The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1893-05-11
DENMARK'S ANSWER,
ACTlCN OF A MASS MEETING HELD
FRIDAY NIGHT.

Tho Lynching of Peterson Justified
Denunoiation of Editor Gonzales-Gov,
Tillmsn Comm ended and tho Claim
that tho Right Man was HsngedlInsisted
DENMARK, S. G., April ga mass
meeting of the citizens Of Denmark
was held in the store of J. f. Stead
man at $50 p. m. today. About 500
persons were present. Capt. J. e.
Steadman was called to the chair and
j. ID. Milhouse acted at secretary.
Col. ID. Paul Sojourner explained
that the meeting was called to de-
nounce the course of certain newspa-
pers and the course of Editor Gonzales
in particular.
S. S. Lallitte offered the following
SET of resolutions:
"Whereas a Negro fiend assaulted
Miss Mamie Baxter. the 14-year-old
daughter Of j d. Baxter, on the morn
ing of the 18th of April while she was
on her way to school, attacking her
brutally and with drawn knife threat
ening her life and after choking her to
lnsensiollity and dragging her down
| an embankmeDt to the South Carolina
railaoad and there attempted to rape
her.
"And whereas, the citizens of Den
mark, acting with the.citiZenS Of Barn
well county and those of the adjoining
counties, hunted diligently for the
raplst and having. caught one John
| Peterson, whom the citizens believed
! to be guilty of the crime and whom
the girl said looked like the man ex-
cept his eyes and nose and Of whom
She subsequently said 'he is the man
and against whom we have abundant
and sufficient proof that he was the
man who assaulted Miss Mamie Bax-
ter, and said John Peterson was hung
and shot to death on the spot where
he made the b :utal asGeu eult.
"And whereas, tte editor Of The
State, n. u. Gonzales, has by every
means known to himself sought to be-
smirch and befoul the people of this
community and by his editorials
sought to.arouse the passions Of the
negro against the Who'e people and
lnclte negro men to attack and rape
White women to avenge the punish
ment Of John Peterson.
3 Now. therefore, we the citizens of
4 Denmark, In mass meeting assembled
= First. Do regret that such an out
rageous attack was made on an inno-
G cent and unSuspecting girl by the
= brute, and further tender TO the un-
n happy and grief stricken father our
Il deep and sincere sympathy.
n second. That we fully commend
y the act OF those citizens who inflicted
- the punishment Of death upon John
=. Peterson, believing him to be the
' guilty wretch, and we say to the world
that we believe John Peterson guilty
and have proof to support our position.
"Ih1rd. That we condemn the edito-
rlals or N. u. Gonzales who, fOr politf-
Cal purposes, has liZed upon this oc-
caslon and the punishment Of Peterson
Tor pretext to vent his hostility to
Governor Tillman; that we especially
condemn his editorial in which he by
coVerC words seeks to excite Negro
mon to attack and rape white women
when unprotected as being unworthy
OF the pen of a pure journalist, and
emeanating only from the heart of one
Olacker than the wretch who assaulted
Miss Baxter and deserving the same
fate as John Pc ,erson.
| Fourth. That we condemn the
Statens paper which seeks to arrav the
Negro race against the white race and
mus return to the days Of Moses aud
Chamberlain. '''"
'o'i' AhoC NC Jno action
OF Governor Tillman for sending John
Leterson TO Barn we'll for he would not
nave been harmed unless guilty. and if
guilty he deserved death,
sixth. We commend the course of
the colored people of the county who
realize that John Peterson was given
falr nearing and a just Punishment.
and we further declare that we believe
That all people who would protect the
virtue OF their women should hold
aloot from man 80 destitute of virtue
and truth as is n. &. Gonzales"
Adopted in mass meeting.