The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-04-03
MOB Law IN MISSOURI
Rev, Nj. Wiley RsOAlls m Incident In his
Own LiFO-A Local Application,
IN Lhs EIlOF Of Lks Inieuf1enreF,

TO the Editor Of ne IBieltGeHcer:
sIR;-Haying been frequently reques.
ted to publish an account Of my perse.
cutions in Missouri, l therefore wish to
present to the public through the col,
umns Of your paper, a plain statement
Of an affair which took place in Cass
county, No., in 1855. In the providence
OF God and the arrangement OF the
Methodist Episcopal church, Twas called
10 preach on the HaTrisonville circuit, /
e%ndeaVored to discharge my duty as a
minister, teaching nothing but those
truths which make wise unto salvation,
and having nothing to do with the yex.
ing questions Of the day. | had labored
thus on the above circuit for a period OF
seven months, tho blessing Of God at
tending my labors and nothing occur
ring TO mar the peace between me and
my people. On Thursday, July 90,
while peaceably pursuing my way along
the public road, l was OYertaken by two
men on horsebaCk-one OF them known
as Colonel WOrley-who addressed mt
some impident questions respecting
where ! was going, and finally in
formed me that | had been aC-
Cused OF melting slaves TO escape,
aud Of preaching abolition doctrine, and
that | must r. turn with them 10
Harrlsonyille and have the charges in
V~estigated. This conversation they in'
terlaTded with the most profane Oaths
that could fall from human lips, pro-
tested against their right to stop me
there on the public highway, when the
aforesaid Colonel Morley leaped from
his horse aud began fumbling about his
person as II feeling for o pistol. After
further parley, ! informed them that, in.
OsmuCh as l was entirely innocent Of
the charges alleged, | did not fear a fair
investigation and would accompany
them 10 Jacksonville for that purpose.
Just Us we turned to so buck, sixteen
more men, mounted, made their appear
anCe. We stopped at cabin on the
prairie for supper, where the bottle was
freely passed and | received the most in
sulting treatment, being asked to drink
and made the subject OF obscene Jest and
horrld oaths. We reached Harrison.
vile about twelve o'clock at night, and
/ was taken to q hotel and q guard oil
three men placed over me during the
night, us II l had been the greatest
criminal. The next morning | was
waited on by three men, who informed
me that they were appointed a commit
tee TO search my objects in ordertoascer
tain il had any abolition documents
Tho committee was composed oil Rev. Mr,
Allen, Mr.. Bailey and the proprietor
OF the hotel where l was confined. They
searched everything l had, examined
my Bible aud hymn book, and read my
private letters carefully, but they could
ubstantiate theircharges
While this examination was In progress
o meeting was called at the court house
and l could hear some person delivering
what seemed to be u very intlammatory
speech:N After awhile q committee com
posed Of DR.. Hansbraugh, Colonel Wor
ley and Rev. Mr.. Allen came to inform
me that | was wanted ut the court house
l accompanied them and found abouI
two hundred men, the most Of whom
were Of u low class, for | will do thu
community the Justice 10 say that very
few REF peCtable persons participated II
these outrages. A certain DR.. Maxel sa'
as chairman O fthe meeting. After a cal
to order DR.. Hansbraugh rose and sale
that / had been accused OF aiding somt
negroes in running of, and had beer
preaching abolition doctrines and cir
culating abolition documents, and thai
It had been resolved as the sense OF tina
meeting that l leave the State in sever
days. / replied briefly that | protested
against their entire proceedings; ant
1 that with a fair investigation ! Coult
prove all their charges false, and chal
lenged them to such investigation tina
II had done anything contrary to Law
| held myself amenable to 1t, and wa
willing TO suffer It's penalties to the full
| was told by one OF the foremost in thu
matterthat the law was notstriCt enough
and they intended TO take II into tlieil
own hands, and that il / did not leave
the consequences would BIO on my owr
head.
This, sir, is but a brief statement o
tho manner in which ! was treated or
American BOIL ny ptIsuu5 Chilluk Iueui
selves American citizens. The name o.
Missouri was disgraced by bands Of out
laws, for certainly men thus acting car
be termed nothing else. And yet nc
effort was made by the Democratic au,
thorities OF the law to relieve her from
mob law. Whit a contrast do such pre-
ceedings form to the genius Of our insti
tutions and the spirit Of l776? Can thil
be called a land Of liberty II such a STATE
of affairs Is allowed to continue in any
State in this Nation, where men art
mobbed and shot down for simply opin'
ion sake? Now, Mr.. Editor, the SAINT
spirit that mobbed me from Missouri II
at work in this State led on by the Bour,
bon Democracy to deprive the Republi'
cans Of their legally elected Governor;
but they die hard, and the time will
! soon come, and may God hastenthe day,
The commercial interests OF the State
demands the time when, through the
ballot box, "thou art weighed In thu
balances and found wanting" will bC
written over tho Democratic household
in West Virginia. w. II. WILEY.
p1L1lius ~ IN JnrH 1.