Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1894-05-12
THE DISPATCH AND LYNCH-LAw.
The Richmond, Va, DISPATCH, the
advocate of lynch-law In it's Issue OF
the 9Th inst. says

advocate of lynch-law In it's Issue OF -
;he 9Th inst. says pl
1.-The newspapers OF State, wit ~-*'
sc. fsrF-srs Ne kzow, give
praise to the authorities of Staun ton Tor r.
their admirable management OF the case
of Lawrence Spiller. Ia
If this precedent be generally followed
Judge Lynch" will have to adjourn his II
court sine die. Our courts of justice can
aud should meet the public demand for 4
prompt trial and adequate punishment
of ravishers, and they can and should Y
also meet the public demand that no
woman who has been the victim OF a ?
british man shall be put to needless tor
ture on the witness stand"
Remember the above is as applica-
BILE to the colored women as to
white ones.
more ravishers have been lynched in
Virginia to save the victims the morrill,
cation of cross-examinRtion than be-
cause of any fear that the prisoners
would escape the gallows- This is the
danger-point, and to it due attention
should be given.
Let it be understood that no trial
/ Judge will permit the chief witness
against a ravisher TO be put to torture
| on the witness-stand, and lynchings will |
rarely or never be heard of again in Nir-
ginia.
The above is the most ridiculous
position ever occupied by an Individ-
ual protesting to have some knowl-
edge Of law. The witness stand may
be the platform of the perjurer and
In skillful cross-examinati0ns alone
rest the hope OF detection.
To abolish them would be to place
more than one mans life In jeopardy
aud white men would be among
the first to feel the effect of 1t, be-
: cause each and every citizen
!. stands sworn to recognize the civil
and political equality OF all men be-
= fore the law.
d The secret of this desire not to
} place white women on the stand In
cases of this kind is that it would in
i many instances compromise them.
- Tho average proiudiced white man
= believes that any Negro who is Grim
; inally intimate with even an aban-
doned white woman even with her
OF consent should be hanged.
TO This is why then, this howl II
mt raised about placing them upon the
81 witness stand to testify.
re- 1t is a known fact that colores
DIS men have been hanged about whit
ob women with whom they had been In
he innate with for years.
There are abandoned white womel
of lust as there are abandoned dolores
&C women.
ty They are careless as to the color @
ur men with whom they live upon com
tie promising terms.
MT We have no sympathy with eithe
n the women or the men.
We ARE somewhat astounded a
the statements OF this journa
CHARLES w. MILLER, ROBERT BUR
TON and JOHN SCoTT were lynche
led October II, 1891, at Clifton Forge
to Va, for having shot two white me
Use who were pursuing them. No whit
ull woman figured In the case. JERR
a BROWN, SAM MCDOWELL, JOHN JON
Ar SON, SPENCER Brown and SA
I've BLOW were pynched February L:
lth 1898, at Richards, Va, for the q
lite tempted murder OF two white mel
,us No white woman figured in ths
case. WILL LAVENDER was lynche
self February II, 1892, at Roanok
Ing Va, criminal assault upon a viii
his girl. The girl was not allowed
nes testify and after he had been hangs
Dor it was found out and Is now know
red OF all men that he was innocent
the the crime alleged against him.
ag- If you need any more ;citations
The facts, call for them, sir, and we
ted furnish them. We have case aft
case the "banked" away for iustsu.
the purposes.
'wn The journal says
uiC- "There are great many old-fashion
his kind hearted colored people who deplo
, to the existing condition of things, a
,rse ~ m Of The nnbIic anthorities as th
taken at stanton, We may hope to he
less of this crime as the years go by"
the And this feeling Is shared by tho
mer born since the war. Crime is erin
} no no matter when and by whom CO.
men mItted. We believe In the punif
4th ment of the guilty, be they white
ody black, and whether their victims
srty white or black.
2 to If some white men would stop &
otic ting over back fences after color
1t? women and stop raping them, th
lnue would be In a much better positi
nam to read essays upon morality to
halt There are not enough trees will
a radius OF FIVE miles of this city I
ty is on which to hang the bodies of
} fall the white men who have been gui
of being criminally intimate with
b we abandoned women of our race.
vhite Many of them are raising two 8
10 of of children, one white and the OF