The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1897-01-20
The Item Attacked.
Editor Gonzales Vanquishes
Mr. Sturgeon.

Mr. Sturgeon.
To the Editor cf The State
| see by tie Sumter Item Of jan. 8 ths; it
il "aa upius;i:aola and outrageous deed for
the good people Of Sumter county 10 ly1ch
one Of the brutal nurderers that I3!s
state heard vi Now ask the editcr Of The
Item what, in his opinion, is ''jasti6ahle- J"
Does be coincide with murderer Cooper?
believe in the law 80 ;oug as the officers do
their dutY, but when they Tail, and there is
90 other redress. what are our good people 10
DO?
When one of the most highly respected
families Of Sumter coon,y are ali murdered
by Simon Cooper aud then the editor Of the
Sumter Item TO say lis an outrage" fer the
people to execute ibe law, which the officers
bad failed to do, what remains for ns 10 Go!
Again he says 1t was not a '.oraVe execu-
ton" will admi, that auv Que coaid have
lynched Simon Cooper after he was captured,
but were they not brave men VITO surround
ed the house that Cooper was in, kns~ing a.
the same tine that he was arned with VIM
chester..rif;?
Aeaic, be seems TO think that there was q
lot of hanor connected with the tragedy
Had he been 90 the scene, rs | was. he GER
taiuly woc. never have tnought Of such
uncalled.fer remarks. II lynch'ng quin-
iup!e murderer ia 30 outrage, then what does
protecting our 6:esides consist in?
J. II. Sturgeon
Lake City,, s c
The edi'oe If the Sumter llsr IS
quite capable Of answering FOR hiussif
on all occasions, cut we arr ua"l;;:"e
that such letter as this shall appear il
the State wi;hcct reply fram US.
Does the editor Of 'i'aa lem coiuc:da
With murderer Cooper? ASKS Ac Star.
gecn Nc; he '.coaeidss' win he
Judgment Of the Almighty, pronounced
1t Sinai. the a;.tafes of Humanity. t::s
Constitution aud laws of Seu:h Caro-
Ina. made By aad for Mc. S:urgeon
and the rest OF the people OF the State,
and with that elementary rule of hos
esty and honor. the kcepiog of piigh:ed
faith. The defenders Of the slaughter
of Cooper made mistake Instead Of
attacking Editor Os'ecn tSey should
direct their assaults against the Dsca
logue. the Constitution, the code Of
morals and the mandates Of hooor. for
these are the things that really cfecd
them. II they can be done away vi: b
there will be no editorial cause Of
offense.
The slain of Mr. Sturgeon that the
law offered GO redress is untenable
Cooper had been arrested !; be vas 10
the hands OF the law; the im maglnation
cannot conceive Of a jury of the vicln
age who would have acquitted bim bis
death vas certainty. There bad been
a failure to arrest the murderer before he
FILLED the Wilson family, but after that
there was DO neglect of legal duty;
he was 10 he custody Of a posse when
be was lyucbed.
Mr.. Sturgeon asks if the men 1bo
surrounded be house Cooper wa~ in.
kno~ wing him to have Winchester
r:Ga. we're Got brave Some Of them
doubtless were Had they advances III
the open and stcrmsd the cabiu ucder
Gre they would all have proved 'hem-
selves so beyond question We do not
know how many exposed themselves to
Cocper's shots. so We caonos say now
many showed courage or possessed II
Of one thing, bcwever. we are very
sure-the meu who shot and hanged
Cooper after bis surrender Oh the stated
copditious we're cot brave They were
co~ards % this pcins We make au
Appropriate quotation from the York
vile Enquirer:
There beiog no longer any danger, the
moncrel crowd Which remained behind,
a h.ie hra?e mes were r,skirg their lives.
came rusbiug c1 the sceoe They Immediate
ly begin, so 10 speak, to aic. man who is
down.sgd when the now helpless tn; Still de-
6ant negro replies, SOMEBODY shoots him 10
the back-mArk the place-in the tack, AID
the non begins TO howl for his blood.
Weare not accusiuted with all the details
in the case; but we are prepared 10 say that
tina, shot 10 the back was not fred by Dir.
Stansill, or aoy o:e of tie fifteen or '~ent?
men who went across that oper space at the
risk Of their ives. We are prepared Also TO
say thai not one Of the mea who thus sx-
posed themselves, and Afterwards promised
the negro that he should surreuder had any
thing to do with the hanging which occurred
little later, and not one OF them could have
found the leas. pleasure in firing shot
The cvgtos bcdy after he was dead. The
men " no aid al; this work, We are more than
willing to wager, came from the crowd which
stood oacA out of the range CT that dreaded
Winchester, until sitter the ccgro vas cap.
.ured and their precious carcassea were cut
Of danger.
And i; is this iha; makes mob law 90 OBJ
i.c,iourhie. ReaIy brave men Esauy al"a's
OF trusted to act 10 accordance with the die
ta,es OF their beiier instiucts; but not so
With cowa,ds All ,hey need is o:por-
,tuui,v, aud With opportunity a"d
safety 70 themselves, they qaickl7 devel-
o. the ferocity of brute. Uuable or nn"il-
nj, tary i,Ybt CT