The Press., 1884-07-17
JUDGE LYNCH.
A TRUE STORY OF THE GREAT REGULATOR

JUDGE LYNCH.
 TRUE STORY OF THE GREAT REGULATOR
 A correspondent of the Chicago Inter Ocean, writing from Lynchburg, Va. says
 While chatting with an old antiquarian in his cool library, I casually inquired how this town came by it's peculiarly suggestive name. "Did the original judge of dread full fame ever live here p asked.
 "Yes, he did," replied the old gentle man with brightehing eyes that revealed delightin the topic. "Judge Lynch might fairly be called the founder of the city, and it makes me angry to see all these news. paper stories, not only locating him in oth. CT states, but condemning his mode o1 procedure as infamous and brutal"
 "Then you believe in the summary method of dealing with sinful men ?"
 "Not 80 fast, young man not so fast, J said the fine old Virginian, smiling. q will tell you the story just as I had it from my grandfather, who was proud of his ac quaintance with that shrewd ferrymaD who wiped the crime of horse-stealing, fo1 which the state was growing famous, right out. Why, Virginians were notorious for their love of other mems cattle, and even taught the trade of acquiring them to the Cherokees and Chickasaws, much to the disgust and shame of the better class ot citizens"
 "When was this ?" queried your cores pondent.
 "Not long before the Revolutionary war, and at that time there were quite a num- Der of that splendid race, the Scotch Irish, settled here. Shrewd and brave, cautious yet daring, dashing but prudent, honest and energetic, every man of them proved a great blessing to the settlement, and not few became famous, such as General An drew Jackson, James K. Polk, John Cal houn, Sam Houston, David Crockett, Rob- ert Fulton, Patrick Bronte, and, later, Robert Bonner, A. T. Stewart and Horace Greeley. These names come most read. fly to mind, but there is still another gen. eratiOn of them, including President Ar. thur and our coming president, James G. Blaine"
 "And the Lynches ?" ventured.
 "Were from the same stalwart stock, and settled in Prince William county. There were four boys in the family, and one of them, John Lynch, was bright, quick young fellow and remarkably coura. geous. One day in rambling about the head of the James river he found gap in the mountains on either side of the water, which it struck him would make 8 capital crossing point for travellers, and forthwith he drove his proprietary stake, and short. ly after, with few logs and an old scow, established a primitive ferry. The horse thieves were among the first to take ad. vantage of the new convenience, and young Lynch, himself scrupulously hon. est, was disgusted and humiliated at hay. ing to take them across. At this time the country was sparsely settled, courts were few, and jails far apart. The evil contin. ued to increase finally the ferry became the favorite means of escape for stealers, and John Lynch, thoroughly aroused, pro- posed to put an end to it."
 "What could he do single-handed? ?"
 s'Well, l will tell you what he actually did.
 He applied to the governor of Virginia for commission to act as justice of the peace. His reputation for honesty and good judgment was beyond doubt, and his commission was granted. He was qualified and became judge. The first use he made of his power was to appoint some special constables and engage few sharp detectives. They at once began work with such success that gang after gang were captured"
 "Did they have no trial ?"
 "Yes. They were brought before Judge Lynch, and he never acted until he was positive of their guilt, and his knowledge of them and the country was an immense advantage to him. If he found them guilty he would, according to the law, re- quire a good bond, which, of course in those days g thief could never get, and when that form was compiled with, would start them of well guarded to some far away jail. The oonstables knew what the order to march meant, and as soon as they found themselves in thick wood, chose g stout tree, and with good rope which they carried, created temporary scaffold from which the horse-thieves quickly dangled. Hanging was the legal punish ment for horse stealing in those days. but the promptness and despatch with which Judge Lynch meted out justice at thei, very door terrorized the evil-doors of the country, and between these he hung and those Whp lied, in two years there was moi a horse-thief in Virginia"
 "And what became of Judge Lynch ?"
 "He continued to live near the ferry round which large village grew up un der the name of Lynch's Ferry, and moi until long after his death did it become Lynchburg. During his life lynch law was honorea and upheld, but since then ii has altogether lost it's original character and meaning, Now, aa I understand it. i1 IS merely the infuriated impulse of rough mob, who, without waiting for the law al hand to prove innocence or guilt, decide on 1t according to their own inclination and take life perhaps more unblemished than their own. Mo-" concluded the old gentleman, "John Lynch did his state services in ridding it of lot of miscreants' whom, but for him, Were out of the reach of the law, hut were he living, TT no one would be quicker than he to resent this