The San Saba weekly news. (San Saba, Tex.) 18??-1???, 1891-11-06
VOLUME XVII.
Gov. Hogg's Letter on Mob Law.
EXECUTIVE OFFICE,

AUSTIN, TEX, Oct. 20, 1881.
I. H. Lanier, ESQ. Sheriff of Linden, Tex.
| DEAR SIR-Herewith l hand yor
my proclamation offering s1OOOre
ward for the arrest and conviction
of each of the leaders, and 500
each for the arrest and conviction
of the principals, accessories and
accomplicss in the mob who, on
the Doth day of this month, over
rode the law, took the negro pris-
oner, Lee Green, from your jail
and murdered him.
If this is not enough to stimu-
late The detection, arrest and con-
viction of those criminals, or if
you find any obstruction in your
way to full performance of your
duties in the premises, please SO
inform me, that all needful meas
ures may be taken within my pow
er to maintain the dignity of the
constitution and laws. Every cit
izen charged with a felony in this
state is guaranteed by the consti-
tuition speedy, public trial before
an impartial jury; the right to de-
mand the nature and cause of the
accusation against him and to have
copy thereof; the privilege of
being heard by himself or counsel,
or by both; to be confronted with
the witnesses against him; to have
compulsory process for obtaining
witness in his favor; that he shall
not be held to answer for the Of
Tense unless on indictment of
grand jury, and that cruel or unu-
sual punishment shall not be in
hicted on him.
The prisoner was denied each
and all of these sacred rights SO
solemnly pleged to him, for while
in the custody of the law in jail,
he was taken by a mob, burned at
a stake and murdered. If he was
guilty of the foulest murder, each
of the mob is none the less
guilty of a like offense. Their
crime is deepened by the insult to
the constitution and the shame re-
hected by the atrocious, barbarous
act on the name of their county
and state. If he was guilty the
rsol,,s s.OliolA 10 s.s1i41iss-,iss.s - a,sd
reflection on every law-abiding
Juror and and official in Cass coun-
by, for it proclaims to the world
that they would not enforce the
law. If he was innocent then the
mob has committed a crime so
often inflicted on the weak by the
bloodthirsty, brutal, strong. No
citizen who loves his own life or
his state can have any
respect for a murderer. His con-
tempt must intensity when he sees
the mob return from a lifeless
victim whose blood has been shed
while a shackled prisoner.
There is no room for mobs in
Texas, and they must cease their
criminal raids if any virtue clings
to establish government They
are a menace to the life and liber-
ty of every unprotected citizen;
thew are enimies to the bill OF
rights: they are incubators and
of crime, visiting VEN
geance on the defenseless, often
the innocent, stiking down the bull
warks Of liberty and laying waste
to civilization.
In these days of organized soci-
ety their fendish work is without
excuse and cannot be tolerated.
The prevalence of mobocracy
means the subversion of law and
order. The two cannot remain in
harmony. As a rule the men who
join mobs against the helpless to
TO take their lives stand ready to
serve on jury to acquit an infu-
entail criminal and to pirate about
the miscarriage of justice. 1t is
time some of them were being
brought to trial for their crimes
before honest juries. 1 hope you
viii do your part III the case, as 1
shall cheerfully perform mine in
it and all others of like brutality
disregard of our constitution and
laws.
Awaiting your action and reply,
1 have the honor to be, your ODE
dent servant,
J. S. HoGG, Governor.
McEIree's Wine of cardui
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