Delaware, near Middletown, meted out
Ijustice, to two lonely, y,poor white tramps,
that had neither money or friedns, and
further did not belong to our State
They were in all but a starving condition
were allured into a cOrnfeld by two
negroes, who promised to find them Q
home these two poor foot-sore white
persons, one q man and the other wo
man, confding in the good faith OF
these negroes, entered said cornfield; as
soon as they got q convenient distance
tho largest negro, Chambers, who 1t Il
said has always been bad negro, knock
ed the white man down and dragged the
woman short distance and committed
rape, then returned to the half dea6
white man, and held him whilst Collin.
also committed rape. These two white
persons, man and wife, went into Middle
town, the mans head cut, his clothes
bloody, the woman's clothes torn and sh'
, all but distracted, asking for Justice o
! the Peace. Now what would thes'
Philadelphia papers have said, and thu
IO'Byrne's, of Wilmington, also, If the
Justice of the Peace had said to thes,
poor white people, "clear out, we will
not give you any law or justice" ant
these two white persons had gene bacl
TO Philadelpnla ana tOlu now Dauiy tne,
had been treated in Delaware near Mid
dletown, and also on Governor Cochran
; land by two negroes. The Bendedic
, Arnold Times and otherpapers of Phila
delphia, would have frothed an
: foamed and tried to have sunk our littl
State; and it would have served us right
but they never, trust, will have tina
pleasure, on account of Delaware's lac
of manhood. Delaware knows her right
and dares maintain them, and all outsid
threats, or advice pass by as idle wine
= cannot tell what bas come over O'Byrn
always gave him credit of being
warm hearted Irishman, and Irishme
Y of that kind are noted all over the worl
. as defenders of poor weak women.
only excuse him on account of his Il
norance in the matter, for had be bee
n here at the time, feel sure he would hay
made an appeal to Judge Lynch TO settl
with the negro culprits at once instea
= OF sending them TO New Castle:
SAMUE TOWNSEND.
Townsend, March 10, 1873.