Evening star., 1896-07-09
THE GOVERNORS OFFER.
Local Detectives on the Randolph
and Oockfnw Lynchings.

THE GOVERNORS OFFER.
Local Detectives on the Randolph
and Docking Lynchings.
The local detectives were not much sur
prised when they learned that Gov.
Lowndes had offered the reward for the
apprehension OF members Of the lynchinG
parties in Charles and Montgomery coun-
ties, for they have felt reasonably certain
that when his attention was called to the
n.atter by The Star he would take some
action.
This reward" said one Of the de-
tectivss. will bring SONS Of the lynch
srs to Justice to moral certainty.
There are plenty of men IN the county who
are anxious to do detective work, and
some Of them will do almost anything In
this line especially when there Is SO much
me ney at stake. What the governor should
do is to have several of Baltimore's de-
tectfve officers make an investigation, and
think they will get down to number of
the men,
Inspector Hollinberger did not feel 80
ce1 fident about the matter. The trouble.
he says is in getting one neighhor to tell
en- another. He doubted very much
whether such thing could be accom-
plished.
Private Detective McDevitt says that the
reward is too small. He says he thinks
that the reward should be at least $5,oOO,
enough to justify man in being able to
move to another part of the country after
he succeeded in landing this lynchers. The
amount offered vould rot be sufficient for
this, and therefore would not Justify a
man In going there and making the in
irg any Of the lynchers their own lives
would be in danger, because the men in
terested In both the Buxton and Cooking
cases are men of determination, who would
not stop short of anything.
Another detective, who did not want his
name mentioned, said he thought the re-
ward was large enough to justify some
private detectives in making m effort in
who are idle now and who would no doubt
make an effort In either case to earn the
reward The Pinkerton detectives. he
thought. could land all the lynchers with
paid for their services But, he said, the
Pinkertons do not work for rewards, al
thougn he felt certain that they would
!ard the iynchers, and the cost would not
offered.
Mr.. BuxtOn's Injuries.s
GAITHERSBURG, Md. July 8, 1896.
To the Editor of The Evening Star: -.1.z
Tho citizens of Gaithersburg appreciate
the fact that your paper has been dis
posed to deal with reasonable fairness and
with journalistic courtesy in the reports of
the Buxton tragedy. which SO shocked our
community in the recent past. We, there
tore, ask the use of your valuable columns
for the following:
The insinuations that Mr.. r. L. Buxton,
the most injured In heart and mind of any
man In cur community, and the victim him
SELF OF great personal violence, had in
hicted the wounds on himself and on the
members of his family have now grown
into open charges, and these charges have
found their way into the press The peo-
pie OF Gaithersburg have felt that the idea
was prepoeterous and that the charge was
q gross. unkind and malicious slander. We
have felt 80 strcI gly on this subject that
we nave met all tnsinuations suggesting
such thing with silent contempt. But the
coWaroIy statements continue to be made
against Mr.. Buxton. a modest, brave mar, and
all Of our citizens feel outraged beyond
sary to satisfy fair-minded and Just peo-
pie that the charge is false, we have de-
termiEed to set the gross SANDER at rest
by the publication of the sworn affidavits
OF Drs. E. c. and E. H. Etchison. the ply
sicians In charge, and the statement of
that eminent physician, DR.. ]. Ford
Thompson, fully confirming their conclu-
slons. that 1t was physical impossibility
for Mr.. Buxton to have inflicted the wounds
Cpon himself. I attach these sworn state
ments. and by the publication Of them, to-
gether with this card, you will greatly
oblige your patrons In our town, and you
will retder a service in the line of simple,
honest Justice to yours, faithfully, :"
,p JS2& - GAITHERSBURG.
State of Maryland Montgomery county,
to wit:
Personally appeared before me- James E.
Trundle, notary public in and for the
county of Montgomery, state of Maryland,
e. G. Etchtson, MD. and E. H. Etchison
ND, who, being duly sworn, say:
We were called to attend r. L. Buxton
and members of his family, who were
morning Of May %, 1896. We rendered
professional services in dressing the
wounds of the aforesaid Buxtons We
critically examined the character and po-
sitfon of each wound inflicted, and from
our examination and the treatment rem
dered Mr.. Buxton at that time. and on
subsequent occasions, exercising as we did
our best professional abilities as physicians
and surgeons. we unhesitatingly say, on
oath. that our conclusion is that from the
character and the position Of the several
wounds in Mr.. Buxtons head it was
absolutely a physical impossibility for the
Buxton upon himself.
(Signed) E. C.. ETCHISON
(Sigred) E. H. ETCHISON.
1885,
(seaD .. JAMES E. TRUNDLE.
WASHINGTON, D. c., July 8, 1885 1886.
While :Mr. Buxton was in Washineton
at the Garfield Hospital was, from time
to time. in charge Of his case, and fire.
quently dressed and examined his wounds.
I have read the above affldav1t of Drs.
Etchison and fully concur in their conclu-
sion. believe with Drs. Etchison that 1t
is utterly impossible that Mr.. Buxton could
have inflicted the wounds upon himself. I
examined him at his. home before his re-
moval to the hospital and afterward, and
there was not the slightest reason for such
q $1,000