The Washington critic., 1888-05-26
JUDGE LYNCH"
The Fine Old virgininn who First Pop
u1arized Swift RetrIbutlou.

The Fine Old Virgininn who First Pop
u1arized Swift RetributIon.
Says the Lynohburg (va.) correspon-
dent of the Inter Ocean! While chatting
with an old antiquarian in his cool library
this afternoon, casually inquired how
this town came by its peculiarly sug-
gestive name. "Did the original judge Of
dreadful fame ever live here9" asked.
Eyes, he did," replied the old gentle
man, with frightening eyes that revealed
delight in the topic. Judge Lynch might
fairly be called the founder ofthe city,
and it makes me angry to see all these
newspaper stories, not only locating him
in other States, but condemning his mode
of procedure as Infamous and brutal"
"Then you believe in the summary
method of dealing with sinful men 2'
"Not so fast, young lady, not so fast
said the fine old Virginian, smiling. III
will tell you the story just as l had IL
from my grandfather, who was proud of
his acquaintance with that shrewd ferry.
man who wiped the crime of horse
stealing, for which the State was growing
famous, right out. Why, Virginians
were notorious for their love of other
mems horses, and even taught the trade
of acquiring them to the Cherokeos and
Chickasaws, much to the disgust and
SnuIne Oh tllc DeJIcT ClhS5 Oh UlLlLeOS.
"When was this?" queried your corre-
spondent.
mot long before the Revolutionary
War, and at that time there were quite
number of that splendid race, the Scotch
Irish, settled here. Shrewd and bravo,
cautious, yet daring, dashing, but pru-
dent, honest and energetic, every man of
them proved great blessing to the set
tlement, and not q few became famous,
such as General Andrew Jackson, James
X. Polk, John Calhoun, Sam. Houston,
David Crockett, Robert Fulton, Patrick
Bronte, and later Robert Bonner, A. T.
Stewart, and Horace Greeley. These
names come most readily to mind, but
there is still another generation of them,
including ex-President Arthur and 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
| courageous. One day, in rambling about
the head of James River, he found gap
in the mountains on either side of the
water, which, it struck him, would make
a capital crossing point for travellers, and
forthwith he drove his proprietory stake,
and shortly after, with few logs and q
sCow, established primitive ferry. The
horse-thieves were among the first to take
advantage of the new convenience, and
| young Lynch, himself scrupulously hon
est was disgusted and humilated at hav-
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 the stock
dealers, and John Lynch, thoroughly
aroused, proposed to put an end to it"
"What could he do single-handed
"Well, l will tell you what he actually
did. He applied to the Governor Of Vir.
ginia for a commission to act as justice
ofthe peace. His reputation for honesty
and good judgment was beyond doubt
aud his commission was granted He
was. qualified and became Judge. The
first use he made of his power was to ap
point some special constables and engage
a few sharp detectives. They at once be
gan work with such success that gang
after gang was captured"
"Did they have no trial?"
"Yes. They were brought before judge
Lynch, and he never acted until he wa
positive oftheir guilt, and his knowledg,
Of the men and the country was an i'm
mense advantage to him.
"If he found them guilty he would, ac
cordiDg to the law, require good bond
which, of course in those days THE
|
complied with would start them off, wei
guarded, 10 some far-away Jail. The con
stables knew what the order of marcl
meant and as soon as they found them
selves in thick wood chose a stout tree
and with good rope which they carried
created temporary scaffold, from which
the horse thieves quickly dangled. Hang
ing was the legal punishment for hors
stealing in those days, but the prompt
ness and dispatch with which Judg
Lynch meted out justice at their very doc
terorized the evil-doers of the. country
and between those he hung and thos,
who fled, in two. years there was not
horse thief in Virginia"
"And what became of Judge Lynch p
"He continued to live near the ferry
round which large village grew NJ
under the name of Lynch's Ferry, ant
not until long after his death did it be
come Lynchburg. During his life lyncl
law was honored and upheld. but sine
then it has altogether lost It's origina
character and meaning. Now, as un
derstand it, it is merely the infuriatet
impulse of rough mob, who, withou
waiting for the law at hand to prove in
nocence or guilt, decide on it accordin
to their own inclination, and take q lif
perhaps more unblemished than thei
own.
NO" concluded the old gentleman
"John Lynch did this State service il
Kidding 1t ofa lot of miscreants, whom
but for him, were out of the reach of tn
law; but were he living no one would b
quicker than he to resent this barbarou
mob fashion of putting man to suddel
death when the law, the courts, tn
prison and the scaiIold are close at han
to mete out justice and punishment"