The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1900-01-04
a FLAGIsaNT OUTRAGE.
Constable Shoots n Negro In tho Usual
Place, the Back-Strong Denuucia.
tion of Tho C0wardly Act.

tiOn of Tho COwardly Acr.
:. COLUMBIA, S. c.. Dec %, 1899. .
T5 the E ii,ur of Tne State:
Upon reading in tho morntps's pa.
por the account Of tho shooting OF q
prisoner by " constable, it was with
profound regret that turncu to your
editorial columns Hud there found NO
protest against such naprmut violation
Of ln~.
The great c'ima Of tho dmy sthe
utter disregard uf humAn life and no.
where no"s lhiS evil in,lru abound than
in our own Stato.
Tn. current Of ihis evil must be
stayed or our civilization Will be i'm.
pcrillGd.
10 esy nothing of The moral law, it
would seem ~ though We had drifted
far away from onsh the funuuulr n tsl
principles Of both thc Engliab Com
mon LHw and Our own Bill uf Rights
lher" we arc taught that human life
Is e&crcu aud thAt none ehhli be de-
r!ved "i his life, lib r,y or property
WI hout due process Of law"
Unu"r the benign H. Il lence OF our
civilization, and under the gradual
evolution ~ - better law. but Tow
crimes are 80 h daVus as TO bn punish
abe with dsHtu; auu yet we fad ~ the
mtdst OF lhis very civil Hnt,oE, g.. Il
nnocr the DrotHctirn Uf thla very luw,
the growing tendency on ,hc part OF
thc Individual to avenSc his wrongs,
or cVt,H fAnriGl wrongs, with the lle
Of hia feiiow man.
This disregard OF human lilo Is bad
enough, indeed, um0LG the law less {;
but how 'ncoinparabiy worsc when
w!tnessod among thoso clothed with
tho authority OF law, and wearing oven
tho iDSipnia N nf thni, hjyb =, fRpo
The reckless use Of the pistol by our
peace Ulcers (consla5, es, policemen
guards, &C. while making arrest, or
pTeVcntlGs IN escape from arrest, In
tho ordinary cases OF misdcmeanor heb
come TO be such q common practice
that 1t sui1ices To cause alarm among
w-abiGing ctizans. How it has been
tolerated SO long it is hard TO con-
cclvc. The impression soems to pre-,
vail that, for any cause, the peace off.
Ger Is warranted In taking lifo in order
To effect the arrest. How such an idea
ever became current it Is h3rd to un-
dcrstand.
Ignorance OF tho law affords no cx-
cuse. aud they should be informed that
no crime sho tot IL felony will warrant
|he taking OF lie MS q necessary means
OF ellGctlhg the 3rrcst aud oven thcn
only under very peculiar circumstnn.
ccs. In fact, the pcace ofliecr's weapon
IS Inteudcd @s q means OF defence
rather than off1nsh,
From tho newspaper statement, the
prisoner WAC under arrcst, charged
with having disposed Of goods under
hon. From the statement II further
appears tho goods wore OF Ia, small
value. At most, the OF ,nso was but -
mis0cincauor, and had .ha b4cu trio d
AMI convlctcO tho snvoru,t s~ntencs Of
the court would have becn hard la :
Dor ON tho chain gang" for perhaps 80
days.
And now, for an attempt to escape
from arrest before trial and b1 fore con.
viction, he is shot down, and probabl y
shot to death by the Constable. For
| THIS act tho constable is guilty OF q
most aggravated assault should the
man live; anu should he die, he Is
| guilty OF murder.
The great crime committed by this
officer is,. OF course, against the person
OF his unfortunate prisoner. But the
offence does not end there. BY suo!,
reckless, useless and warranted use
OF q pistol upon thu public street, In
ono or the most denscly populated pOr.
tlons OF the city, whereby the lives o
thosc passing werc at leaot endangered
he committed ~ crime again u this city
and every citizen thereof.
We have Witnessed in tho past toe
great disregard Of the lives OF our
people by the reckless use OF pistols
upon the public streets, and it Is high
time that it should be stopped.
The responsibility rosts with those
In authority. The peace and dignity
OF the State and OF tho city should be
! preserved and tho livee OF our oitizons
duly protected.
For the sake, therefore, of the peace
and good order OF this community, as
VOL as for tho protection OF tho lives
OF our law abiding citizens, l trust
that those clothed with the proper au-
tnority viii uso this as an occasion TO
romody this great evil
w. A. CLARK.