The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-12-10
MEMPHIS DAILY APPEAL.
MONDAY. :,, DECEMBER 10, 1899
A SHERIFFS ERROR.

A SHERIFFS ERROR.
The Sheriff is the arm OF the law II is
his duty to preserve the peace. Without
n sheriff, a courts DEGREES are impoient.
II is his function to arrest the maleiactor
and 10 hold him, subject to the orders OF
the courts alone. When the sheriff is i'm
efficient life and property are put in
jeopardy lie has nothing TO do with
questions OF Justice or mercy He must
do as the court commands, rs the law
directs, as his official bond guarantees.
Nevertheless, he should be man
OF discretion. lie should be able
accurately to perceive when, in the
execution of his trust, heroic measures are
impeatyely necessary. 10 elect n man
10 this responsible office because he is
merely very good fellow, Is frequently to
elect very great fool. The people Of
Birmingham aud Jefferson County, Ala,
are now doubtless disposed TO believe
they chose Joseph Smith for Sheriff. The
magnitude Of this misapprchcnsion is
rcycalcd in the number Of persons who,
last Saturday night fell victims 20 Sheriff
Smiths error Of Judgment Nine were
killed agd thirty wounded. The reports
are somewhat contradictory owing To tho
terrible confusion that prevails in Bir.
mingham, but it seems that on Saturday
night aargc crowd OF people had gathered
in a narrow street leading 90 the Jail
They were drawn there by the knowledge
that the Jail held the villain llawcs, nc.
cuscd OF the murlpr oi his wife and chill
drcn. During the day threats Of lynching
had been expressed freely, and the sheriff,
in order TO bcprrparcd Tor any emergency
had biyouackci in The jail With q number
of guards. In thus anticipating q possible
emergency ho bad shown commendablc
prudence, while the people in gathering
about the jail acted wholly contrary to a
spirit OF order. The muttcrIng, Of the
threat 10 lynch the prisoner had been
audible two days, but had grown louder
and more significant Saturday afternoon
when the body Of the murdered wife had
been discovered. The hours passed on,
and the crowd about the jail grew dcnscr.
At midnight II WIS still There. For what
was II there? Oul OF curiosity, some say.
Curio.iiy about what2 The people know
they could not see llawcs unless ihc jail
should be- demolished. DID they cx.
peCt this 10 occur or an attempt
to be- madc2 They must have
entertained such expectations. Mon
do not assemble In great thmngs ut mid
night on the public streets unless there boz
apowgriul motive II il the time when
people generally arr In bed. The Shcun
grew impatient, p,s,.bly tcrror-.trcken
To have abandoned his citadel would have
been t1havc invtcdaitack llcslojl Ia his
post aud commanded tho mob b. dspcr.c Or
70 keep beyond a certain line. Neither
command was ohcycd Up to This point
the sheriff had been wholly Ia the right.
and the crowd wholly In the wrong. Aud
at this point the Sheriff made hs fearful
error Had hc brcn a discreet man or d
s,rnlcgist lac might have frightened the
crowd. or ho might have waited until
the doors Of The jail had actually
been boncgcl hut hc rested upon hi.
order and WIS terribly prompt iu the exc
cution oi his threat 10 Ere II Is clcal
enough that be- Gr'd too quickly. hut II
was an error Of Judgment Tie prohabl,
Is not man Of more Than ordinary In
iclliggncc, with passions, whether Of ica
or Of anger, ca1ily aroused. The con
sequence wa. that Ia such q cribs Ibis u,
crction took wings. ani the prudence b
bal shown carly In lhc night WIS lost 70
what might have boon a spasm oi d,sprp
ton or Of fear, or possibly th
rocklcrncs Of challenged hray,
The awful r'sula Of the yoIlcy ,
lead that hurtcl out OF tho ia
windows seem NJ lint to have pa
nlyzcd the people, bat with ycTicria
morning there bcctmc manifested q ncrc
disposition for revenge on hc Part Of IN
populacc The ciyilauthou,y at once M
rendered TO the military power and ~
mingham Is nov practically unlcr ma
tlal law. II IL a fearful condition
things, and II Is jeplonblc that IL has bee
found necessary TO summon the soldiory
compel the popular respect for law n
sooner the enforcement o. the law shall
found In the hands Of the posse comilatu
the better will II be for the reputation
Birmingham.
l7-1f
THE COTTON CROP.
Bad weather has set In again after
period dry and excellent for cotton picI