The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1890-01-04
A SEVERE But NEEDED LESSON.
[speeial to the commercial

NHatlcctVH, DcC- -o.-lut OIOOUf
affair that took place in Barnwen this
morning cannot he designated as race
war entirely. For two years or more
the miscarriage OF justice in the courts
of this State has been the subject of
public comment. The most atroeious
and unprovoked murders have occur
red, and many of the murderers have
escaped either by fixing the juries or
by the liberal expenditure of money in
the employment of learned counsel.
Notorious instances of the kind have
occurred in Charleston, Edgefeld,
Barnwell, Abbeville, Lanrens and in
many other counties.
The following statement signed by
Robert Aldrich, Mike Brown, George
IL. Bates, Vim, M'Nab and james A.
jenkins, some of the most prominent
and influential citizens of Barnwell,
has been sent to the News and Courier:
~ln consequence of the lynching,
which took place here last night, the
undersigned were this morning re-
quested by the sheriff to act as an adj.
visory committee to cousel such steps
as may be deemed best to secure order.
We at first proceeded to investigate
and deem II right to put the public in
possession of the occurrences aud
causes which we believe led to it as far
as we have gathered them.
On the 18th of October last, John II.
Heffernan q prominent young mer-
chant, and brave, public spirited cit
izcn. was shot down and killed in
Barnwel, by negroes. Public indig.
nation ran very high. Threats Of
lynching were freely made, but this
was diverted by cooler counsel. AT
the last term of the court, the grand
jury found true bills against his muir
derers aud accessories, but the cases
were continued. The white people
people were disappointed, and the ne
groes, It is thought, were emboldened
by this disposition of the matter, On
the 10Th OF December Mr.. James s.
Brown, q prominent planter and lead
ing citizen of Fish Pond township, was
shot to death an his own premises by
negroes, without the slightest justiiica
tion or excuse. The murderer has moi
been arrested. On the 18th Of Decem
Der, while going from his store a
Martins station to his house, q mile
away, Mr.. Robert Martin, ayoung MAI
Of the most exemplary character an,
of the highest standin~ ;. . man an,
e,aatep, shat Y, w" owed by a negro an
'"os = me back with a gun, loade
with slugs, on the public road whic
passes through his fathers plantation
in hearing Of negroes whose house
were all around the spot where he wa
shot, and who admitted that the
heard the shot and his cries, whe
shot, and none of whom went to h
: relief, and none of them went to b
body, although II lay in the road a
night and for several hours after da.
!, light In plain view of them oil. ltw
L satisfactorily established that his mu
der was the result Of conspiracy
!, !, remove him. in order that their licen
' upon the plantation of his father,
= whom he was the only son, might
!, greater. The murderer, that is, II
= negro who fired the shot, and his q
7 cessories, six in number, after beil
7 clearly identified by the corener's jur
> were arrested and lodged in ia
: These several brutal murders Of prol
> inent white men by negroes, caused
: state of indignant resentment amol
- our people that can be better imagin
: than described, but cannot be imagin
u u by any one not present in our mid
y Last night a body of armed men
=, disguise at about 2 a. IN. called at
~ !, Jail, ovcrpowered the jailer, took O
y y, the six murderers of Martin, and t.
~ of Hcfiernam, to the limits of the c,
~ poration and shot them to death.
l This explanation of the causes VIII
~ led to the lynching, does not, in
E opinion of the law-abiding citizens,
ho any way justify the atrocious murt
of eight defenceless human bein
u, The greatest Indignation is express
~ here at the brutality of the deed.
lr. The last paragraph Of the "stateme
Ve might as well have been omitted.
v ,at intent, TO deceive, is vain.