The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1901-08-22
Raleigh Morning Post, 10th.

Raleigh Morning Post, 10th.
The State as well as the people Of
Mecklenburg county are to be con-
graduated upon the superb conduct,
self-control, and respect for law OF
the latter on an occasion of the great
est provocation to which civilized
man can be subjected. The negro
fend who assaulted the helpless little
woman on Tuesday, was promptly
arrested that night. arraigned at the
bar of justice Wednesday and the
trial entered upon yesterday. He
confessed his guilt, and was promptly
identified by the victim. or course
there was excitement, there were
threats OF violence. And in such
case of positive Identification, one
Jury would seem to be as good as
another, composed as it would be of
the same class of citizens. For this
s.body of the State" to carry into exc
cution the law made for such offenses
would at least have the merit of
avoiding the embarrassment, to call
it by no harsher name, which each OF
the special venire must feel when
called upon to say on oath that he
has not formed or expressed the
opinion that the prisoner at the bar is
guilty" which each juror must swear
to be accepted and permitted to serve.
When an clement of doubt exists con-
corning a party arraigned, this en-
barassment is not so apparent; but,
as in this Monroe case, there can be
| no doubt, his own confession is sus-
tanned by every circumstance and the
unhesitating Identification Of the lady
assaulted. Under such conditions
1.-The body of the people," from whom
the jury must be taken at last, can
find some justification in executing
their own law enacted for such
crimes, thus relieving the public and
the parties Immediately concerned
from the horribly humiliating ex
perience of public trial and those
who may be summoned on the specia
venire the embarrassment to which
we have referred.
But, that the law should be exc
cuted in an orderly manner according
to the methods prescribed, and tx
avoid great dangers to which the
other, and we may admit the more
popular, method tends, it is better
that the properly constituted court:
should deal with all such cases.
A negro brute violently assaulted /
little 9-year-old girl of his own race ir
Charlotte Tuesday evening. Wednes
day evening an escaped convict va:
arrested, and circumstances poin
strongly to his guilt. The coloret
population Of the city was much eX
asperated toward this scoundrel, ant
manifested a strong disposition tt
deal out justice to him. He, too, wa
lodged in Jail and should, as he NJ
doubt will, have prompt trial.
Considering the provocation, thu
preparation of this most heinous o
crimes by two negroes-one upon
white woman, the other upon littl
girl-within twenty-four hours 0
each other, the guilt of one unde
arrest acknowledged, the other 81
strongly sustained by circumstance
as to amount almost to certainty
we must repeat that the self-contro
and respect for law shown by tho pee
pie of both races of Mecklenburg i
alike creditable to the State an,
themselves. But, when two sue
offenses can be committed just afte
the terrible tortures but recently in
hicted upon brutes for like offense
gives but little encouragement t
hope for good effects upon such tiends
of either the orderly execution of tn
law or the more violent execution @
both the law and such offenders. TIL
colored race as such must unite NOR
thoroughly than it has done with tn
whites in ferreting out and punishin
the vicious elements of their race
For its own good, as we'll as of societ
generally, this should be done