The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-07-28
WYOMING'S SHAME.

When the people of Wyoming think of
the recent tragic affair at Sweetwater we
wonder if they do not feel little ashamed
not only of the deed, but of the community.
Lynchings are not infrequent occurrences.
They happen in old settled states, as well
as in new and sparsely settled territories.
There are more lynchings in Illinois, Mis-
souri,, Kentucky, and in pretty nearly any
| of the southern states, than in Montana,
Idaho, Nevada or New Mexico, where the
people are understood to be somewhat un
regenerate, more or less disregardful of
law, and inclined TO be rough and reckless
generally. Even in quiet, peaceful Salt
Lake city there has been a lynching in
broad day light. 1t may be to the discredit
of any community processing regard for
law that it will so far forget itself as to
adopt the methods of unorganized society,
but that the most aw-abiding communities
do sometimes forget themselves is true, and
in the heat eff excitement resolve them
selves into mobs and commit outrages
which appall them in their cooler moments
But this Wyoming business is entirely
different. The lynching was not the result
of temporary madness or sudden anger.
There was none of the mob spirit in it. The
man Averill and the woman Maxwell had
been branding other peoples cattle, and
the facts were generally knOwn-so well
known, in truth, that the offenders could
have readily been convicted of their crime
and punished IS the law directs, provided
there is any law in Wyoming. But the law
was not resorted to. No complaint was
lodged against the mavericSers.'' In
stead, the 9 best citizens - in the neighbor-
hood got together, and not IN the heat
of passion, but coolly and deliberately
planned the execution of the thieves, and.
with GOODNESS and deliberation, proceeded to
carry their scheme into effect, This is
not all These "best citizens did not
seek to hide their identity, but boosted of
their deed, and openly proclaimed that that
would be ''the policy pursued in the
future in dealing with cattle thieves The
defiance of the law and its officers was so
brazen and outrageous that the officials
were fairly shamed into making a show of
respecting the forms and decencies of the
statutes and civilization, and they ar
rested the lynchers who even then did not
deny their act, but, confessing their deed.
showed by their words and their acts that
they entertained not the least fear of pun
ishment. Nor will they be punished. They
knew that the law would not be made to
trouble them when they swung up the
crooked pair, and we are inclined to be-
lieve that any citizen or official who inter
ested himself in trying to bring the lynch
ers to justice and magnify the law would
find the county decidedly unhealthy as a
| place of residence.
Our neighbors have taken the initiative
towards forming state government, and
next winter will appeal to Congress for ad-
mission to the union. We suggest that
their appeal will not be likely to call forth
favorable response, with this lynching
incident fresh in the minds of Congress
men, and the hangmen and the community
in such complete sympathy in their disre-
spect for law and civilization that the
| lyEchers Of women are held in such high
esteem that nobody can be found to proceed
against them. Wyoming will not be re
garded rs prepared to assume the duties
and dignities of statehood when such an
occurrence as that of last week can happen
in one of her foremost counties, and little
or no effort be made to punish the guilty.