The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1897-01-20
WHAT COL. RHAME THINKS.
More Opinions Concerning the
Lynchfng of Simon Cooper.

iyncnlng OF SIMON cooper.
Mr.. Editor: In the Item of the 9th inst,
you say, among other things, that 'stbe kill
ing of Cooper adds but another 10 the list Of
horrors chat have occurred in Sumter County
this week. 10 the Item of the llth, you
say along with many other things, that sit
(Cooper's killing) was lust for blood, moth
ing more nor less," that it was ttigerish, not
human; savagery, not civilizstion; crime,
not respect fer enforcement of law; olIad and
irresponsible slaughter, not justice" You
say also s'that the spirit that prompted the
mob that committed this bloody outrage
against law and civilization was an outcrop-
ping of the identical latent savage instinct,
present 10 most men, that possessed Simon
Cooper himself when be slaughtered those
who crossed his path"
No wonder, therefore, that you declare, in
the same Issue, that the citizens who attended
the Magnolia mass meeting SHOULD haze
made haste to clear themselves of the iGpu
tation that they proposed committing the
crowniog act of savagery" by s'burning the
mangled remains OF Cooper, had the body
been sent to Magnolia" can only quote
very small part Of what you have had to
say in the Item On the subject of Cooper's
butcheries aud his death at the hands of tbe
citizens Of Snmter County, but your utter
ances in priot are all before the public, have
been read, and re-read perhaps, and l only
quote here some of the worst things you have
said about your fellow-citizens. 1t does not
require any effort of the mind to 6nd the log
ical conclusion, necessarily deducible from
what you have SAID, takiog into considera-
ton everything good, bad aud Indifferent.
Wha. you have said means simply this,
That Simon Cooper was ssa 6end, devil in
carnate with a tigecish lust for blood, raw
isher Of female virtue, and richly merted
death''-and that large number of the good
citizens of Sumter County who put this 6end
and ravisher TO death, and a great many
Others from this and other sections who ap-
proved the killing. aud denounced the criti-
cisms of the Item are along 10 the same cate
cory with. savages. murderers and 6ends.
That they are controlled by the identical saw
age instincts and lust for blood that possessed
Simon Cooper himself, when he committed
wholesale murder and rape. This, repeat,
is what you say sir, Of the people Of Sumter
Couuty-ar least many of ths best of them.
Why then, if there is truth in your declars-
tions, should cot these 6ends Se hang2 Sure
" it is not because the Items editor would
have to be both jury and executioner.
Now, sir, since you are 80 good at discov-
ering motives {of lust for blood and savagery)
suppose you explain what motive possessed
the Items editor when he offered to be one of
q party to lynch colored man IN Magnolia
who was onIy charged with aiding Cooper
and helpiug to keep him hidden and posted,
between the killing of Davis, on January lst,
and the butchery of the Wilson's aud Smith
on the 9Th. You we're there. sir, rife in
hand, add yoa told the writer that burning
was too good for Cooper aud you distinctly
offered to be one to go from the scene of the
Wilson murder to Magnolia TO lynch the
party referred 10. How comes it then when
others oay carry out 10 part your idea Of
infictibg punishment and death on the mur-
derer aud "ravisber of female virtue' that
they are such 'stigerish savsges, lusting for
blood" What wrought this wonderful
change in the Items editor, that after being
engaged for two days 10 chase conducted
by 'ssavages lussiog for blood": be became
angelic as sooa as the frs, shot was fred and
ran back TO his desk to hur against others
charges which be considered damniog, if be-
lieved?
Such reckless and damnahle charges
against ones neghbors aud fellow citizens,
10 view of the facts and circumsances, are
unworthy Of any brave or truthful man, aud
constitute the most mischieyous slander ever
uttered against any portion Of the citizens of
Sumter county.
In the killing of Cooper no law, human or
divine was violated-save technically hudan
law
You kuew full we'll, sir, that it was settled,
during the hunt for Cooper, throughout the
State, much less Samter county, that Cooper
would be at once put TO death and never
tried by regular court He had verify been
tried aud condemned to death long before be
was caught, and, as the Items editor says,
40 doubt about his guilt. 1t was unreasona-
BILE 10 any man or number of men to ask
that Cooper be carried to jail-it would have
taken all The troops in the State to guard
him, and the three gentlemen (brave men
though they be) who undertook to promise
Cooper protection from immediate death did
not use their judgmect, for they should have
known that it would be impossible to save
his life, without the loss of many other
lives.
You have said that escape was impossible.
That is the veriest stuff. Cooper knew tina.
logger resistance was ort of the question,
and he ouly parleyed, as is plain, to give
little time and lay scheme for getting
among the crowd without being first shot
down, and every circumstance proves beyond
doubt that be had q plan by which be
hoped to escape, and be stood good chance.
He came out, not unarmed, according to
agreement with the three gentlemen, (who
\ bad no right to make such an agreewent) but