The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1880-11-25
THE NEGRO RAv1sHEa.
Some Unexpected and Perplezing
Difficulties Cropping Out in
His Case.

0imcuities Cropping Gut in
His Case.
The only event of considerable
interest that is likely to transplre
In Circuit Court now sitting is the
bringing in of the indictment
against and the arraignment of Dan
Smlth, the Shoal creek fiend. Smith
IS still in the Nashville jail, where
he was taken by the sheriff to pre-
vent the insenced people of the vi
entity IN which he attempted his
helIsh deed from visiting their
wrath upon him summarily. Judge
McLemore, as appears from his
charge to the grand jury, upholds
Sheriff Arrowsmith in bis action of
removing Smith to Nashville. The
question of absorbing interest now
Is, will Smith be brought here at
this term for trial? 1t cannot be
answered yet. 1t is reported that
the witnesses against him will not
| appear at this term; because they
think If they do not appear and no
indictment is found, he will be
brought to Pulaski and released
and will then be out of the sherif's
hands and can be dealt with as he
deserves. We do not believe this
report. If the witnesses do not ap
pear and no indictment is found, he
will be released in Nashville, if at
all, and then he will be out of reach.
10
understand, until the Indictment is
lodged, and until the Witnesses ap
pear the grand jury can find no
bill, of course. 1t depends. there
fore, upon the promptness of the
witnesses to appear before the
grand jury as to whether or not he
will be brought here. We urge
them to come. The complaint has
been that the courts are too tardy
in such matters, but if action like
this is taken by the witnesses the
blame cannot be laid there. Smith
ought to be tried speedily and pun
ished severely. Sheriff Arrowsmith
did what he conceived to be his
duty in running him of, and now
he proposes to do as he is directed
by the court. Judge McLemore
approves his action, but will, unless
prevented, see that the law is adj
ministered swiftly and surely.
1t ls useless to conceal the fact
that grave approximations are enter
tanned here that Smith will be taken
upon his arrival and hanged by the
infatuated people of the country in |
which the crime was committed. |
We counsel against this, not on his |
account, for he more than deserves |
it; but the court is sitting with |
every appliance ready for his speedy
punishment, and if the law pro
poses to throw off it's hardness for
once and act swiftly, the people |
should lend it their aid, II is use
less to mince words here. however. |
The people demand Smiths trial
and punishment. II they are de-
layed for any reason, the conse
quences may be terrible. If they
are FASTENED, we believe the people
will allow the law to take its course.
Following is the charge of Judge
to the grand jury last
Monday upon this point:
l deem it my duty to make a
few remarks to the public. / have
heretofore had occasion to publicly
remark that you had had, since my
acquaintance with the county, good
sheriffs, and good jurors, and con-
that all guilty men had
been punished according to law.
But since the last term of my court
here, l am informed that the sheriff
of your county has had to rescue a
prisoner from the hands of a mob
determined to hang him, and to
send him to another county for
safe Excepting.
What l wish to say is, that mob
law is a remedy for nothing and an
of all evils. In civi
lied, law abiding community, like
yours las always been, it is an
on the face OF the
earth. There are only three lawful
modes of taking human life. One
is, in self-defense, when your own
life is in imminent peril. Another
Is, to prevent an atrocious crime,
such as rape or murder, when a
party is in the act OF perpetrating |
such crime. The other is, when
The executioner hangs a man for
crime, after indictment, lawful trial
and sentence by competent court.
Now, l am informed that many
Of the men engaged in this affair
are good men and ordinarily law
abiding men, and that they severely
censure the sheriff for his action
in the premises. Instead of blam-
ing the sheriff you ought to thank
him. If the man had been hung.
every man engaged in the hanging
would have been, in contemplation
Of law, committing murder. One
crime, however dark, does not justl-
fy another crime, When the sober,
second thought shall return, every
upright, honest man engaged in
hat affair will be thankful that the
GOODNESS of the sheriff prevailed
over the heated excitement of the
crowd. The sheriff simply did his
duty and ought to be commended
FOR it by all good men everywhere.
The courts are open and Giles
county juries have never yet failed
10 do their duty.
Hunting Buried Treasure.
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