The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1900-11-14
A Blow 10 Law and Order.
Hscape Of 4acon Lesesne Con.
tlnues Decided Mystery. .



Kingstrce. Nov, 1.-The where
abouss and oys,srious disappearance
Of Mason Lssesne. the negro rspist.
remains - unsatisfactory to the peo
ple Of THE 'eoouaaisy 90 ever The
people hAss cnadsnee iu Mr., j. D
Dsoiels, WHO hes been sheriff for
eight years. and none believe be
could DO guilty Of On improper act.
bat the 6ess mea err 10 judgment
sometimes. 'ssnd while I would not
question Sheriff Daniels'I good inteu-
sions, believe h 10 bic duty now to
come ous asd mako some stasement
90 the publlo aboas this mstter.
There ID evidently soae misunder
sssndiog 'about tho whole affair
Suraly the white men OF Williams
burg county are cos going TO let this
rsss Lesesue escape sftes having
committed The greatest crime The
people IN sod around GreeleyvilIs
certainly scted 10 . very strange
msuner about this whole matter. I
en- informed thst Mrs. Mitchum 10 .
poor wooso bot Of unblemishec
obssaossr and 10 respectable. This
being the desc sheis ~ much entitled
20 our protection - any white
women Ia the land ~
A'lissls more them two months ago
osse simiIss 20 this occurred 10 the
neighboriugs county Of Florence,
which caused thst community to be
shsken from centre 10 circum ference
Sesrohiog parties we're cent oot in
every dirsesioa end business men left
thsl work to join Ia the chase.
Oflcess and men 10 Williamsburg aud
Mssion counties volunteered their
ssssices asd did nos relax their efforts
until The fogisives we're captured.
A great msny people 10 sbis county
do not believe that THE negro rapjst
10 q large. II Sheriff Daniels hes
him in charge. no matter how OF
whore. let him say 90 and safety the
public mind, and il not les him como
Qoick'7 TO the front and tell the people
plainly that he has escaped and con
vince them Of Il 90 they may hunt
hin dowp.
u may be that the villain 10 al
ready inside the walls of the peniten
tisry for ssieksepiug. and IL 30 let it
be 90, bat this is no time for foolish
nses or ehild's play.
"A The County Record will say to.
morrow: "Tbe escape Of Mscon
Lssesne turned loose upon 10 fresh
from bic crime. the perpetrator Of Q |
deed the most revolving 10 the cate.
cory Of orioe We gre by no neaus
N sdvocste Of iync6ing or mob vio
ence snd hsv, invariably. when the |
ocossion deusnded. deprecated this
pssticulsr kiod Of Law breakisg. |
when che would be rsvisher. HsmA
Con mc0iN wss captured. there Was
. healthy seatiaen, that the lsw be |
given ohsnce. aud. 80 wss expected, !
bic oonviesios sod punishment quick.
ly followed. The course. Of action
pursued We Q departure from the |
ususl method OF dealing With crimi
nsls of this type aud the Law respect
jsg people Of sbe county hoped that
<hs day Of lyoohiog bees was past
The esospe Of Msooa Lesesoe Moo
day nigas. usdss ths circumstances,
'wss. to pat L mildly. most uofor.
INNATE. rAose who we're most
ssxicus shss che lsw be respected
pow openly express regret thst the
negro hsd cot been given short
shsifi ~ . sCys's cod. and IL he should
b. cspisssd Il 10 extremely likely
thss such vim be his fate.
We csa sympsthise with snd
appreciate tho feeling the. our peoie
have bees poorly rewarded for their
fosbesrs0ce IL now locke % if the
ptisooes AsA essiIy escaped search
for hin osiside Of che authorities hes
been sbaadoasd W. do not know
whst the sheriff 10 doing. but We hope
and believe that he will use every
means in bic power to effect recap
ture."
80.