Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1879-07-10

Stay thou with us as we journey,
Journey sad, as strangers roam,
Let thine unseen presence guide us,
Guide us till we're gathered home.
THE SPARTANBURG LYNCHING.
At the recent term of the Circuit Court for
Spartanburg county, in regard to the lynch
ing of John J. Moore, in that county, for the
murder, etc., of Miss Heaten, Judge Press
ley, in his charge to the grand jury, is report
ed by the Spartan as having said
"There is one special matter to which
would call your attention. 1t has come to me
through the Governors proclamation, and
the newspapers, that man has been taken
from your Jail and executed. AS to his
guilt, I know nothing, but whatever his
crimes may have been, there was no possible
excuse for this unlawful act. The Courts are
pow in our own hands; not like they were a
few years ago, when juries could be packed
and public officers induced to compromise
cases or pardon the convicted. There is no
danger from these causes now. The term of
Court was at hand, when a fair and speedy
trial might have been secured, and there was
no excuse for the people taking the law in
their own hands and executing the prisoner,
who was awaiting trial.
"Such conduct must be stopped. 1t is the
duty of every good citizen to put this thing
down. If allowed, there is danger that any
man, falling under the suspicion of his neigh
bors, may be taken out and dealt with in this
lawless manner No man is safe. Good men
may be executed. The only safety is in good
government, when the laws are fairly admin
istered. People must re ly on the law and
the decisions of the court for the redress OF
all their wrongs.
ut is my duty to bring the matter before
you, and to charge you with the same. 1t is
solemn duty you have to perform. You
are the custodiaus of the peace and good or
der of the county, and it is your duty to in
quire into the affair. You have the authority
to summon witnesses, and ascertain who vio-
lated the law and present them"
The grand jury, previous to being dis,
charged for the term, submitted its report
In relation to the lynching of Moore, the re.
port says:
"In reference to the case of Miss Heaten,
to which your Honor called the particular at.
tention of the grand jury, we should find it
difficult to excuse ourselves if we refused to
state that we have been informed and believe
that the testimony submitted to the jury of
inquest which was held over her body, estab.
lished the guilt of John J. Moore as the de.
mon in human form who outrageously MUIR
dered this young woman while she was de.
Tending her virtue. This is the greatest of
all possible crimes, and too shocking to be
recited in this report. The moral sentiments
of the community have been so outraged that
the criminal has been seized and put to death
by the indignant citizens of the vicinity in
which this atrocious murder was committed.
They acted under the sudden impulse that
the great end of the law is the administration
of simple and exact justice. The question,
then, arises, has any injustice been done this
offender by such summary punishment 1t
is an established principle that the murderer
deserves to die, and hence, in putting him to
death, those citizens have done nothing more
than simple act of justice. But it may be
said that they have taken the law into their
own hands; and for this they should be pun.
ished. This is plausible, but it springs, per.
haps, from too contracted view of expe.
diency. That the murderer deserves to be
put to death, is the claw of God written on
the heart" This is the supreme law; expe-
diency is merely subordinate rule, and
should always give place to the awful die.
tates of justice. In putting this murderer to
death, therefore, those citizens acted in ODE
dience to the dictates of justice, and merely
anticipated the sentence Of the law of the
land. We have witnessed such manifesto
tions in other parts of our country, and have
shuddered with indescribable horror at the
exhibition of its terrific power. In one of
the most enlightened cities of our Union, have
we seen learned men, and intelligent men,
burning with the desire to crafty this feeling
of vindictive wrath. We have seen them
seize their victim, reeking with the blood OF
his fellow man, and drag him to the stake,
and there burn him to ashes. The Judge who
decided upon the merits of the burning above
referred to, held it to be case of '.justi6able
homicide" public opinion, said he, is the
source and fountain of all human law; and
the act in question was "clear expression of
public opinion" We do not admit, howev-
er, that lynch.law under any circumstances
ought to be administered; thoug h we do not
deny that there are cases where the criminal
escapes from the too great leniency of juries
in capital felonies, and this is the overfowing
source from which all lynch-law springs,
Yet we should struggle to preserve, even to
the last resting place of hope, the right of
trial by jury, for all look to it for safety and
protection"
The Spartan says that Judge Presley, in
commenting upon the report, expressed his
dissent from the views entertained by the
grand jury, and urged the great necessity of
stopping all lawlessness and unauthorized ex-
ecutions. The Spartan suggests that the re,
port of the grand jury "is the last thing
that will be heard of the Moore case in the
Courts"
How FAR THE EAGLE SCREAMs.-Few
people are aware that the proud boast of
Enelishmen that the sun never sets on the
British empire, is equally applicable to the
United States. Instead of being the western
limit of the Union, San Francisco is only
about midway between the furthest Aleutian
Isle, acquired by our purchase of Alaska, and
Easport, Me. Our territory extends through
1877 degrees of longitude, or II degrees more
than half way round the globe. The Rocky
Mountain Presbyterian, in commenting on
this fact, says: "When the sun is giving
its good night kiss to our westermost isle, on
IL of Robr;nr's Soa If ia ]ready