The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1896-04-02
THE COUNTY NISREPRE-
SCENTED.

referred to the removal Of Henry Dow
den from the county jail to Raleigh u
terms 81 some di-credlt to the citizens
of this county. i said
BY order q the powers hat be, those
il high places. sheriff Clark last Tues
day night removed Henry Dowden. tie
midnight assassin. from Halifax coun-
II iaiI and conveyed him to Wake I
county jail for safe keeping, it being \
alleged that he was IN danger Of being .
lynched
"There has never been time since
tile arrest Of the murderer that he was
in the least danger Of mob violence at
the hands Of Halifax county people, /
and the allegation is an insult and an
outrage to the noble sons Of the old
historic county. There has never been
4 lynchlng III the county and there
vas no talk Of Iynching Dowden, how
ever much he deserved swift justice.
If the people Of this county had IN
tended rcsorting to mob law they would
have called IN Judge Lynch on the
morning Of the brutal murder.
"-olcitor Daniel informs Us that he
has never feared that Dowden would be
/ Ivnched and that he believed that the
people Of the county would have pro-
/ tected the prisoner and that he Wa.
perfectly safe in Halifax county Jail.
/ .sThc news now goes abroad that Hall
/ fax county people are lawless set.
/ Nothing could be wider of the truth.
The people OF this county inherited
those grand, law-abding principles
/ which make mob violence impossible.
and the sunshine Of heaven never fell
upon nober, more loyal, or true citl-
zens.
"Another fact is this Dowden is
taken right to the home Of lawyers
who raised the money to effect the APP
peal and placed in a jall where more
prisoners have escaped than from
orr Jail.
"The removal Of Dowden puts stain
upon the fair escutcheOn of the coun-
i ty. because 1t SAYS to the world that We
were about to engage III lawless act,
and IL the name of every law abiding
citizen of the county, we most emphat-
really deny it,
We agree with our neighbor when It
says that there never has been time
since the arrest of this murderer that
he was in the least danger Of mob VIC
ence at the hands Of Halifax county
people !" and We have never heard it
intlmated by any one that Henry Dow
den was in the least danger ''at the
hands OF Halifax county people" But
we would ask the Nems if it was not a
current report that there was suspicion
Of persons coming from outside Of Hall
fax county to do violence to Dowden
even before he was tried in the crimi-
nal court at Halifax?
Was it not reported, or at least sug-
gested, that the friends of engineer
Dodd would probably see to 1t that
Dowden got speedy Justice in some
way?
Was it never heard in Halifax coun
ty after Dowden shot and killed engi
neer Dodd that there was some danger
OF his being troubled even before a tria
could be had, even though the Criml-
: nal court was to sit on his case the yer,
next week after the killing?
And if such surmise, or suggestion
2 ever tioated about, was it in the fear 0
, violence at the hands of "Halifax coun
f ty people,"
o The truth of the whole matter i
r this: There were tears entertained b.
e some that persons outside of Hallfa,
s county might come to Halifax ant
g hurry up justice for Dowden even be
+ fore his trial; and after he was tried
q convicted and sentenced to be hanee,
e on March Eth, and an appeal was Ell
l. fected for him whereby the execution
would at least be delayed for some time
t. those fears grew stronger, and conse
e quently it was ordered that Dowde1
n should he removed to Raleigh tor NOR
Is safe keeping
Is If, therefore, 1.-The news goes abroa
n that Halifax county people are a law
less set, it is because OF such misat
prehensions as the Roanoke Neus cav