Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1879-06-24
cuRRIR TO BE ACQUITTED

~ 80 AAf0AAONN AuuAQEAGI vi
B. G. Porter, an unofending stranger
at Marshall, Texas, will not be hung
unless the people rise in their might
and execute summary justice. The
trial was opened yesterday. Mr..
Barrymore, the principal witness for
the prosecution from a distance, was
present. lie travelled over fifteen
hundred miles to give his testimony
but was not permitted to take
the. witness stand. The defence
ecured a continuance by the absence
of five immaterial witnesses who
were not present when the murder was
committed. The State made counter
affidavit showing that the only persons
present were Barrymore, Porter, Miss
Cummens, Currie and the p roprietor.
This was stricken out and the case
continued upon the merest technical.
ity. This will be taken by the intel
ligent mind Of the country as the
preliminary steps to Currie's acquittal.
Barrymore, the the most important
witness, except Miss Cummens will not
feel like spending time and money and
risking his life in long, fruitless trip
to Texas. This will in all probability
be his last one. Miss Cummins,. "a
delicately ly-organized lady, who has
suffered greatly ever since witnessing
the terrible murder of her friend, will
not be likely to ever return to the
scene Of that tragedy in real life. She,
is unable to so now and may never
recover The LEDGER has been a
friend to the people of Texas, an d
often defended them against the pro-
miscuous charge of harboring mur.
derers and desperadoes, But this be
ing regarded as a test case, we ex-
pested something better than to see
court manifesting sympathy for one of
the worst murderers of the age. The
court of Marshall may feel ike re-
senting any apparent outside interfer-
ence and exercise its most eminent
prerogatiye in presuming Currie to be
innocent until he is found guilty, but
such a far-fetched effort to sustain
judicial authority and dignity will
react fearfully upon the name and the
welfare Of the Southern people. Texas
cannot afford to turn Currie loose
upon society. He is a villain of the
deepest dye, and if he gets out
alive its will be because he
is surrounded by sympathizers,
and because the lawless elements are
in the ascendency in one of the oldest
communities in Texas. The character
of Currie is known All the swearing
and all the witnesses in Texas could
not convince the public that he killed
Porter in self-defense. Porter was an
inOffensive man, as the members of
his profession are generally. Out
siders cannot interfere with the action
of courts, but they can decide wheth-
er they they will travel, trade and
invest their money in a town and
a section which gives immun-
ity to the worst characters
and does not punish wanton,
drunken desperate for insulting a
lady, and then foully numbering her
escort for the slightest interference.
We know from personal observation
that a majority of the people of Texas
are iaw-abiding good citizens, but it
seems that in some localities desper-
ate few can terrOrize and overawe
whole communities. We are opposed
to mob law generally and upon general
principles, yet it has worked well in
new States and territories. Texas
may not be too old for a bit
of imprOmptu rope occasionally,
and as it is evident that the courts at
Marshall have determined to turn
Currie loose, the citizens of that town
could not make better investment
than to buy a strong rope and organize
themselves into vigilance committee
and hang Currie on one end and that
cowardly Judge on the other. Such a
course would wonderfully promote the
morals of Marshall and the good name
of Texas.