The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1893-07-20
BIT ne That F1LcHEs FROM
NE NY COOP NAME" ETC

Z .Ar "a
Is the Immediate Jewels OF shefY souIs
W'asteals my purse steals trash; ,tis something,
nothing; 49,
Twas mine, It's his, and has been slave 70 thousands
Bns he that filchsa from me my good name
hobs me OF that which not cnriches him,
And makes me poor ndeed."-Idpo.
\ greater moral truth was never
spoken, not even blythe apostles Of
old, than the above quotation from
Iago in Shakespeare Othcllo.
In all the writer's newspaper OK
pericnce, covering several years, in
all vague and highly-colored sensa
tional reports affecting the character
or good name Of another, he has al
ways, before bringing such reports
prominently before the public, called
to his mind the above quotation,
along with the title Of that excellent
novel. by Charles Reade, "Put Your
self in His Place
While the Posi- claims to be suffi
GENTLY cnterprising to give to its
readers each week correct and truth
ful account of the happenings Of this
and the surrounding section, still, it
is not painting for fame to such an
extent as to induce it to grapple
down in the pit-hole Of degradation
and bring up some Of its slime and
filth with which to besmirch and dis
figure fair name.
Last week areport came from Coe-
burn that A M. Rogers. a travelling
salesman for Henderson &c Co., man.
ntacturers of shoes, Chicago, had in
dytced the two little daughters of the
depot agent at that place, aged nine
Z and eleven years, under promise OF
giving them nice pair of slippers,
into his room, and while III there his
conduct toward the older one was
extremely ungentlemanly and indie
cent. From what the little girls told
their father OH coming out of the
room he. at least drew the above
conclusion. He became very much
Infatuated, and attempted to shoot
Rogers, but some parties took his
pistol from him. He then beat and
kicked Rogers III rough and severe
manner. In the meantime consld-
cradle crowd was attracted and soon
the mob-craze began to develop and
grow. At length reason with IKE
wild and excited crowd was thing
of the past. Drunk with excitement,
and possibly some with mean liquor,
thew marched the unfortunate man to
the outskirts Of the little village and
without allowing word of explana :
ton from him, literally cut him &c
pieces with horse-whips and wythes.
Two of his ribs were broken and he
barely had life left in him.
1t is said that while being led out
,by the crowd Rogers asked that the
little girl be brought before him, that
he would not say word i'll his own
defense, and if she said he was guilty
then he was willing to abide the con-
sequence
Since the rough treatment at the
hands of the Infatuated people of
Coeburn he has been lying at the
house of farmer near that place.
Rogers is well known to the peo-
pie OF Big Stone Gap, having lived
here for several years, and, Judging
from his conduct while here, a ma
iority Of the people do not believe
HIM guilty Of the charge If he is,
then he richly deserved the treatment
he received. and more but. in the
event he is innocent, then, no matter
how great the effort, the dark cloud
thus east over his character can new
or be entirely cleared away
Newspapers, as we'll as individual,
often make themselves a :" little
previous" in their efforts for scoop"
in news. 1t should be remembered
by those in charge of newspapers
That while the press is recognized as
great power in building up char
actcr and reputation, its power for
tearing down and destroying good
name is ten times greater
Tnr article Of Mr.. James Hodge,
formerly Of Big Stone Gap, now Of
Pineville, KY, on "The Big Stone
Gap Coal Field" which was read
before the American Institute of