Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1900-04-07
THE SITUATION
AT EMPORIA.
WITNESSES SUrlMON-
ED-THEY TESTIFY.
Lynchers thought to be
on the Grand Jury.
No Indictments Found-A
Deplorable Condition.

Never has there been q more univer-
sal eond emnation Of public officials
than has been visited upon Governor
7. Hoge Tyler. Judge W. Samuel Good
wyn and sheriff 8. w. Lee.
The keynote seemed to have been
sounded when the Richmond, Va i,
Times in it's issue Ct the 9th. ult.. co.,
demned Gov. Tyler, tracing the re-
sponsibility direst Co him.
This was all the more striking be-
cause in its issue of the Path inst, it
had said:
Governor Tyler is to be commend
ed for the prompt action which he took
STATE. The Negro now in Emporia
fail, who robbed the house OF O citizen
in the night time and threatened to
put bullet through his victim sho uld
he offer to interfere and who after
wards in cold blood shot down one and
probably two other respected citizens
of Greenesville county, deserves little
consideration. But the law deserves
every consideration. The law OF Vir-
ginis is sacred and it must never be
violated by the law-aSiding citizens Of
any community, no matter what the
provocstion be-"
But in its issue of the 25.h ult., it
said:
"The mob ran riot in Virginia yes
terday aud trampled the law under
foot. Every law-sbding citizen of
Virginia hangs his head in shame, for
the old Commonwealth has been dis
grAced. The mob and the officers OF
the law were brought face to face in
an issue involving both the life OF Pris-
oners in the HANDS of the law and the
organic law OF the State, but the uffi-
GERS of the law tsmely submitted and
the mob triumphed.
1t is openly asserted that those who
were sworn Co uphold the law, the
judge OF the County Court of Green's
Vile aud the sheriff OF GreensviIle,
entered into an agree meDt with the
the leaders OF the mob TO send sway
the troops who had been sent by .he
Governor of the State to preserve law
and order and let the m b take the
States prisoners out OF jail and hang
them TO q tree without law. Before
any compromise of this sort had been
sgreed 90, before this outrage had
been permitted, every soldier in this
State should have been cslled TO Empo-
ria prepared TO defend the peace and
dignity or the Commonwealth with his
blood.
But the worst has not been told yet
The Governor of the State of Virginia
permitted his troops to be Withdrawn
in full knowledge OF the fact that as
soon as they should be withdrawn the
States prison IT would be taken from
the Jail by the mob and lynched, sud
before those troops reached Richmond
she man Wa 1ynci ed.
We have Il kindest personal regard
for Governor Tyler, and it distresses
as beyond expression to be compelled
to speak thus plsinly about his action
in this case. But we must speak. The
State Of Virginia has been diseraeed
and Governor Tyler is res onsible for
il. There is no escape for the Govern
CT from this charge, much as We hate
to make it.
1t then cited the kilograms to sup
port its statement and continued:
''In the name of law and order, what
IL the Governor of Virginia for He
is the Executive officer of the State
and that means that he is sworn 30
take care that the laws be faithfully
executed and To this end may call
forth the militia or any part thereof
to suppress any combination to OBJ
Etruct the due execution of the laws
Greensville county said; it mattered
not what the judge or the County
Court of Greensville said. Governor
Tyler knew as well az. man could know
anything. having been so informed by
Major Outchius in command, that the
moment thoss troops were Withdrawn,
that moment the mob would be in full
sway and that the States prisoner
would be swung to a tree.
Suppose Major Cutchins had report |
ed 30 Governor Tyler that il the |
troops be Withdrawn the mob would |
carry out their threat made the day |
IL possible that at che Instance OF the |
sheriff the Governor would have called |
the troops away2 Suppose the mob |
had begun TO set fire TO the town OF |
Emporia, would the Governor have |
called the troops away simply because |
the sheriff said so, and let the mob de- /
stroy the Whole town? To ask these |
questions is to answer them. The |
Governor took a most iAdefensible 20 |
sition and the responsibility for the |
double lynching ct Emporia is upon
him. A great emergency arose. The |
mob threw down the gauntlet so the
Chief Executive of this State and in
the face OF the mt BIS threat, the Gov
ernor withdrew his forces and left the
mob in possession of the field. The |
Governor was not equal to the occs-
sion, and we blush 10 say it OF q man
who occupies that distinguished posi-
tion. Il was q cowardly surrender to
the mob. and there is no Other express
sion for il.
mas fer the mob itself, it has disgrace
ed she State, and no man worthy TO be
called Virginian, or even q civilized
human being, could ever acknowledge
participation In the horrid orgie with.
out blush of shame.
Grant that Cotton was hend, should
that fact make tends of Thousand of
Others who had no share 10 his crimef