The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1891-05-29
columbia's Disgrace.

The action of q few men last We'd
nesday, in ineulting the law, break
ing open the Jail, and hanging the
negro Green Wells, is a burning
shame and Disgrace upon the 1air
name of this city.
Nobody cares anything for the fate
of the negro. He was not ut to i've;
he had doomed himself to death, anc
whether his end came now or month
later, was of little consequence to
him perhaps, and none at all to the
public in general. He was cruel,
bloody, atrocious wretch, without
friends and without sympathy.
While the brutality of the murder
he had committed robbed him OF All
sympathy, it clothed the widow ana
the children and the aged father OF
the man he had slain, with a tender
sympathy akin to love, felt for them
and bestowed upon them by all the
people; people who had never seen,
people who hal never even heard OF
them, knew by that secret sympathy
of humanity that makes alt MANKIND
akin. the anguish OF their hearts, ana
felt for them "a friend feels for trleno
when in deepest trouble.
But of the thousands who would have
worked increasingly aud unt'fingiy
to have brought the murderer to the
bar of Justice, and when justice ma"
niscarried then have taken the law
into their own hands, there are com
oaratively few who desired to stain
their hands with the blood ofanother,
and to be participants in crime th1
makes a mockeFy of law, skaters the
safeguards Of government, democrat
ICES youth and eliminates in an Out
rage, a shame and disgrace upon
civilized community.
We find no Circumstance in the
ease that excuses the deed OF wed
nesday. The negro had been caught,
and every assurance was given
that he would be held. The Court was
ready to try him; there was no
money, or friend or family or inhu-
ence that could have defeated justice;
no sane man can doubt but that the
law would have hung HIM. Those
who loved his victim most were not
clammoring for his blood. Be 1t SAID
to the everlasting credit OF his father
and his brother-iu-law, they were
willing to wait. Mr.. Timmons stated
"a much in a public speech, and we
have it from unquestioned authority
that Mr.. Fly, yielding to the advice oil
friends, several times turned to leave
the Jail and carry his inhuence with
him. but "a often would be caught
and turned back by men fatally ben
On mischief, who would harroW MS
feelings by reference to his sons
violent death and by asking him
such questions as ibid the scoundrel
give your son any timer" 1t was
this class of men, and not the immedi'
ate family who did the deed.
It is true these men were in the
crowd. They had hunted the negro
for days; they we're determined he
should be caught; they were deter
mined he should be hung, but they
we're law abiding men and willing
that the law might do the hanging
it would, and they believed it woale
aud were willing to wait 4sE
The great body of the crowd tina
surped to and fro from the COur
T House to the Jail, was not MOB. L
3 was largely made up of the curious
2 who followed the excitement wher
) ever they found 1t. Then there wa
' another large element who were ther
tn dissuade the few who were bent OF
I doing wrong. II these two element
had. Fstayed away, the mob Prope
g would have been abashed at thei
o own littleness. II the facts Wer
I sifted out-as they ought to be-
, would be found that comparativel
? few were guilty.
4 The size and CHI aracter OF the crow
}, was such that the officers OF the lay
II were, perhaps, excusable for not a
e tempting to arrest any OF them on tn
e streets; but il the officers had know
d how small was the number OF til
= men bent on extreme violence, the
y could have taken a few OF the leader
'e in custody and have put an end to tn
It mob at once; and they would hay
h been culpably negligent of their dut
d i'm not doing so. Be this as it ma,
n however, the sworn guardians or IL
n neaee could have held the jail again
- InT a
10 resolute men properly armed al
l. stationed could have protecte
the prisoner against thousan
The only thing necessary would hay
Seen to convince the mob that Il
le 6rst man who advanced beyond Il
Of limit prescribed would have met wi
e. determined resistance aud death
l. necessary O deter him
lc And there is where the trouble liz
There is always Iawless element
- all communities. 1t is the duty of t.
officers of the law to curb and cont
that element. OH GERS are not elect
90 and paid to watch and wait upon I
90 Iaw-abiding. 1t is just such eme
gancies az this that officers are Q
oaota1 To meet aud control 1t Is
at travesty upon justice and mooke
"A of law to fill the jail with petty or
,or shooters AMI then allow a lawle
mob to override its most solemn sar
.rn lions. II it is not the duty OF th'
ia officers to preserve the highest rig
,is youehsafed by law, the right OF
For itself, what need have W. Tor the
~ These men have neglected their du
-. It rests with the people to prot'
N themselves Ia the future, at t
id. ballot box,