Smyrna times., 1897-08-25
The Court of Judge Lynch.
Correspondence to the Times.
STATE ROAD. DEL. Au0 1907

correspondence 10 the IlmeS
STATE Road, DEL, Aug. 1897.
Mr.. EDITOR: There has been re-
Gently quite number of what is called
lynchings taking place in different
quarters and in localities that show
that such events are not confined to
certain sections or to certain classes.
The papers all with one accord de-
nounce them. 1 would like to INQUIRE
OF those who engage in such sweeping
denunciations of lynchings, whether
they think that those who engage in
them are sinners GbOUe all men
such stirring events so frequently re-
curing are undoubtedly the eff
1ects OF underlying causes that
would produce similar effects in
other communities and at almost
any other time or place. [ am not
meaning to Justify or approve of
lynching, but only to try to trace out
the causes that lead to it, and are now
leading to it with an alarming fire.
quency. We are continually encoun-
terlng the expression" let the law take
Its course" Does anybody know what
the course of the law is? If so. when
has 1t been allowed to take its course?
There is an underlying current of SYM
pathy with crime that does and will
now and then call up the most desper-
ate remedies.
Look at that Durrant case, the muir
derer OF two innocent girls, now after
more than two years see-sawing. and
after sentence of death has been passed
upon him, is still to be carried to
another court. But California is a
long way off. Is it any better at
home? There was case right there
at GEORGETOWN cOlored man who
had murdered his wife, just as Gordy
was charged with doing, not only at
large, but actually appointed as one of
the guards over the prisoner. It NAV
be the course of the lawyers, rather
than the course of the law; but it is
the course that seems to be frequently
taken, to commute to Imprisonment
Tor life, and then in few months
pardon by the Governor.
Have we not now quite a number of
murderers of the worst class running
at large by virtue of the clemencv of
the Governor? Your readers have not
forgotten that Neal case. What a des-
perate effort was made, carrying the
case from one court to another until
the people were wearied out. There
was no thought of lynching Marshal
Price until a move was made to remove
his case to another court. Somebody
may say there was no move made to
lynch Gordy. They did not trv the
experiment there. Perhaps
his friends did not have money enough.
If there had been an attempt to DELAY
and run the county to expense carry
ing the case to other courts, they could
have had a genuine lynching speedily.
L am not meaning to apologize for
lawlessness at all, but L say that like
causes will produce like effects while
the world stands. This continual es-
Gaping of criminals emboldens people
in the commission of the most revolt
ing of crimes. No sooner is a long.
tedious and expensive trial over than
we hear hurrah for new trial. Let
US have the trial all over again. See
how long we can keep it on hand, and
how much expense we can impose upon
the county.
Now all you editors who are being so
shocked with what you call
mob violence, try the effect of striking
1T the root of the evil. Let the law
yers agree to let the law take it's
course, instead of doing all that is in
their power to prevent it. Then we
may hope that the people will cease to
Jake the law into their own hands.
Your OLD CoRREsPoNDENT.