Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-01-24

A Southern Paper Makes Strong Pro.
test Against Mob Law.

From the Mobile Register
The poor woman who was assaulted near
Birmingham, and who has our profoundest
sympathy, did not say positively that the negro
brought before her for Identification was the
one who committed the assault upon herself
and who murdered her little son. She at first
said that he looked like the assailant. She
then said that he stopped more than the assail-
ant. She went 80 far as to say that if this was
not the assailant, he was twin brother to the
assailant. At no time did she say he was the
man. The mob were clamorous for her to
make decisive admittance. She failed to do
so. The negro all the time denied his guilt.
The mob were anxious for q victim. They
waited over night, and then, one of the mob,
boider than the rest, threw a lasso over the
head OF the victim, and then, the tigers having
smelt blood, dragged him off to a tree. Deny
ing the guilt all the time, the victim went to
death, and when he was past all need for VEN
gence, man of the mob proposed that they
shoot bullets into the human being whose soul
was crossing the threshold of eternity. And
then five hundred
BULLETS WERE FIRED INTO THE DYING MAN.
What glorious fuslade that was for men
whose kindred held muskets at Shiloh and Get
tysburg. But perhaps their kindred did not
hold muskets there. 1t is a singular fact that
the brutes who led mobs in peace were the first
to run in battle. He was nothing but n niger.
He had no rights which the mob were bound to
respect. He had no right to claim the benefit
OF the least doubt He was guilty from the
time he was caught He was simply gutter
rat caught by the terriers, and they had right
to bite, choke, stake, torture and kill him at
pleasure. There was no other purpose in his
presence on earth. He was intended to make
a Birmingham holiday. What better subject
was there for butchery? He had no friends.
He was simply dirty, brutal niger, who had
no position on earth to fill and whose creation
was a mistake.
This last Birmingham mob was perhaps the
most unreasonable mob that has disgraced this
young city. If this negro had been guilty the
courts would have declared so very promptly
There is no escape for q negro without friends,
without money in such case. We have laws.
officers and courts to meet such q case. Then
WHY THE NECESSITY FOR LYNCH LAW,
especially in a case where the chief witness was
not positive? The truth is that the mobs are
generally led by brutal white men who should
themselves be behind the bars Of a peniten-
tlary-by men like the poor drunken creature
who at Birmingham assumed the name of one
OF Mobiles best citizens to incite the people to
riot and violence. 1t is true that large num-
Der of the disOrderly element of Birmingham
are northern men, and that many OF them are
ex-convicts, but it is also true that many of the
mob are southern men who know their duty to
society. We say to Birmingham, in the name
of civilization and law, that this thing must be
stopped. If it is not stopped the commercial
welfare OF Birmingham and the good name of
Alabama will be blasted. Our people are not
savages and brutes. We ere law-abiding and
God-fearing people and we will not permit
handful Of incarnate fiends to defy the law and
bring disgrace upon our authorities. The peo-
pie of Alabama will stand by Governor Seay if
he will ferret out the leaders of this last mob
and bring them to justice. What is the use of
having good and brave sheriff like Smith, of
Jefferson. if he is not to be held up in his
efforts to sustain the law, unless he has the
practical sympathy and support of the authori-
ties.
1T IS SHAMEFUL THING
to see the craven-hearted officers of the law,
exhibiting fear Of mobs, and even sympathiz-
ing with and aiding them. 1t is equally shame
full to see people looking with indifference
upon attempts to condemn sheriff for doing
his duty. In such state of official cowardice
and popular disregard of law, it is not surpris-
ing to see a new mob following in the footsteps
OF the late mob and taking the law in its own
hands. Oh, it was only niger, and perhaps
they caught the right niger! Did not the
mob intimate that even if their Niger was not
guilty of this offense he had been recognized
by some one Of the five hundred judges, who
composed the mob, as a niger who was sus-
pected OF a similar crime on some former occa-
sion. That was sufficient. What more would
any reasonable southerner want? Away with
him to the tree, and shoot his carcass through
with five hundred heightened bullets-all com
ing from the Threats of five hundred brave pis-
tolls buckled around that noble mob to defend
themselves against the officers of the law. II
Jefferson county and Birmingham do not put a
stop to lawlessness they will ruin themselves
and disgrace the fair name of Alabama.