The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1899-05-19
GET THE FACTS, BROTHER,

lut hiiilug VI piNhthpl 'AbbP' "N
Water Valley, was II of the most
brutal, cowardly crimes Mississippi has
ever witnessed, His only offence was
exposing n rich man and showing him
| up in his true light. Mr.. Gibbs pub
lished an article calling attention to the
fact that this man was working people
at starvation wages, and that his hands
were objects of charity on the COM
munity. Gibbs had inst gotten up from
a sick bed when the rich man horse
whipped him. He vas almost unable
to walk before the beating was admin
istered. He went home and died from
the effects of the beating the mex day.
The cowardly lot of people in the news
paper business at Water Valley refused
to give an account of the ~dastardly
murder because of the wealthy mans
money. Let such a thing occur in West
Point, it matters not if the richest man
in Clay County is the perpetrator Of
such a cowardly deed and the only rea-
son it won be published in the Times
il because the editor will be killed be
fore he gets time to write it up. The
idea of suppressing facts, because of a
mans financial condition, Coddling to
the rich and letting their money pave
the way to any crime and then suppress
the facts. We notice that this coward
ly Creosus let Rev. Lagrone and the
other ministers severly alone, but at
tackled aud killed a poor sick a who
was trying to better society and do the
world a good deed by exposing a tiend
incarnate. The newspapers of Water
Valley are about AS low down as the
principal actor in this case.-West
Point Times.
The article shows what misjnfOr-
nation leads To-. While the papers OF
Water Valley. we were told, made no
mention If the above occurencc-tU
save miS>tAtement- like the above
still We thought then and think now,
had they made Il true statement Of
the facts in the case, all the hnmili-
alton that they have since had to IN
dcrgo and the tlngS at their people
could have been avoided. This ar
ticIe was no doubt written by one
without the possession Of the facts
in the case which a careful peIuSal
will show. In the first place the
physicians say that Rev. Gibbs death
was not the result of the blows he
received at the hands Of Mr.. Wagner:
again he was not just up from a sick
bed u was he hOrSe-whipped by Mr..
Wagner or his nephew, but was
struck by the latter with his fist and
instead of dying next day, va down
on the street. and did not die until
twenty days afterwards, from Il COM
plication Of other diseases, We do
not believe that Rev LagrOne or any
of the other ministers of that city
had anything to do with the article
written by Mr.. Gibbs and the attack
was due to Mr.. Wagncr's loss Of self
control and not the condition of Mr..
Gibbs health. We know the people
OF Water Valley, and "A Drawer and
nobler christian people never lived.
After the officers Of the law arrested
the parties and fined them for the
offence, what more' could be done?
We do not believe that there is a
man, woman or child who endorsed
the assault on Preacher Gibbs, as
their business and social relationship
has since proven. For eighteen years
we have known Mr.. ID. Il. Wagner
and it Is the first time we have ever
known him to get into any kind of a
difficulty. The injustice done the
citizens Of the city should be amend
ed, for there are few. If any. chris
tian homes IN the city but what
there are expressions of sorrow over
Mr.. Gibbs death, and tender arms
ready to receive his wife and willing
hands to help her bear her troubles
and share her sorrows. And now
that the case is in the courts, let the
Judgment of the press be withheld
until the case Is decided.
MTLAuRIN GANG MUST BE OuSTED.