Evening star., 1896-11-11
Judge Henderson Denounces Lynch
ing of Sidney Randolph.
Blot ON MONTGOMERY COUNTY
Calls on the Grand Jury to Do Its
Duty.
CARN AL OF CRI NJ f

laWbrcakers who have been disgrac!ng the
good name OF Montgomery county during
the past year. Judge Henderson handled
the questions of lynching and infractions
of the local option law without gloves.
Part of his charge relating to general
crimes and to the Randolph ming was
as follows:
AT the last March term of this court l
congratulated the grand jury and the pub
lie generally upon the notable exemption of
this county from all crimes of a serious
character. 1t is a matter of profound re-
greet that such congratulations cannot be
repeated at this term Since that time
epidemic Of crime seems to have spread
over the county, and during the entire
summer crime has followed crime in such
rapid succession that the jail has been kept
crowded to its full capacity. and the places
OF those released on bail been Immediately
filled by other accused persons, SO that per-
hapS Lever before IN the history of this
court has there been such a number of
cases ready for presentation to the granC
jury Immediately upon its organization.
Some of them under charges of the gravest
character.
In the early morning of May - last an
assault was made upon the sleeping fam ly
of MIR. r. Lemuel Buxton of Ga;thersburg.
which for its horrible fierceneSs. atrocity
and brutality and the absence of apparent
motive, is without parallel, at least in my
experience 1t was the work OF fiend
a mailman. By this assault Mr.. Buxton,
his wife and his two daughters were des
perately wounded. and the injury inflicted,
on his youngest daughter Sadie were suct
that they resulted in her death ten o:
twelve days thereafter.
For the commission of this dreadful
crime negro named Sidney Randolph was
arrested. and after the investigation mad.
by the coroner's jury. who by their verdict
charged him with the preparation of the
crime. he was duly committed to the Jail
m n fha Nr h..
grand jury.
ION the 18th of June last before the hor-
ror and CONSERVATION excited by this awful
tragedy had subsidized. terrible affray oc-
Cured among party Of negroes attending
a church meeting of some kind at Sandy
Spring. which resulted in the violent and
immediate death of Clarence Thornton and
the iifiction of severe wounds upon several
others engaged in the affray.
Worst of All.
But, gentlemen, in it's essential charac-
ter and in its deplorable, far-reaching and
permanent effects upon the people of this
community and this county. by far the
worst crime i'll the whole list which will be
submitted to you for consiiera ton and in
EeSu$aton, was tnat committed by a small
band of lawbrcakers, who on the night OF
the 'd OF July last made an attack upon
the county jail and forcibly abducted there
from, and brutality murdered Sidney Ran
dolpn. who was confined therein to await
your action on the charge of numbering
SaG.e Buxton.
plor.ble- 1t is 4 crime which undermines
the foundations of civil government and is
ieturn to or possibly a survival of the
savage idea which demands the immediate.
forfeiture of life III return for life taken
without waiting for condemnation and ex-
ecutioh by the processes of law. Its prac-
tiCe is GemornliZ:ng to courts i,r;es and
the public morals
mere sometimes. however
items which serve to palliate while they
cannot excuse much less justify. this
crime. but none of them existed in Ran
to!yhS case There was sudden, tre-
!neu'tOUS and general outburst of popular
horror ana indignation clamOring for in
Sta.ntdneoCS vengeance. There was back
CT the criminal act not even the demand or
support oi a partial public sentiment. 1t is
indeed doubtful whether. outside of the
actual participants, there can be found in
the community one person who is willing to
apologize for, much less approve it.
From the Shoulder.
1T was the deliberately planned work of
a small party of organized conspira tors
who waited fer six weeks after the COM
Nilsson of the crime for which Randolph
was held. when the machinery of the law
had been put in regular opera ton, with a
reasonable prospect that the trial of the
prisoner would result in his conviction and
execution, and who waited further until
they had certain knowledge that the sheriff
had left the town and the prisoner was
absolutely without protection and then
stole under cover of darkness and disguise
and committed the dastardly deed.
They are guilty of needless crime, for
which there is neither Justification, apol-
oSy. excuse nor palliation, and under the
circumstanc the killing of Sidney Ran
dolph was a willful, deliberate cruel cow
ardiy and treacherOus murder CoWardIy
because had the sheriff been at the Jail the
. III hs,y-A
brave man, armed with a sense of duty
his obligation to protect the prisoner in his
custody and Il revolver, would and could
h,iVe successfully resisted the whole gang
Ireacherous, because the sheriff could
have removed his prisoner to a place of
safety had he not been assured by persons
twho could have controlled the action of
this lynching party and prevented the com
MISSION OF this crime against the majesty
or the law and debauchery of public minds
If they would) that no lynching would hi,
attempted or was ever contemplated and
that the law should be permitted to take
its course
This. gentlemen. is a crime which it is
your sWorn duty to thoroughly investigate,
10 the end that the guilty parties NAV be
1dentlfled. apprenended and brought to the
bar OF justice. given the fair and irnnartiaJ
trial which they denied Randolph. and If
convicted. receive adequate punishment for
their OffenSe
This is not case where an entire COM
munty in a moment of sudden and tremen-
dous emotion. frenzied by horror and con-
sterhauon AT the commission OF a crime of
aW1ui atrocity, and impelled by a supposed
necessity for self-prcSeTvation arises su-
Ierlor TO and overrdes the law which had
betn enacted for their own protection and
wfeaks sudden vengeance upon self-con-
leSsei criminal; but the clean-cut issue is
whether small party of organized con-
sfirators Is to be permitted with inlpunity
10 defy all law, invade the very precinct IS
OF the court, and snatch from the custody
OF tiie offcers of the Law ard foully murder
a man who had never confessed. who had
not bee. tric1 ard cow .cted ard was there
1ore IN contemplation of law innocent and
about whose actual guilt many persons who
mad followed the evidence entertained Sc
rious doubts If offenses of this kind are
70 he ignored and unpunished courts of ius-
tce might as we'll he dispensed with
Call to Duty.
Nv hat happened to Randolph, the penni-
less negro tramp and outcast may be the
fate of any man. white or black, who NAV
be arrested, charged with the commission
OF crime under circumstances of peculiar
atrocity, or in a time of great political ex-
citement, whether he be guilty of not.
whenever a band of lawbreakers can be or
ganized who will deliberately wait until the
sheriff is out of the way and then effect
their purpose without any danger to
themselves by the safe and easy process of
terrOrtzing timtd jailer