The Brookhaven ledger. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1879-11-06
Tribute of Respect.

Frank Crawford was murdered in Yves
son, Sept. Goth, 1879. by one VIM. Lewis.
Yes brutaUy murdered, and then some one
in the shape of a human being sand he was
Il bad man | can say 1t is as btSe a false
hood as ever was propagated by mritctoas
man. ! can ga, without fear of contra
diction that he was az high toned a>gcn~
rleman "a ever breathed. | would ask the
brute TO paint out one dishone-able trek
he was ever guilty OF in his life. Now let
us look at the evil of murder--let us take
a direct look of it.. ard see whether we
can find its character engraved on the as
poet it bears to the eve of an attentive
observer. The s,outest heart Of this Il
tv woald recoil were he who owns 1t to be
hold the destruction of a single individual
bv some deed OF violence were the man
| who at this moment stands before YOU IN
the full play and energy of health. TO be
in another moment laid by some deadly
aim a ~lifeless corps at vour feet, there is
not one oil you who would not prove how
strange are the relentings of nature at a
spectacle 80 hideous as death. There are
some of you who would be haunted for
whole days by the image OF horror you
had witnessed who would feel the weight
of a most oppressive sensation upon vonr
heart which nothing but time could wear
away. Who would be so pursued by it as
to be unfit for business or for enjoyment,
who would spread a gloom disquietude
over your waking moments; who would
dream of it at night and it would turn,
that bed which you courted as a retreat
from the torments of an ever middleing
memory into a scene o. restlessness. OH
there be something appalling in the sud-
denness OF death, think not that when
gradual in its advances you will alleviate
the horrors of this sickening conteTpla-
ton by receiving it in a middle form. and
tell me if there be anv relentines OF pity
in your bosom how could yon endure it to
behold the agonies Of the dying man, as
goaded BY pain he grasps the cold ground
in ~convalsIve energy or paint with the
loss of blood his pulse GIBBS low, and the
gathering p~aleness spreads itself over his
countenance' or wrapping himself round
in despair, he can only mark by a lew
feeble quivering's that life still turks and
fingers in his lacerated body. lifting up a
faded eve he casts on YOU a look OF m
ploring helplessness for that succor which
no sympathy can yield him. Ii may be
painful to dwell on such a representation
but this is the way in which the cause of
humanity is served: The eye Of the sen-
timentalist turns away from its sutferings
and he passes by on the other side lest he
hear that pleading voice which is armed
with a tone of remonstrance SO vigorous
as to disturb him. How much CT all this
distress and accumulated wretchedness do
we hear of in one single yea,. o! say
" hat mystice spell is that which so blinds
us to the suffering Of our brethern which
deafens 10 our ear the voice of bleeding
humanity, when it is aggravated b, the
shrek of a dying son or a brother, it makes
the very magnitude of the cruelties. and
it's horrors the mos: revolving abomnations
they have drawn from us the report of the
many who have fallen and breathed their
last in agony alone with him.
Farewell, Frank, farewell. May the
valley lie lightly npon thy manly breast;
thv faults be forgiven thee and they vir-
tines ever be remembered. May God pour
his healing balm upon the afflicted hearts
of father, mother, brothers and sisters,
and give them the consolation that is be-
yond my power. A FRIEND