Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1884-10-24
The ORIGINAL JUDGE LYNCH,
How Justice was Once Ueted Out TO
virginia Horse Thieves.
tLvnchburg tVa.) Letter.

- -A''4'''i.r ~ a. iftt'l
While chatting with an old ANTIGUA
rian in his cool library this afternoon |
casually inquired how this town came
by It's peculiarly suggestive name. did
the original judge of dreadful fame ever
live hcrrs' asked.
Yes, he did," replied the old Vir-
g!nia gentleman, with Frightening ewes
that revealed d. light in the topic.
Judge Lynch might fairly be called the
founder OF the city, and it makes me
angry to see all these newspaper stories,
not only locating him in other states,
but condcmning his mode of procedure
as infamous and brutal.
Not long before the revolutionary
war. and at that time there were quite a
number of that splendid race, the Scotch
Irish, settled here. Shrewd and brave.
cautious, yet daring, dashing, but pru-
dent, honest and energetic The Lynches
were OF the same stalwart stock. They
settled in Prince William county.
There wire four boys in the
family, and one of them, John
Lynch was bright, quick young
fellow, and remarkably courageous. One
Gay i'll 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 a capi-
tai crossing point for travellers, and
forthwith he drove his proprietary stake,
and shortly after, with il few logs and
an old scow, established a primitive
ferry. The horse thieves were among
the first to take advantage of the new
convenience, and young Lynch, himself
scrupu!ouSly honest, was disguised and
Inundated at having to take them
across. AT this time the country was
sparscly settled, courts were few, and
lails far apart. The evil continued to
increase; finally the ferry became the
favorltc means of escape for the stock
stealcrS, and John Lynch, thoroughly
aroused, proposed to put an end to it."
What could he do single handedf"
Wei, will tell you what he actually
did. He applied to the governor of
Virginia for IL commission to act as
Justice of the peace. His reputation for
honesty and good judgment was beyond
a doubt, and his commission was
granted. lie was qualified, and became
a judge. The first use he made of his
power was to appoint some special con-
stables and engage few sharp detec-
tiycs. 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 the men and the country
was an immense advantage to him."
IF he found them guilty nc would,
according to law, require q good bond,
which, of course, in those DAYS. thief
could never get, and when that form
was complied with, would start them
OFT well guarded to some far-away jail.
The constablcs knew what the order to
march meant, and as soon as they found
themselves in a thick wood, chose stout
tree. and, with good rope, which they
carried, created temporary scaffold
from which the horse thieves quickly
danSled. Hanging was the legal pun
lshment for horse stealing in those DAYS,
but the promptness anC: dispatch with
which Judge Lynch meted out Justice at
the very door tcrrorized the evil-doers
Of the country and between those he
hung and those fed, in two years there
was not horsc thief in Virginia.
"And what became of Judge Lynchg"
"lie continued to live near the ferry.
round which a large village grew up
under thc name of Lynch's ferry, and
not until lcng after his death did it be-
come Lynchburg. During his life lynch
law was homo = and upheld, but since
then it has altogether lost its original
character and meaning. Now, as un-
derstand ii, it is merely the infuriated
impulse of a rough mob, who, without
waiting for the law at hand to prove in
nocence or guilt, decide on it according
to their own inclination and take a life
perhaps more unblemishCd than their
own. No." concluded the old gentle
man, John Lynch, did his state service
in Kidding it of lot of mscreants, who,
but for him, were out of the reach of the |
law, but were he living no one would be
quicker than he to resent this barbarous
mob fashion of putting man to sudden
death, when the law, the courts, the
prison and scaffold are close at hand to
mete out justice and punishment"