Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1895-12-13

bated. This Common wealth has
ever boaste,l of The purity of her
judiciary aud the aphghtness of
hor jures, yet the numUer who
have Suffered death by tie halter,
without trials or sentences of her
tribunals of justice, has created
abroad the impression that her
judges and jurles cannot be trust
ed, or that her people are swayed
by passion aud uncou troIled by
reason; that hero law Is dethroned
and lawlessuess rugns.
IL kuow there is a crime too
horrible to mention, so black as
to cry for vengeance; but even the
commission OF that crime cannot
warrant resort to mob violence,
for justice with rs is certain and
will ne. er miscarry II tho law is
allowed TO take it's course.
"But Iynchiug has not been con.
fined by any means to such cases,
for 10 the last fifteen years only
about Oae.third Of those lynched
have met their deaths upon
charges of actual and attempted
commission OF this shocking crime.
Our list of executions without the
p lie Of the Law is long, iacIudin e
both races, aud, while soue other
States have lists Of greater length,
this cannot excuse Us. We cannot
be justified in the sight OF God or
man by pleading thai some other
people are worse than ourselves
~ invoke with emphasis the
exercise of your power in stamp
ing out the spirit which is 5rin g =
ing reproach upon the honored d
name OF this Commonwealth.
Christianity demands it; public
morality requires / t; popular senti.
ments exacts 1t.
PREvENTIvEs SUGGESTED.
81 recommend the passage Of an
act requiring every county of city
to pay into the treasury Of the
State, for the benefit Of tho public
free school fund, the sum OF 5000
for each thousand OF Its population,
not exceeding $4,000, for everJ
lYnchiug which may occur within
its limits, the same TO be proYlded
for 10 its next annual levy.
81 further recommend that the
expense OF the military, II called
out by the sheriff Of any county or
The mayor of any city to protect a
prisoner threatened with violence,
shall be refunded to the State by
said county or city out of its next
annual levy.
IL futher recommend that IT any
sheriff, jnlor, sergeant, constable
OF other officer, having In custody
a prisoner, shall permit said priso
ner to be taken from his custody
without exhausting all means in
his power to prevent it, he shall be
summarily suspended from office
by the curt in which he qualified
until a motion to remove him shall
be heard aud determined by a jury.
~ further recommend that rlgh
of action for damages be given TO
the prisoner taken fro N custody
as aforesaid, It living; If dead, to
his widow, If he leave one; If not
to his heirs against the oficeT
from whom the prisoner was taken
on bis official bond, aud that upon
tie trial Of the motion to remove
said officer, or oil the suit for daci
ages, the burden shall be upon
SAID officer to prove that he ex
hausted all means in his power tr
prevent The taking Of the prisone
from bis custody.
81 futher recommend that the
penalty for rape, or attempted
rape, shall in every case be death
and thai an Indictment for either
off .nse shall have precedence over
any other case on the docket of the
court in which the indictment Is
pending.
"Iu my opinion If an act em
bodying such provisions is passed
Iynchings will no longer occur in
Virginia"
PRIZR-FIGHTING
"Prizs-6ghting has repeatedly
occurred In the State within thu
last two years. 1t has been i'm
possible to convict the participants
because the spectators have been
in sympathy with the disgracefu
affairs, and however brutal tb'
contest, in tho opinion of thes'
sympathiEers, whom introduced al
witnesses, 1t was not a prlze'hght
but an innocent glove contest.
recommend the amendment of sec
tions SG99 and 30si of the cole, s.
as to conform to enlightened pub