The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1890-04-17
LEXINGTON IS MAD.
Governor Richardson Arouses an Indigna-
tion Meeting-A Negro Condemned to
Hang for an Outrage Respited.
T Especial to Augusta Chronicle.


Especial to Augusta Chronicle
COLUMBIA, S. c., April ll.-The
citizens of Lexington are mad as hor-
nets.
The reason lies in the fact that VIII
lie Lcaphart, who was to hand there
to-day for criminally assaulting Miss
Rosa Cannon last January has been
respited by the Governor until May 8.
If Leaphart were still in Lexington
there would be lynching, but the
anger Of the citizens is intensified by
the fact that last night he was spirited
away and now lies in the Richllnd
jail.
HERE IS HOW 1T HAPPENED.
Attorney Graham, of Lexington,
procured an affidavit, the contents OF
which have not been made public, pre-
sented it to Judge Wallace, who IS
holding court in Columbia, and who
endorsed it as follows:
"By reason of the above affidavit, l
respectfully recommend that the SEN
tence of Willie Leaphart be suspended
until a motion for new trial can be
made, and that in the meantime the
prisoner be confined in the county Jail
at Columbia"
TWAS DONE.
Upon reading this the Governor
ordered the respite, and sent secret IN
structions to Sheriff Drafts TO bring
Leaphart here last night, which was
successfully accomplished, though if
the citizens of Lexington had had the
faintest intimation of what was going
on the sheriff would have had dead
negro on his hands. This morning
when Lexingtonians awoke and dis
covered how they had been outwitted
they made the atmosphere sulphurous
with anathenlaS against Governor
Richardson and Attorney Graham.
| Two of them visited the Governor this
afternoon and he explained that bis
action was based entirely on the judge $
recommendation, and that he could
not possibly have done otherwise.
IMPROMPTU lNDIGNATIoN MEETING.
At noon the citizens of Lexington
held an impronptu indignation meet
ING, and unanimously adopted the fol-
owing preamble and resolutions:
Whereas, One Willie Leaphart, who
grossly violated the chastity of young
lady of this community, Miss Rosa
Cannon, was given fair and impartial
| trial at the last term Of court for this
! county, and was convicted upon such
| direct, positive and unimpeachable
testimony as to elicit from Judge Wal
lace. while sentencing him to be hanged
| the admonition that "you Willie Leap
hart, had as we'll put your past behind
YOU and think only Of the future, tor
| YOU will be hanged as certain as fate, u
and sentenced him to be hung April
II, 1890, his honor's language showing
his own deep conviction ofthe fairness
of the trial, the Righteousness OF the
verdict and the certainty of the prlso-
ner's doom on the appointed day; and,
Whereas, public opinion IN most
unqualified way approved of the sent
ence of the court, and confidently re-
| lied upon the execution of the same,
and
Whereas, J. P. Richardson, Governor
of our State, having declined to inter-
fere with the sentence Of the court upon
the petition of some Of the colored
citizens Of the county, and having in
formed Sheriff Drafts Of his decision,
but having on the evening Of the 10th
inst. informed the Sheriff by a letter
conveyed through private hands that
the prisoner had been respited until
May 8, 1890, and instructed tie Sheriff
to convey the prisoner during that
night secretly, if practicable, to Rich
land jail, and the Sheriff having
obeyed the Governors instructions,
therefore be it
Resolred, That We, the citizens Of
Lexington County, in mass meeting,
denounce the action of the Governor
set forth in the foregoing preamble, as
premium for lawlessness and the
highest crime known to humanity, not
alone in the most law-abiding, peace
full and conservative county Of the
State, but throughout her entire do
main, and an outrage against that un-
! written law, which stands higher than
anv statute known to the Anglo-SaXon
race; that we, a h!gh-toned, law-abiding
and conservative people, unwilling to
tolerate such subversion of the inhe-
rent rights Of freemen, and such an
outrage upon our pride in the chastity
of those who are to become mothers of
future generators, demand Of our
public servant, Governor J. P. Richard
son, the return Of the prisoner to the
custody of the Sheriff of Lexington
County, for prompt execution of the
sentence of the law.
tl,a al, Nf III iC
meeting appoint a committee of four
teen to wait on Governor Richardson
promptly and submit this preamble
and these resolutions TO him with such
further information as they may deem
proper.
Resolved, That the committee be
instructed to ask the Governor for a
copy of all petitions and papers pertain
ing to this matter on file in his office,
or which be may have in his posses
sion.
Resolved, That the committee be
requested to report the action and the
result Of its investigation to a public
meeting to be called to meet at this
place on Saturday, 18th inst, at 10
o'clock p. M.
Resolred, That a committee OF two,
w. B. Seav and F. C.. Caughman,
wait on Sheriff Drafts and invite him
to be present at the meeting to be
held on the 18th inst, and to bring with
him all papers, documents, communi-
cations aud all information he may
have in regard to this matter.
Tho resolutions were seconded by
speeches by Col. Ningard and others.
Aspirit ofquiet, manly determination
and a feeling of the deepest indigna-
ton characterized the meeting.
THE PRISONER RETURNED TO THE
LEXINGTON JAIL.
[Specialto to the Greenville News.]
COLUMBIA, S. c., April 12.-Willie
Lcaphart was to-day taken back to
Lexington. A committee Of Lexington
citizens appointed at the meeting yes
terday visited the Governor to-day.
They stated that they could not under