The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1899-12-27
A FLAGRANT OUTRAGE.
Constable Shoots n Negro In The
Usual, Place, the Back-StrOng
DepuncIatiOn of the COward1y Act.


Constable shoots a Negro In Ih'
Usual Place, the Back-StrOns
DepuncIatiOn of the COwardly Act
Columbia. s. c.. Dec. %. 1899.
To the Editor Of The State:
account OF the shooting OF u prisoner by {
constable, 1t was with profound regret that
turned to your editorial columns and there
found no protest against such fagrant viola
tion ofaw. ...-.
The great crime of the. dag ia the utter dis
regard Of human lie and nowhere does thi
evi.more abound than In our own Slate.
The current Of this evil must be stayed. o.
our civilization vii! be tmperiled.
To say nothing of the moral law. IT woult
seem as though we had drifted far away frou
the fundamental principles OF both the En-
Rlish Common Law and our own Bill o
Is sacred; and that none shall "be deprived o
his life, liberty or property without due pro
cess of law"
Under The benign influence OF our civlIza
tiOp, and under the gradual evolution OF s
better law, but few crimes are 80 hideous as tc
be punishable with death and yet we find In
the midst of ihls very civilization, and under
the protection of this very law. the growine
tennency on the part OF the Individual II
avenge his wrongs, or even fanc1ed wrongs
with the life Of his fellow man. =
This disregard of human life Is bad enough
indeed, among the lawless; but how incom
parably worse when witnessed among those
clothed with the authority Of law. and wear
Ing even the insignia OF their high office.
The reckless use OF the pistol by our peace
officers (constables, policemen. guards etc..
while making arrest, or preventing an escape
from arrest. In the ordinary cases OF mis-
demeanor has come TO be such com mon
pratlce that 1t suffices TO cause alarm among
iaw.abiding citizens. How It has been toler.
ated so long II Is hard to conceive. The I'm.
preston seems to prevail that. for any cause,
A. 49, TOD FOL if,cr1 I'm
order TO effect the arrest. How such an Idea
ever became curl ent we cannot understand.
Ignorance of the law affords no excuse and
they should be Informed that no crime short
Of felony will warrant the TAX Ing OF life as 9
necessary means OF efecting the arrest; and
even then only under very reculisr circum.
stances. In fact, the peace officers weapon Is
intended as means Of defence rather than
offense. ~ 7r ,,'r
From the newspaper statement, the prison.
er was under arrest, charged with having
disposed of goods under Hen." From the
It further appears the goods were OF
but misdemeanor, and had, he been tried
convicted the severest sentence Of the court
and would have been "hard labor on the chain
gang" for perhaps 30 days.
And now, for an attempt to escape from
arrest, before trail and before conviction, he is
shot down, and probably shot to death by the
constable. For this act the constable is guilty
OF O most aggravated assault should the man
live and should he die, he is guilty OF mur
der. s-E. I'D.
The great crime committed by this officer
is, OF course, against the person OF bis un'
lortunare prisoner. But the offence does not
end there. BY such reckless, useless and un.
warranted use OF pistol upon the public
street. in one of the most densely populated
portions Of the city, whereby the lives OF
those passing were at least endangered, be
COMMITTED e a crime crime against this city and
We have witnessed In the past too great q
disregard OF the lives of our people by the
reckless use of pistols upon the public ST. eets
The responsibility rests. with those In
authority. The peace and dignity OF the
State and of the city should be preserved and
the lives OF our citizens duly protected.
For the sake, therefore. OF the peace and
good order of this com mi unity, as well as fol
The protection Of the lives Of our law. abiding
citizens, trust that those clothed with the
proper authority will use this as an occasion
10 remedy this great evil. W. A. Clark.
Upon which the editor Of The State makes
these forcible and timely remarks. We hope
that his powerful influence may avail ir
stopping the murderous practice Of shooting
negroes in the back. The Almighty never
anticipated 80 cowardly an act,- and conse
quently made no proviaion for protection II
the back. A wound in the back is therefor,
generally fatal:
For the information Of Mr.. Clark and those
who read his letter we will say that once in {
while the editor Of The State does not "sit W
with the paper" and that Friday night wa
one Of those occasions Of blessed privilege
Wherefore he did not know OF the shooting
Of this negro until he read 1t in The Stat,
yesterday morning. But when be did read Il
he resolved TO make such comment as Mr.
Clark has anticipated him In making.
do NJ m nih
able lawyer and man Of affairs has written
we only wish to emphasise II. On two Of
three occasions before we have felt II duty
10 civilization and humanity TO protes
against the practice by police and constabul
AIRY officers of shooting at escaping prisoner
charged with misdemeanors 1t 10 lawles
aud intoerable practice, fragrant abuse
power, and we have condemned II as strong
~ az we knew how. In no instance how
ever, has the offender been punished. II II
full time now to do justice and make an eX
ample and We insist In the name OF outraged
law and in behalf OF the good and just ant
constable shall be brought TO trial and deal
with az law and public safety demand.
To Kill man for selling property unde
lien and trying to run away-thipk of II
What excuse can there possibly be for suct
an act? What security Is there for anybody
charged with no matter how venial OF ohense
II so-called officers OF the law may lawlessi.
exercise in this manner the functions Q
Judge, Jury and execulioner? Ah. but thi
fugitive was negro, and therefore the pre-
cedent does not apply TO white men who ma!
do as be did! That is true, and IL doubles tn
shame of the occurrence that II Is true
White men are not shot down In such cases
IL would be dangerous. That treatment Is re
served for members OF race which Is veal
and at the mercy OF the whites which is SUP
posed TO be without friends and defenders.
| Manliness, decency, Justice, humanity or
out against this discrimination. These peopl
are our wards. We owe them the projection
Of the laws. We owe 1t to ourselves, 10 ou
honor. that they shall have such protection
The responsibility is wholly upon us, and W
cannot shirk IL without disgrace.
| Governor McSweeney should require thi
constable TO be imm ell lately discharged fror
a post whose obligations he has outraged
The sheriff Of the county should cause h
arrest on the proper charge; and the prosecr
tion should be pressed with undlnchlng RESI-
luton.
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