The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1882-06-22
rHE LAMRENCE LYNCHING.

The recent lynching at Lawrence de-
serves more than n passing notice. The
growing frequency Of such scenes
throughout The country is an alarming
symptom; and that such a thing should
bc tolerated nj Lawrence, 1.-THE city Of
schools and churches, and the seat of our
great University" makes one ieci as if
the foundations were indeed giving
way.
The facts Of the case are fresh in the
public mind. The body Of a murdered
man was found in the river. Following
up certain indications, the two men who
committed thc murder were captured
and lodged in Jail, The police also ar
rested Two notorious characters, Pete and
Sister Vinegar as accomplices.
About midnight on Friday, June o, n
company of masked men went to the
Jail, demanded admission and secured il,
took out the three men
and hung them to the bridge. The men
were sure of conviction and sure of pun
ishmcni, and there was not shadow of
excuse for the lynching beyond what
exists In every case of murder. II was
high handed outrage which deserved
tho scvorcst condemnation of every law
loving citizen.
IL is sometimes asked: "lf these men
deserved their punishment, what does it
matter whether they received it at the
hands of mob or ut the hands of the
court ?" Society has adopted n method
of asccrtainIng and furnishing guilt.
The mob method is arcturn to the ways
of the lowest harbarism. In this case
the guilt was clear But uladdened
mob never inquiries closely rs To cvi-
dcncr Suspicion is just as good as
proof when mob once starts. A few
months since there was n most brutal,
unprogoked murder committed in EN-
poria. IL excited intense indignation,
and there was n plot to lynch the muir
dcrer The officers, however, managed
10 foil the lynchers. At the eXamina-
tion it was asccrtaincd beyond a ques-
ton that the man was insane, and he
was sent to the asylum. Had the mob
caught him, they would have torn in
pieces poor lunatic. Little loss" you
say. Perhaps so, rs far rs the man was
concerned, but his slaycrs would be
bloody men TO the day of their death.
In Kansas city short time since, a
foul crime was committed and man
arrested for 1t. The mob took the man ar
rested and dragged him through the
streets, jumped on him; kicked him, and
finally killed him amid scene Of howl
ing disorder which would have dis
graccd a troop of cannibals. If the
widest Indian tribe should be as brutal
To n prisoner, there would he "a general
demand for their determination. After
all was done, il was found that the man
was innocent. The wrong man had been
killed. But then the mob never stops
for such trihes us this. They had their
sport, they had gratifed their thirst for
blood, and somebody had been killed,
they cared little who it might he,
There is nothing so blind and brutal
As mob Tho law is slow and some
times makes mistakes, but the most
poorly executed laws are infinitely bet
ter and safer than the rule of mob of
midnight madmen. At Lawrence they
are fearing retaliation from the colored
people. II is not strange they should.
They who sow the wind very naturally
expect the whirlwind.
II is hintcd that "some of the best
people Of Lawrence were in this" We
cannot believe it. Ii there were any
such people concerned in il, we are sor.
~ for them. We should think they
would want TO wear their masks contin.
ually to hide the shame of their faces,
We will guarantee them one thing; they
Will remember that bridge at mid.
night TO the last aud longest day of
their life, and the bowling Of the md
night wind will mean more To them
in the future than ever in the past.