The Brookhaven leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1883-1891, 1883-09-13
NuOb-I.aw Tn Kinds.


last week two negroes who we're YET
in that state of ignorance and SUI
perstition which has faith in conju-
ration, conceived the idea Of digging
up a grave at Auburn, in the above
named county, to supply themselves
with human copjure bones" They
had no design on any particular
grave, it seems, but, as it happened
struck upon that of a Mrs. Hattie
Howell. lady who had been buried
about two years, and from her re-
mains, they supplied themselves with
the particular bones desired. The
grave robbery was soon discovered,
the negroes tracked up and captured
and confessed their crime, (the OK
treme penalty Ct which, we will re-
mark BY the way, is fixed ih Camp
bells Code at 5 years Imprisonment
in the penitentiary). 1t happened
that the deceased lady had some hot
blooded relatives, and now we come
to
TIE CoMPoUNDINs OF LAwLE5sNEss
AND CRIME.
These men wanted to shoot the ne
groes on sight, but wiser counsel
prevailed. Col Calvin Wells, a big
lawyer OF Raymond, leading and
influential citizen of Kinds county,
and not long since, if our memory
does not fail Us, a prominent mem
Der of the County Democratic Ex-
ecutive. Committee, told tie hot
blooded young men aforesaid this
would never do. Said, he eff you dc
this, you lay yourselves liable and
the law will get hold Of you, sure.
Just wait till the negroes undergo a
preliminary trial, are sentenced and
started to jail at Raymond, and then
you can have mob of young fellows
ready, over-awe the guard, and on
the way the prisoners can be lost
or allowed to escape and the law
will never touch YOU" He illustra
ted the truth of what he said by a
war anecdote, his advice was adopted,
and the sequence was, one OF the ne
groes was hung by the mob raised,
and the other riddled with bullets
trying to make his escape after he
saw what was coming.
We have been told the above by
one OF a party of gentlemen to
whom Col. Wells related his shame
full connection with this infamous
affair with as much self-com-
placent gusto as if it were something
of which to feel proud AS Col. w
is a lawyer and a man of intelligence
he will at once realize upon refec-
ton how far he is legally and morally
responsible for the blool of these
helpless prisoners, one of whom was
in his seventies, with hair of almos:
snowy wilderness.
We desire to call Judge Warriors
attention to these statements, SO
that if there is any disposition to
enforce civil the law in Kinds against
lynch law murderers, he can instruct
the next grand jury with whom to
begin.
A few nights after the above af-
fair, some young men followed ne
gro who had already been punished
according to law at Utica for mi
ror offense and was leaving the town,
dragged him from the cars at Adams
Station, and proceeded to repunish
MIN according to law of their own.
Our inf prmant does not state wheth-
er Col. Wells counseled this or not,
but it is fair to presume he would
have done so.
What shall we say of the observ-
ance of law in Mississippi when
this condition of affairs exists in her
empire county, the hub of the
State, the home of the Governor, Cir
cult JudgH, State Officers, half
dozen newspapers, and other moral
Influences? Kinds, the land of Fusion
and pure delight, which should be as
a city set upon hill? 1t seems to
us it is getting about time Governor
Lowry were exercising the power
vested in him to put a check on
mob-law. Not many grants
will rush to Mississippi until better
protection is offered to life and liber-
ty than they now see.
THE Independents of Lawrence
comfy held a meeting on the Oth,
and apDOinted a county executive