The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1892-07-26
THE LYNCHING AT REDDING.

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We do not recall that there is any re-
cord Of such deliberate lynching as that
of Sunday morning at Redding, when a
band of masked and armed men took the
Ruggles brothers from the County Jail
and hanged them. The prisoners were
murderers and highwaymen, but there
was no reason to fear that they would es-
cape punishment.
The Ruggles brothers robbed a stage
coach, wounded several passengers in it,
and shot down in cold blood an express
messenger, brave and respected young
man. They had confessed to guilt of
these crimes; the process Of the law in
their cases had not been interrupted or
suspended. Their trials had not taken
place, it is true, but there had been no
extraordinary delay and there was no
likelihood that the ends of justice would
be defeated in their cases.
More than two months had elapsed
since the arrest of one, and about one
month since the capture of the other
murderer.
Hot blood did not, therefore, move the
lynehers; they were not carried away by
passion nor frenzied by suddenness and
awfulness of crime, in which states of
mind men sometimes do deeds, over
which merciful veil may be drawn.
These lynchers ought to be hunted out
and punished as the law prescribes.
Their action cannot be defended. Their
cool deliberation in forcing the Jail and
breaking open the safe to get at the cell
keys proves that the action had been
long contemplated, and that they had
plotted coolly to usurp the functions of
the law and disgrace our civilization.
They are apologized for on these
grounds: First, that some women, whom
the Sheriff appears to have been too
cowardly to exclude and too weak to
deny, manifested sickly sentimental SYM
pathy for the brutal murderers and rob-
bers, showered them with flowers.
Toasted them on dainties and gave rein to
congested womanly emotion over these
precious rascals. Secondly, because the
prisoners were supposed to be preparing
to set up as a defense that the express
messenger was confederate of theirs
and betrayed and fired upon them and
that they shot him in revenge-as though
any one would for moment give weight
to such tale, or that, if true, it would
lessen the crime. Thirdly, that some
time ago another stage was robbed and
girl was shot and these men were sus-
pected of the crime; and, lastly, that a
murderer had lately escaped the gallows
and been sentenced to the State Prison
for life.
That it is exasperatiDg that such assas-
sins and footpads as the Ruggles broth
ers should be fawned upon and caressed
by women in whom the emotional has
become congested and unnatural, IS un-
deniable. But it does not Justify lynch
law. 1t would have justified protest to
the Sheriff, and might well have sustained
public demand for the exclusion of
these mistaken women from the Jail.
They were Redding women, and the
town ought to have washed its skirts of
them without violence.
1t is not creditable to the commonest
judgment that the other pleas should be
advanced in defense of the unlawful
hanging. They are weak and really
amount to this, that belief is enter
tanned at Redding that faith cannot be
reposed in juries selected in that section,
in Judges elected by that people. and in
executives chosen at the ballot-box in
Shasta County. Delay of the law could
not pleaded, because there had been no
such delay as to justify public indigna-
ton. The chief of the criminals was not
arrested until about a month ago, and
there was nothing to show that the off,
GERS of the law were not diligent in pre-
pairing to convict both rascals. The laws
delay is often intolerable; it was not a
case of delay in this instance. 1t is true
that while the petty thief is railroaded
TO Jail as rule, in later years in Cali
fornia a murderer is not brought to
final judgment until two or three years
after his capture, and sometimes abso-
lutely escapes because the witnesses die
off while the courts wait. But there was
nothing in the Ruggles case to justify any
accusations involving delay. The people,
indeed, cannot anywhere rightfully COM
plain of delay, since they are the law
makers and have their remedy for any
such ills by correcting the system that
permits of the vexatisus dragging along
of criminal cases.
So that there is no substantial excuse
for the Redding mob, which appears to
be held in no very great detestation by