The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-06-05
THE COLUMNS LYNCHING.
The Lynchers strongly Condemned
by a Citizen of Girard.

ne LyAchers Strongly tOn0 emMed
by a Citizen of Girard.
Editor Morning News: You will publish
THIS morning an account Of the awful
crime committed in Columbus yesterday
Seldom or never has there been such a
lynching in the history of this country
Mobs have taken men from home and out
OF jails. and have even burned them. But
they have not often been taken oW Of
the hands Of the judge who was trying
them. We lose sight Of the wretched
brute who was the occasion Of all this
and the larger question Of outraged law
confronts us. The court of justice rep
resents the civiliza ton to which We have
come through centuries Of oppression and
suffering. 1t is "a guarantee Of protection
to property and life and homes and its
invasion by a mob is a deadly menace to
Processing to defend the sancuty OF the
home, they could DO few things more
nurtful 70 themselves or more demorallz-
we greatly regret that the press did
not take decided stand against the work
of yesterday. The Ledger was issued u
tanned full report and brief editorial
IN which 1t deplOres the awful course
justice was forced 20 take The
course" to which the sacred name Of
justice is attached, was that pursued by
the raging furious, maddened mob
from the court room to the bell tower.
What name should he given TO that or
derby and lawful work in which Judge
Butts was engaged when this course
There was time to think and become
cool during the night. This morning the
EnQurer-Sun. in its editorial. referred to
the bad influence Of taking the prisoner
sUmed that lynching was the proper pun
ishment for his crime. In neither paper
itself was condemned. There was an at
tempt this morning TO put the RESPONSE
bility of this work upon strangers The
leaders and their followers In yesterday
mob were not citizens Of Columbus or
Even if true THIS Would hard
Witch hfF the burden tsalf Of un dissrq qSe
city. Unless Columbus had been willing
a mob of strangers could not have taken
possession of II. IL has two military
companies, an efficient police force, and
hundreds of brave citizens ready for
special duty Yet there seems not to have
been hand raised against the mob after
il left the court house. There seemed TO be
silent acquiescence on the part of those
not actually engaged in the work. So far
as we know, nc, attempt has been made
to arrest the leaders. The disposition
seems to be to let the matter rest where
Ii is. The cOrOner's jury returned YER
dict Of death by unknown parties, and
card that was taken TO the Enquirer
Sun Office last night, suggesting that a
public meeting of law-abiding citizens be
called, and that IT become their duty 20
see that the leaders are arrested and pun
ished. This card was not published.
But we are not willing to drop the mat
ter as ii now is. There are many citizens
of@Colunbus and Of these towns across
the river who MUST express their disap-
proval of the work of yesterday. And if
they are not free TO do this at home they
Will do II elsewhere. We are opposed to
mob law in all circumstances. We main
tain that 1t does not deter men from
crime 1t cheapens human life. 1t brings
all law into contempt. 1t weakens instead
of strengthening the safeguards of home,
and it has a brutalizing influence upon all
our abhorrance Of the crime for which the
prisoner was being tried. But it does
seem a strange way to protect a home,
to set at defiance the laws which were
made for that purpose, and desecrate the
very courts through which this protection
comes to US. n. r. Harner,
Girard, Ala. June g.