The Russellville Democrat., 1881-12-01

look Oh with our hands folded and see the county bankrnpted by the expense of t:sslays. continuances, and changes of venue, to be followed f. nally by the acouittal or escape of men whose hands are red with the ninrder of our innocent citizens"
 The writer of this is no advocate of mob law. except in extreme cases, where justice cannot be administer ed in any other way. So far as our courts are concerned, the District Attorney does his duty efficiently and fearlessly. II criminals are not punished, it is not his fault. But murderers, by some means or other, go unpunished, and that fact is known to every one who has sense enough to know anything. For that reasen, good citizens, intelligent, law abiding men, have no regrets or condemnatioRs to utter, when a known guilty murderer has been hung by j mob, They ask them selves which is best for the country :: to have guilty murderers turne l loose upon the community or to have them hung by mob. It seems that ir Yell county, at least, they have come to the conclusion, with terri ble earncstness, that mob justice is better than no justice. The law says the murderer shall suffer death. The mob inficts nothing more than death upon him. He gets justice little out Of the regular channel, it is true, yet it is no less justice; and admin istered, too, without costs or delay. We should be sorry to think that these sovereign high courts of jus tice will become permanent and SUI percede the regular, lawful courts. They will, perhaps, exert a whole some influence, and one that will be felt everywhere it's influence is needed. When there are more speedy trials, fewer perjured witnes- ses, corrupt jury men, failures to pun ish the notoriously guilty, there will be fewer mobs. The people of Yell County are law abiding and peaceable, but it seems they deter mined upon two things; lst, That the county shall not be bankrupted for the benefit of guilty criminals; and 2d, That these guilty criminals shall not go unwhipped of justice. Justice--rude and irregular as it may be--is abroad in Yell county, and it has peacefully and quietly done it's work. Will it's sovereign voice be needed or will it be forced to speak agaln?
 The lifeless body of James F. Hol land hung undisturbed in the jail yard awaiting the coroner's arrival until l2 o'clock that day; and a brighter, more lovely November Sab /ath God or nature neyer sent up on the world. To stranger noth- ing was observable In Dardanelle to indicate that anything unusual had happened. Citizens stood on the street corners, as usual, there was no excltement: they talked quietly over the terrible blow that the arm of justice had stricken the night be- fore. The usual currents of life, social and religisas, on a Sabbath day, seemed not Tn the least disturb ed. The little children with shining, morning faces, ,tripped along the side walk on their way to Sunday school. The lover called on his sweet heart, and they walked or talked, or went buggy riding together. The street corner loafer and the habitual toper went in at the back door of the sa loon and got the usual Sunday morning drink. The changing of the village church bells swelling out upon the pure morning air, called together the believers in that Chris tian God who said,-so It is written ia the beginning of time, that "who- soever sheddeth mans blood by man shall his blood be shcd.p z.