The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1895-11-13
SPEEDY JUSTICE"
Injustice to South Carolina in Ap.
,,oaIfnp- n the M0h.

pealing to the Mob.
The letter of Mr.. ]. Altheus Johnson on the
subject OF speedy justice in the conviction OF
Tom Peterson is on line with much other
talk that we have seen In the papers, about
speedy justice, and the need ior special courts
TO try certain cases, and the necessity for
changes in the system OF our courts.
Speaking for the Press and Banner, we
think all such talk Is in fact-no matter how
patriotic the intention-merelyp pandertng TO
the depraved sentimentof of the country, which
depraved sentiment thirsts for the blood OF
victim, and, rather than walt dlgnlfled and
leisure course TO administer eXact JustiGe;;
would select victim In haste. Crime should
be punished more in sorrow than to gratlfy
the malicious, blood-thirsty desires OF the
mob. And what are these hasty trials and
speedy executions but the answer 10 The cruei
demand for blood?
Instead Of panderIng to the mob the law, In
its majesty, should order the mob to stand
back, or else take the consequences.
The Press and Banner does not DelleVe
there is general desire on the part OF our
people, either TO suppress lynching for as
saults on women nor to enforce the laws
against white men for crimes against the per,
son. If there was any such desire the State
Convention could stop It,. II they Will pass
an ordinance requiring that the siayers OIL
men should provide for the fam lilies or the
deceased, In money damages; or In case the
offender was unable 10 respond in money.
then collect the damages from the county IN
which the killing occurred, the crime OF nom
icide will stop, or else the perpetrator Will
suffer.
It is not alone the courts delay that demor.
allies the citizen, and breaks down his re.
spect for the law, and leads him to take the
life of his fellow man.
But 1t is the failure OF perjured jurors to do
their duty in finding a just verdict where
white man Is the guilty party:
II not thousand, certainly hundreds. OF
white men have taken life In South Carolina
within the last twenty years, and yet IL is
true that not dozen white men have been
hanged.
Very few juries have convicted white men.
Of the few who have been onVicted, @ large
per cent have either secured on technics III ties,
the necessary new trials for an acquittal, or
else the Governor has on sentiment COM
muted the sentence.
Our conviction is. that the negro comes In
for full share of the penalties for his crimes.
White Jurors have few scruples about con-
victing poor defenceless negro Of crime, un-
less 1t be possible when negro ana white
man are on trial at the same court for mur-
der. or course the white man Will not De ac.
Quilted. That goes without saying. And 10 be
consist ent some guilty negro might escape
under circumstances like these, while the gap
Is down for the white man.
Now, as TO Tom Peterson. An atroc10us
crime was committed In the killing OF J.J j.
Moseley, and public sentiment demanded the
blood Of the murderer At first there was as, %
positive proof as TO the guilty party. The
guilty party being an ignorant negro: he be.
was himself He committed the murder at
the instance Of that greater scoundrel
than himself. Then the, guilty negro, be-
cause of his Ignorance and lack OF money TO
seek the advice OF counsel, was easily betray-
ed by the man who induced him to do the
deed, and he has since confessed, and he Will
be hanged.
But II the same crime had been committed
by white man OF intelligence. does any body
believe that he would have been convicted?
Not q bit of it. He could not have been De,
trayed into giving himself away. He would
not have made the confession In Jail. With
out his betrayal. and without his confession,
all the powers Of the law could not have pre-
vailed against him. The jury would have &C:
him without evidence. and no white man OF
common sense would have given himself
away, as did Tom Peterson, on the eve OF his
trial.
Peterson. Through his own lack of intelli-
gence, the facts were proven. and he must pay
the penalty.
But there Is no reason for gloating over the
doom of the poor unfortunate creature.
While we believe he must and should GER
tainly suffer the penalty for the assassination
Of Moseley, yet the circumstances which led
up 10 the crime, and the manner OF securing
the testimony against him, must have excited
the sympathy Of good people.
When people talk about the failure OF Courts
to deal out Justice In South Carolina. the re-
mark should be qualified. We believe full
white men who can weigh the evidence and
give q Just verdict. The negro criminal Ia
poor. He has no influential friends 10 bias
the judgment of the jurors, and there are no
ly no thought is taken OF that Iact. The ac-
cused Is only q repulslve looking negro, with
neither money, friends, or Kindred 10 appeal
TO the mercy Of the court. For these reasons
he gets full justice. even II he is not some
times unJustIy convicted. Note, for instance,
the negro at Laurens who stands convicted Of
murder on circumstantial evidence. The
State had offered reward for his conviction.
The witnesses then being interested. Note
again, the conviction OF an old negro, (more
than sixty years). who stands under sentence
Of death for assault, crime which he was
not physically able to commit. These ne,
groes, whom we believe 10 be innocent, stand
under the shadow OF the gallows, and must
die, without the Intervention of the Cover
nor. [Since writing this. the Governor has
pardoned the old negro, who Is said to be sew
IT makes tired feeling come over US when
we hear reckless and indiscrlminate talk OF
lack Of the enforcement Of the law in South
Carolina.
Such tals Is not in accord with the facts as
TO negroes. however truthtnlly the same may
apply to the white man. Under the circum-
stances, we would advise the negro to obey
the law. If he assumes to come In personal
contact with white man, the probab illty Ia,
that the white man will kill him. II he kills
the white man II Is morally certain that he
will not escape punishment. The law ia good
for the negro only SO long as he behaves him,
self. II he is violent and commits breach OF
the peace he will be sure to suffer In the
courts. If he assaults white woman the
mob will kill him. No negro has yet assault.
ed woman and lived. There Is not one left.
and there never should be one left. No wo.
man should be required to 60 into court and
give the details Of her own ruin.
We say then, let the negro obey the law. If
he does not 1t will be enforced against him.