The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1880-12-15
Another Appeal to Lynch Law.

AEOllcT ArVtai w LthSh -
q Elsewhere in the Press uri Banner may be
f,und n detailed account OF the murder oil Il
Young wife by three negroes. and the speedy
hnrhiuc o! the accused. 1t seems to us that
thr offence OF murder in this state Isl thcln,
TTcaSr. and we are able 10 attribute thcr
to no other reason than the fact
Of murder is so seldom vi II r"''
,.hel ~, all tl,r pen.rTmpoScu Is so S!'Sh'
,,.,. /, S~|ilbout the same thing aS"n
oo,r;,,.L1 n rule no white man In South
.t-~dIna is ever convicted of murder, while IL
Is Il known fac. that very few Of the negroes
wlo are con victcd, suffer ut tho hands of the
,aw. Through the squCamishnc>s Of j@ri's
and tho legal tcchnicGlitics brought into court
nearly every murderer escapes. VIC hopctliat
we may be rnrdoncd for referring 20 one OF
two cases which were recently tried at Wal
ilailn. The Moorcs were charged with the
murder of Bricc. The proof was such rs 10
convince nearly everybody except the jury,
Another case was that Of two men charged
with murder in the killing of woman in her
own door. IN the testimony II seems that
two men rode by Il farm house. Tn" dog Il,
the house ran out in the road. barking. One
of the men commenced shooting ut the dog
The woman came to the door and asked them
not to kill It,. They replied by shooting her.
Death cnsucd. The perpctrator OF the deed
was tried in court and found guilty OF man
slaughter. and >catt to the penitcntiary forfour
years. Attic same term OF court q negro was
convicted of stealing Il bale of cotton. lie was
sent TO the pcnilcntiary for three years. IN
Ncwbcrry, we believe, n man was acluit-
ted OF killing Il blind man. 1t IS q fact that
many men nave been killed IN various parts
IF this State, and that very few men have SUI
fcrcd for their deeds OF blood. Thee facts
have almost created q necessity for lynch law.
Methink in normal condition OF affairs that
our safety is in the courts. Blu wien the
courts refuse to give protection, the citizen IS
called upon to protect himself. In our coun-
~ three most atrOc!ouS murders have been
committed since 1876. The Iiarnnons, quiet
and inoflensivc old people, were S'ain by nc
gre IS ut nigh. inoidc of their dwelling. TA"y
were lynchcd on the spot. In 1873 the Frank
Inns, aged aud inflrm people who never
wronged mortal man, were slain In their own
house, while at the evening meal. n coro'
ncr's jury was ummonc circumstance
pointed to the guilt Of certain parties. The
community, relying upon the justice OF the
courts, sent them TO prison. one of whom
was con victcd-thc others were liberated. On
the convict no punishment beyond imprison-
mcnt has been inflicted. We no longer see
. bloody bodies, with CHASTITY wounds They
have been put out OF sight and, for TWO years
the slain 3havc been mouldcri1g in prcma-
ture graves. Time has softcned our feelings,
and in this instance. our hearts may be inn
properly moved IN sympathy for the living,
around whom cluster so many evidences OF
guilt. The enormity of crime seems to
have lost its hidcousncs nj the pleading
tongue Of the living appear more eloquent
than the dun wounds of the dead. The cries
OF the criminal arc more potent than the de-
mands OF that justice which gives us safety in
cur homes, around the fresides which our
own industry has procured. The last murder
In this county occurred on tho 18th Of Novcm.
Der last. Mr.. William Maddox, an old man,
IN industrious and thrifty citizen, and an un-
obtruSl We n%cighbor, utnight after Il days hard
work ut gathering his crop, was called from
his bed by unknown men, and, in the pres
'cncc OF his family, shot to death. AS far as
we are informed, very little has, rs yet, been
done by the peace officers of the Sta:c In ferret.
ing out the perpetrators of this unprovokcd
Gced, which in atrocity, is unsurpassed in the
Hnnals Of crime. The mel OF the neighbour
hood, however. have acted molly in the mat
ter, andlave done all that good and true citi-
zens could do. They quit their work, and for
days were In search foc the murderers. BE
sides this, when the efforts Of her ncighbors
had failed, the bercavcd widow of the deceased
offered q large reward for the arrest AMI con.
viction OF the assassiEs. In fact, everything
that IN indignant and injured nciglborhood
could do, has been done, but they nccl the
aid and services OF the professional detectives
which tho State could and should furnish. We
90 not know whether the authorities in Col
umbia have done anything at all in this mat
Ter, but VIC have no doubt that Governor lia-
good will do everything in his power 10 have
the guilty parties brought into court.
That official has lately been installed
into Office, the Legislature is in session
and a multiplicity Of mattets, we know, are
making demands upon lis time at present
Butour people may rest assured that he will do
his whole duty in the premises, and that lao
effort on his part will be lacking to bring the
guilty parties to justice. Thisis the only way
10 prevent ourlapsing into astate of barbar-
ism. Without the enforcement Of the crimi-
nal law, our civilization is q cheat. The soon
or our juries look to the safety and protection