The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-08-24
Rely Upon the Law.

| Etcly upon LILO lJdW.
/ Our dispatches a day or two ago con-
| tanned the announcement of the killing OF
| Capt. j. b. Kinney, tho leader of the Bald
| Knobhers of Southwest Missouri. Kinney
was shot by a man named Miles, who at
one time had been member of the Bald
knobber5' organization, aud who, having
failed in an attempt to supplant Kinney as
its leader, wit drew from it, and became
the latter's bitter enemy. The death Of
Kinney will doubtless result in the total
disbandment of the Bald Knobbers, whose
deeds of violence for many months have at
| tracted tie attention of the whole country.
Attention is drawn to the death of Kinney
for one purpose only, and that is to empha-
size the fact that organizations outside of
the law, which have Tor their object the
suppression of crime and the punishment
OF criminals, become, as rule, dangerous
to society, and are greater evils than the
law-breakers against whom they originally
intended to afford protection. There are
times when in localities lynch law seems to
be almost a necessity, but whenever it is
resorted to there is grave danger that more
harm than good will follow.
For twenty years the Ozark region of
Southwestern Missouri was the scene of out
RACES and crimes of one kind and another.
Murder after murder was committed, and
the perpetrators of them were not punished.
The officials of the different counties were
either inefficient, or were Indifferent about
performing their duties. 1t was during
this condition of affairs that the organize
tinr, xx-ti Oh h. DnI
Knobbers was formed. At the head of it
was Capt. Kinney, wealthy farmer. He
was known to be brave man, and it was
thought that he was IA thoroughly honest
one. He had suffered greatly at the hands
of the outlaws. His cattle had besn killed
and his barns burned.
The organization was a secret one, and no
one was permitted to become member of
it until he had given ample proof of his
fidelity and trustworthiness. At first out
laws were caught and hung, and then the
officials of the different counties were Sc
cretly informed that the manner in which
they had been discharging their duties WAS
about to be investigated. The officials were
greatly alarmed, and county records which
were supposed to contain proof of wrong
doing mysteriously disappeared. In at least
one instance a court house was buried for
the purpose, it was alleged, of destroying
evidences of crime.
The Bald Knobbers brought about
much better condition of affairs in the
region in which they operated Having
performed their work, they ought to have
disbanded. This they did not do. They
rather liked to exercise the extraordinary
power which their secret and complete
organization gave them, and under the in
fluence of few bad advisers, they began
to punish those against whom their men,
bers had private grievances. Homes were
invaded in the dead Of night, and men and
women were numerically whipped In
some instances, where resi,tance was shown
they were shot to death. In the
course of a few months there was
a reign of terror in the whole
Ozark region. At last the outrages of the
Bald Knobbers became so unbeara BILE that
there was a general outcry against Them
The power of the state and national gov
erDmerts was used through the courts to
arrest and punish them, and to break up
their organization. So vigorous was the
prosecution that $50 of them were arrested
Some were fined others were sent to the
penitentiary for long terms, and several are
yet to be tried for murder.
Very little moro, perhaps, will be heard
of the Bald Knobbers outside of the counties
i'll which their crimes were committed. The
history Of their organization, however,
conveys a lesson that should be needed all
over the country. 1t proves that lynch law
should be frowned upon by all good citi-
zens, and that secret organizations for the
suppression of crime should receive no en-
enlargement The safety of every Or
ganized community is in rigid enforce
ment of the law.