The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1880-03-04
DID THEY DESERVE ITs

| Nothing can be said in extenustion
of the violence, occasionally reported in
Bell county, to correct glsring evils,
except that its people, often baffied in
appeals to courts, have contracted the
habit of dealing out summary punish
! ment to bad men. Time has been,
and it may even be now, IN
many communities in Texas, that
the boldest thieves have worked in
such complete organic stions that it
/ became next to impossible to convict
them. However noted the theft or
however often cffenses were repeated,
it has fro quently been next to impossi-
ble 10 prevent interested witnesses
from swearing offenders out Of court,
aud too often it has been impossi-
BILE to organize jury without
gstting some one upon it working
in the interest of the accused. For
many years B Ill and the s5jIcent coun-
ties were infested with baLds of horse
thieves, and the organization had such
wide and complete ramifications that
legal punishment was quite impossible.
In 1867 there were oyer thirty horse
thieves spprehended and hung to the
first convenient limb in Bell county,
aud the disrespect for stltute law, then
ulhappily inaugurated, continues
unfortunately, to exist, and mob
violence 81 thoroughly practiced at
that time has becs me part of the Bell
county code. Subsequent to even 1867
a great many very bad men have paid
the forfeit to the offended law of
the Estate of Bell, ;" and the list of it's
mob crimes have been unequaled In
the history, of any other community in
the country. At one time mob broke
open Its Jail, and nine prisoners,
awaiting tie tardy course of the law,
were shot down In cold blood. Again
the Jail doors were opened for SINH
lar outrage, and the lives of three men,
If we remember correctly, were re-
quired to appease the offended dignity
of the community. These sickening
stories belong, however, to the past,
and reactionary sentiment prevails
so far as to have brought about
the substitution %of the lash fer
the halter and the six-shooter, and
the estate of B ,ll'' is becoming civil
ized. First, Parson Honey, he of
Texls Treasury fame, was barely
ducked, and it was whisped that few
stripes were probably laid lightly upon
him; then DR.. Russell, a good citizen,
who thought too freely tor the average
intelligence of the estate of Bell"
was decoyed from his home and cruelty
whipped for opinions cake, when he
had interfered with none, and proposed
to interfere with none, of the existing
social relations of the community.
Then came the Dow brothers, anc we're
it not that the good and law-abid-
ing people of Bell, after these two
fellows had been well flogged, de-
clared them insane, We would
have felt like saying that the Dows
were treated as any community should
treat such men. But contrary to
doctors court and jury, we do not be-
lieve these fellows insane, and were
they to come to Austin and locate
their vlllainous Vaccinations in this
community the STATESMAN would not
hesitate to urge riddance of them
at any cost, There Is method
ia their hellish madness. They
have stolen into Bell county and
invaded withstheir-wretched doctrines
happy homes and have uprooted social
and family relations. They have in
short time destroyed peace and love
in a. score--of famalies. Wives have
been imbued with the widest fanati-
cism, and have abandoned husbands
and homes to join these wretches, and
have become, 1t is said, their spiritual
aud personal property. Mrs. Pratt, a
pretty but weak woman, was led to
utterly reject her husband; Mrs.
Henry, the susceptible wife of an
old and highly respected citi-
zen, was also made their victim;
and Mrs. Rancier, heretofore
model wife, became their willing tool;
snd then, Mrs. McWhorter, of a family
of high responsibility, was allured inte
the snares OF these wretched villains,
aud her husband and children were.
left to utter gloom. These and many.
other women have gone down, at the
bidding of the Sanchficstionists, to
disgrace. Bill county has many
sins as we have shown, to answer for,
but In this instance let rs regret only
a fact, r,flecting at the same time,
that almost any community would
have treated these rascals as the peo-a
pie of Bell treated horse thieves. -