Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-11-19
People Of Colorado No Worse Than
Those of Other States,
MASS MEETING IN DENVER,
RESOLUTIONS say No Crime Can jus
ufy Recourse 10 barbarian Meth
DDS Used in Porter Case.

Denver Colo, Nov. IA mass meet
ing was held here today for the purpose
of protesting against the action Of the
mob in Limon. Colo, which, on Friday
last. burned at the stake John Porter,
who had confessed that he murdered
li-year-old Louise Frost. c. NJ. Hobbs,
president Of the Y NJ. c. A.. presided.
Speeches were made by prominent ciu-
gems including Governor Thomas, May
or Johnson Of Denver. President Slo-
cum OF Colorado college, Rabbi Freed
man and Rev. Coyle OF Denver Mrs,
Sarah Plat Decker, prominent in Ma
tional Womans club circles, and 9TH
ers. They All spoke In strong terms
condemnlng what was termed the LII
mon atroclty" and also denounced the
sensational display Of the wrlte-ups
concerning It In newspapers.
The audience was stirred TO almost
rotous demonstrations Of approval at
times Resolutions adopted admit the
difficulty Of adequately characterizlng
the crime for which Porter was pun-
lsnel, NNk Attidit llldN HbN eve luhNA
the negro. by his crime. merited death,
no crime can justify recourse 10 such
barbarian methods. and while the ac-
ton OF the people OF Lincoln county Is
attributed 20 excitement and passion,
It Is none the less condemned and dis
countenanced. Hope Is expressed that
a law will be speedily enacted in Colo
RADIO providing effective punishment for
crimes such as melted the torture OF
Porter, and also that hereafter each
and every one win be punished for TAX
ing the law into their own hands.
The remarks Of Governor Thomas
were. In part, as follows:
II DO not believe the people OF this
State are worse than people OF any 9TH
er State. This is as civilized commu-
nifty as any State in the Union. and in
an OF them We hear Of occurrences like
this. when the people have been sud
denly aroused 10 some such terrible act,
when some such awful. horrible crime
as this negro's cries 90 heaven for yen-
geance For the agonized parents and
whatever they have done, | have no
words of blame or censure. Put our
selves In their places and we can un-
derstand their desire for vengeance.
MY remarks today are addressed not
SO much 10 the fact that death has been
inflicted. as TO the manner IN which It
is done. ! do not by this mean 10 jus
tfyd lynching law. No well regulated
citizen can ever Justify a departure
from the law. But every State has
these affairs and We are not an excep-
ton"
The governor then disclaimed any re-
eponslbllity for the affair. saying that
he understood that Sheriff Freeman
had agreed To leave Porter in jail FOR
eight days. and had gone out OF town
so believing, only to return to meet the
announcement that the sheriff and his
prisoner We're on the way to Limon.
This awful offense has been COM
mitted by an entire county" he con-
tlnued. There Is no way Of reaching
these people AS Lord Chatham said
once, you cannot indict an entire ma
ton In Lincoln county these offenders
would have to sit on the juries indict
themselves. pass on the indictments,
convict themselves and then the chief
offender Of all, the sheriff OF the coun-
~. would have 70 conduct them to the
penitentiary. SO all We can do Is 10
declare that We as citizens Of the same
State deplore and condemn this act OF
barbarlty."