The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1889-10-31
THE LEXINGTON LYNoHINa.
The Statewide Landmark Discusses a Pc
ouliar Phase of the Case.

Inc 0Catev1lle Landmark Discusses q Pe-
ouliar Phase of the Case.
Whether a man being lynched is
any the gamer for being lynched by
pious mob is open to question if he
is, the man Berrier, who was put to
death at Lexington last week, was for
tunate in his murderers. We are told
that when the Philadelphia drummer
asked leave to pray for the victim,
the leader of the mob-a man by the
name of Daniels, AS stated by the
Raleigh &gnaL-told them all to
knesi down. This they did and
some Of the people Frustrated them
selves on their faces. The drummer
prayed rs if inspired aud at the proper
places the executioners would send up
loud 'Amens' and God grant it, and
Lord have mercy Oh his SOUL and
other exclamations of like nature"
As the drummer sang "Where is my
wandering boy tonight" there was
not a dry eye in the multitude" who
stood under the glare of their torches
with guns in their hands around the
oak. 'Other prayers were made and
the religious fever reached white
heat" "Men prayed aud exhorted
who were never known before to call
upon God except to blaspherne and
take his name in vain. One exhorter
prayed that God would receive Ber-
rier at once into Paradise and
great shout Of approval went up"
The religious exercises continued more
than two hours, and a correspondent
of the Ne,os and Observer says "My
blood seemed to chill as heard 90 up
from the throats Of this sacriligious
mob such songs as 'Jeses Lover of
My Soul,' Rock of Ages Cleft for
Me, Am l a Soldier of the Cross, etc "
Altogether the performance was
one OF semi-barbarians. Note the logic
of the mob; their hanging the man
was an assertion of their belief
that he was not fit to live in this world,
and yet they pleaded at the throne of
grace that he might he made par
taker of the glories of Heaven. They
called upon God to grant him mercy
while they denied mercy to him, de,
priving him of "this life of mortal
BREADTH" and prayed the while that
he might be received into life eternal.
Well might the murderer (scriptural
text being in order) have declared un-
to the master of ceremonies as he and
his compatriots protracted his agony
that they might feed their morbid ap-
petltes upon him, as Paul declared
unto Ananias the high priest God
soall smite thee, thou whited wall"
IL is no new thing to steal the livery
of heaven to serve the devil in, and
this is not the first murder that was
ever inaugurated with I'm the name
Of God. amen" Dut while one reads
in .'Old Mortality" of condition o
religious frenzy in the highlands o.
Scotland in the days of the Covenant
ers which might have begotten such g
transaction as this of last week, one
actually reads of no such transaction
and it is weird, fantastic and incon
gruous beyond compare when read in
an American journal of to-day.
The Raleigh Signal asks, "WIll the
solicitor, Mr.. Long, do his duty p
He will. The Signal, if it knew him
would not ask the question but with
the doing of his duty the matter viii
practically end. These devout, mild
hammered murderers will never b.
brought to Justice.