Morning appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1877-1906, 1879-09-20
THE CHISHOLM CASE.

Of Gully, and charges us to give evidence OF
the "damning facts" to show that Miss CHS
holm was murdered by Gully, and then falls
back upon the ''seven unimpeached wit
nesses" to the innocence of the person on
trial, against the testimony OF one as to his
guilt. 1t is not very hard to imagine seven
"unimpeached" witnesses in Mississippi
case, where the integrity of the South was
concerned, and perhaps before an unpreju-
diced jury it would not be difficult to i'm
agine the single testimony outweighing the
seven. But we have ne desire to distort
facts or view the sad affair from other than a
fair unbiased standpoint God forbid, that
in case of life and death we should allow
our political or sectional feelings to sway our
Judgment We connot go over the case,
complicated as it is, and say exactly on what
we base our opinion; which has been formed
during its history and the progress of the
trial, and even if we did produce all the data
necessary it would neither convince our
neigber, whose opinions we respect, some
times even when we think them little dis
torted, nor make one convert Its history
has been spread before the country and the
verdict of the masses has been made up from
their various political standpoints. Chisholm
was a reconstructed rebel who accepted the
situation after the war and in discharge of
his duties of Sheriff of Kemper county,
adopted also the opinion that the enamel
pated and enfranchised negro had status in
court as well as vote at the polls, this was
distasteful of course, to the warm blood of
Mississippi and an ugly feeling was en-
gendered A negro who had been unmercl-
fully whipped by John W. Gully, waylaid
and shot him, and on his person was found
$50 which it was charged belonged to CHS
holm, but the Negro died protesting that
Chisholm nor any other white man had
anything to do with the murder, though the
tertures of the inquisition were resorted to to
make him implicate Chisholm. This did
not satisfy the people and the Gullys headed
a mob, had Chisholm arrested, and his wife
and children claimed the privilege of sharing
his confinement. The Jail was attacked,
Chisholm, his son and daughter and some of
his friends were cruelty butchered, to which
Mrs. Chisholm who was a witeess, testified
directly at the trial that Gully was the man
who shot her daughter, but her testimony
went for naught because seven "unimpeached"
and uncorruptible witnesses testified to the
contrary seven men, who to have been able
to testify must have been part of the mob.
Why, they might as well have testified that
Chisholm was not killed at all it would have
satisfied that jury perhaps, quite as we'll The
Chronicle does not deny that Gully was one of
the mob of murderers, nor does it seek to ex-
cuse his crimes what in heavens name then,
loes it seek to do Say that the murder was
\ just retribution for an act of which no jury,
even in Mississippi could even accuse CHS
lolm or supposing he was even convicted of
completely can any fair minded man stand
up and say that having placed the man under
chains, any set of men, not excepting the
most blood thirsty savages of South Africa,
II our Northern Territories, were iustifable
n numbering an unprotected man, and his
innocent children 1t is folly to switch off on
political hypothesis. The history of the whole
ase shows in a clearer light the animus of
he South than anything else we know of. |
chisholm accepted office from d Republican |
Governor, and with the Office accepted the |
ituation, which was distastefnl to the South |
I'm blood, and his death was the result. The |
rial is over De kalb jury has acquitted |
Gully, but the verdict of the country is
worth more than that jury on the evidence of
he "seven witnesses"
We dislike this whole business, because it |
'akens feelings which we do not like to in
lulge, and we do not like to quarrel with our
eighbors but the Chronicle has taken most
lntenable position on this question. 1t is
ne which for the sake of cur common nation
lily and civilization, should be viewed with
ut political spectacles. We have tried to do
o, seriously, but though we have read much
{ the sophstries which have been used to
lobber over facts, the facts, still remain, and
70 still retain the impression that there was
most brutal murder, in which Gully was an
ctor.