The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1893-05-03
1NDi GNAT1oN AND DENUNcLaT1oc
Denmark's Citizens Justify Their Deeds
and Express Contempt for n. &.
Gonzales.
1Sn. .cial to the Register.

DENMARK, S. c., April ga mass
meeting of the citizens Of Denmark was
held in the store of J. E. Steadman, at
$50 D. m. About 500 were present.
Capt. J. E. Steadmar was called to
the chair and J. D. Milhouse acted
as secretary
Col. D. 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. Lafitte offered the following
resolutions:
Whereas,a negro fieud assaulted Miss
Mamie Baxter, the 14-year-old daugh-
ter of Mr.. J. D. Baxter, on the morn
ing of April IA, while she was on her
way to school, attacking her brutally
and with drawn knife threatened her
life, and after choking her to lnsensl-
bility and dragging her down an en-
ban kment of the South Carolina Rall-
way, and then attempting to rape her,
and
Whereas, the citizens Of Denmark,
acting with the citizens of BarnWell
County and those of the adjoin' ng
counties, hunted diligently for the
rapist, and having caught Ole 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
aud shot to death on the spot where
he made the brutal assault; and
Whereas, the editor of The State,
n. G. Gonzales, has by every means
known to himself sought to besmirch
and befoul the people of this colnmu-
nifty, and by his editorials sought to
arouse the passions of the negro race
against the white people and incite the
negro men to attack and rape white
women to avenge the punishment of
John Peterson; now, therefore, we, the
citizens of Denmark, in mass meeting
assembled,
First. Do regret that such an out
rageous attack was made on an inno-
cent and unsuspecting girl by the brute,
and further tender to the unhappy and
grief-stricken father our deep and sin
cere sympathy.
Second. That we fully commend the
act of those citizens who inflicted the
punishment of death upon John Peter
son, believing him to be the guilty
wretch, and we gay to the world that
we believe John Peterson guilty and
have proof to support our position.
Third. That We condemn the edi'o-
rial of n. G. Gonzales, who for politi-
cal purposes has seized upon this occa-
sion and the punishment Of Peterson
for a pretext to vent his hostility to
Governor Tillman; that We especially
condemn his editorial in which by
covert words he seeks to excite negro
men to attack and rape white women,
when unprotected, as being unworthy
the pen Of pure journalist, and ema-
nat;og only from the heart of one
blacker than the wretch who assaulted
Miss Baxter and deserving the same
fate of John Peterson.
Fourth. That we condemn The State
as q paper which seeks to assay the
Degro race against the white race, and
thus leturn TO the days of Moses and
Fifth. That we commend the course
of Governor Tillmau for sending John