The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-03-28
EN1PORIA's PLEA.

EA1POHIA'S PLEA.
We printed in yesterdays paper COM
munication from citizens of Emporia in
reply to an editorial article in The Times
of Sunday, in which this remarkable Ian
suage is used:
But we. knowing the situations the out
ragged feelings Of The neigEbcrs and :
friends of the two murdered men, and
how ihccnaed they were against the
troops being here, and their objections to
the removal of the prisoners, and their
indignation increasing all the time, we
thought it certainty If the troops re-
manned there would be useless blood shed
through conflict between the troops ana
the friends and neighbors of the murder
ed men, for there was every indication
of an attack being made on the troops
to procure the prisoners and to prevent
their being taken away from here
We are informed that representatives
of the mob waited upon Major CutchiEs
to inquire of MIN if he really intended to
.shoot to kills. in the event that the mob
should make an assault upon the Jail.
and they actually seemed to be surprised
when Major Cutchins told them that he
was there to defend the States prisoners
and would do so to the last Shot and the
last man. ''Would you shoot old friends
to protect a murderer" they asked.
Not to protect murderer" he replied,
but to protect the law"
Subsequently citizen of Emporia saw
Major Cutclins, SO we are informed, and
advised him that it would be reckless for
81; CT nd ap "a nct the n1nh
should an assault upon the Jail be made.
That if he resisted. the mob would Stay
every one of his soldiers and that it would
be needless sacrifice of life. Therefore
the prudent thing for him to do was to
fire over the heads of the mob and then
gracefully retire!
This communication is shocking to us.
The soldiers were sent to Emporia by the
Governor of the State to uphold the law
and to see that there was no mob vio-
lence. It was the same thing as if they
had been modified in the Capitol grounds
at Richmond to protect the written laws
of the State from the sacrileSe OF an
enemy. Yet, Major Cutchins was seri-
ously advised, and those citizens OF En-
poria, who addressed the signed card to
The Times, take the same view. that it
we're better for the soldiers to retire and
leave the mob in possession of the field
than that human life should be sacrificed
in resisting the mob. Was ever such a
l1un,iliat ting pronouncement from repre-
sentative citizens of Virginia? This
We I'm
the men of Greensville county, We know
several of the men who signed that card
in The Times. We know the stock from
which they came. We have known them
for years and years, and we know that
they are brave men and would never run
from an enemy. But they utterly failed
to grasp the situation. They did not seem
to see that there was a contest between
representatives of the law and a bowling
mob, that the fair name of old Virginia
was involved and that if there ever was
a cause since the world began when Vir-.
ginia soldiers were called upon to stand
firm and to fight and. if need be, to die
in defence of principle, 1t was then and
there at Emporia on Saturday last. Run
away from a mob rather than shoot?
Run away from a mob rather than be
shot? Surely the brave men of-Greens-
VILE county were beside themselves. They
did not grasp the situation. They did not
know of what stuff Sol Cutclins and his
men were made.
God forbid that we Should do the people
of Enporia an injustice. There are men
there whom we have known and loved
from childhood, and there are no better
and truer men anywhere than are to be
found among the representative citizens
of that county. But the mob ruled at
Em1oria on Saturday. 1t was mad, in
furiated, blood-r thirsty mob, and 1t com
mitted acts which The Times as public
newspaper is in duty bound to condemn
and denounce.