Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1899-08-05
FlENDISH BARBARIrY.

WE challenge any one to cite q case
in any foreign land, not excepting
TURKEY, where Q crime as heinous as
the one here cited has ever been com
mitted By the most frenzied fanatical
mobs. Here is what actually occurred
at satfold, Georgia. July oath, 1899.
This is the same country which claim
ed to have engaged in war with SPAIN
in the interest OF humanity. and in or.
der to cause a cessation OF barbArous
practices at our very doors.
The name Of the victim of the mob's
vengence was CHARLKs MACK. and it is
plainly stated that he had not in any
way injured any of the murderers who
took this means of ending his life. 1t
would be we'll too to call attention to
the Constitution of the United States
which guarantees that ''cruel and I'M
usual punishments shall not be infiict-
ed" These fiends put to death this
man in the manner hereafter describ-
ed. They first punished the off GERS
OF the law for doing their sworn duty
This is the way they did it:
"When the guards discovered that
their treachery had been found out.
they begged and pleaded piteously for
mercy. After bestowing many kicks,
cuffs and curses on the men, the mob
leaders released them and sent them
scurrying through the forest home"
Now, these were Gov. CANDLER's off,
GERS of the law, who were treated in
this manner. They were white men.
Is it possible to conceive that white
men, born in the image OF their CreA-
tor could subject any living thing to
the torture herein described. 1t il
pregnant with all of the horrors of the
Spanish Inquisition. "DANrE's Infer
no" is well-nigh out done. It Is bar
barous. It is cruel. 1t is fiendish. Tits
damnable. It is crime whose helm
business is unrelieved by a single re-
deemIng feature. 1t places the perpe-
traitors outside Of the pale of cIviliza.
ton and many degrees lower than that
recorded ss the limits of barbarism.
Such men are beneath the hvena arr
the pity of it is that they are human.
Here is what these white men did
Yes, this is Whist they committed with.
in the sound of church bells and the
limits Of the 10Th Century civilization
"All who had knives produced them
and proceeded to slowly torture the
wretch to death. He writhed and
struggled and cursed and screamed
but no mercy was shown. The white
men around him tainted him with his
crime and Clipped off small bits Of his
fl ssh, wrapping them in papers to car
ry home as souvenirs. At an early
stage OF the proceedings, members o.
the mob circled around Mack, chip.
ping of parts of muscles of the armI
a nd legs. cutting away the flesh around
mis- ribs, hacking at his fingers, bend
ing back his arms until they almost
snapped and running their knife-pointc
into loose folds Of his f ssh. The Ne.
gro was a quivering, bleeding mass o.
flesh, almost unrecognizsble before
the mob deigned to resort to powder
and bullets"
And again:
TT is marvellous how life could have
remained in his musilated, tort trad
frame as long as it did After they sd
carried this barbarIty to an excess the
mob performed its only act OF mercy.
The chains were loosened, the rops
around the neck frightened, and as the
body, mere mass Of ragged but ami
mated fl ssh, rose into the air, the com
mand fire !" was given. At the word
flames burst from hundreds OF weapon
and the rope stretched under it's heav,
burden OF lead"
But the end was not yet:
"a wild scramble followed for th