The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-05-09
A VIEW OF THE zEIGLER CASE.
Which Is Entertained by some of the
Citizeas Of sereven County.


Cifizens of sereven County.
Editor Morning News: II am permit
ted 10 say a few words through your
valuable columns. would like 10 speak
Of the condition Of our county. 1 shall
speak only as a citizen who was born
and reared here, and who has cast his
lot among his own people.
need not relterate all the facts which
has brought about the present deplOrable
state Of affairs, because all seekers OF
truth generally find the precious jewel
readily; but 10 those who viii not under
stand, IL ever remains hidden.
The original parties have all gone 10
mat bourne from whence no traveller re-
turns, the consequences Of their acts lin
ger after they have gone. The origin
Of the first lameutaSie act (the killing
or George Zeigler) was attributable 10
corrupt politics and poisonous whisky.
Ihen followed the refusal of the courts
70 DO any thing except ind true bli
against solomon and COrrN Zeigler tor
whipping COnOr Williamson. who cut
their fathers throat. Nearly twelve
months after Sheriff BrOOker had been
turned loose the Zeigler brothers shot
him at an association, about five miles
from mere An indictment was obtained
during. the November term of court
against them for murder. Since that time
the sherim has been TO their home twice,
Out each time they were away.
"A NAoMQ OF elguL armed men were seen
out near the Zeigler house a few days
ago. 1t Is supposed they expected to ar
rest them, but left without making any
attempt l guess on account of being dis
covered before executing their purpose.
These are all the facts there is in the
Aelgler and BROKER tragedy, as it is
called. The young men are ordinary farm
ers, VINO make their living by the sweat
OF their brow. They know or care moth
ing Of framing sentiment through the
press. From the pieces that are reported
sHanaN
10 be against them, I'm a body. And from
their past experience I'm court, they re-
gard ii an engine Of destruction, rather
than temple of justice.
From these few observations you can
gather that a considerable portion of
what has been said about the state of
affairs existing here is either false or ex-
aggerated. The citizens Of our county
have been done great injustice by those
VINO knew them not. The people of
Screven are the same in principle now as
they We're few years ago; for, while
one man may change quickly, a con-
siderable body must move slowly.
The erroneous impression which has
been created by these false reports are
clearly shown by Gov. Atkinson's proc
lamauOns Offering a reward of $3.50 each
Tor such parties as may have received or
harbored or concealed said Solomon or
| Corrie Zeigler, or who have conspired
or aided in preventing their arrest as to
be guilty Of a felony under the laws of
Georgia"
Now, great influence has to be brought
to bear upon any executive before he would
consent to impute crime to a whole COM
nlunilty py ms proclamation leaving y dis
crelonary with the detectives to arrest
and imprison our citizens at pleasure. It
IS possible for some OF them to be required
to stay in jail six months. awaiting an OPP
portunity to show they are innocent of the
charge. In order to secure the reward Ii is
difficult TO tell what some Of these things
record. The truth Of the matter is no Off
GER or detective has been able so far. to
come in contact with the Zeiglers, who,
therefore, have had no opportunity Of re-
ssting or evading the law as is charged;
If so the citizens here are unaware of the
fact. This also applies to others But no
doubt Gov. Atkinson was informed that
much worse state Of affairs existed here
than really does, or he would not have
given the detectives such authority
fraught with such possible consequences.
After studying the affairs in our county
it is my opinion that some men here be-
lieve they have been imposed upon by
others. This, these men have conjured
In their bosoms, as a public and private
grievance until they have almost driven
themselves to desperation, and such ex-
IRENE measures might have a tendency to
force the issue to a climax IN which there
would be a good many more involved
for the reason that the Zeiglers' sympa-
thizers might regard the proclamation as
putting them upon the defensive. II such
a view of the matter was taken by them,
we all know there would be host of
widows and orphans in the Eighth dis
to our citizens a feud which would descend
like an heirloom, from generation to gen.
Grafton. These are a few of the things
to be considered in acting upon the matter
under consideration. They may not con-
Germ the governor in his mansion or the
editor who writes such vigorous English
while sitting in his cushioned chair, but
it concerns materially the farmer or mer-
chant in Screven who owns little home
and upon whom depends a wife and chill
dren. These are questions of minor inn
portance, until you get in feeling distance.
I write this short article for no other
purpose than to do the citizens of Screven
justice, hoping that all Irregularities in
our. county affairs may be remedied at an
early date H. s. White