Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1902-03-01
MORE TROUBLE IN LUNENBURG
80. :: .: .,.-:.. COUNTY. -

We have repeatedly called attention
to the inequalities of the law in this
state. declaring that no crime had ever
been committed by a Negro but what
one worse had been committed by some
white man
JOE HIGGINBoTHAM. colored was
hanged Monday, February 24th, 1903 az
Lynchburg, Va, upon the charge of
having criminally assaulted a white
woman. 1t was universally conceded
by both white and colored people that
his punishment was just. -.
No black hand was raised to save. All
bowed to the majesty of the law. When
the Governor notified the authorities
that all of the machinery and power in
the state would be utilized to prevent a
lynching every colored man and law
abiding white one accepted the decree
and HIGGINBoTHAM was unmolested.
lie paid the penalty for his crime and
the case is closed.
But IN the lawless county of Lunen-
burg, Virginia, u Mrs. FAUST was muir
dersd and two innocent colored men
SIDNEY HANfBRICK and DOUGLASS VIII
LIAMs are under arrest. 1t rs conceded
that there is absolutely no evidence on
which they could be convicted, and vet
they are held. They were threatened
with lynehing, and the Governor was
unothcially notified that should he send
troops into the county the threat would
be carried into execution at once. In
the same jail with them was confined s.
Y. STOKES, white, who had been con-
victed of raping HILDA WEIsE, a ten
year old white lgirl. The punishment
for this crime in this state is death, and
yet this man was given only four years
IN the penitentiary.
If the raplng or attempted raping of a
white woman at Lynchburg, Va. is
punishable with death, then the raping
or attempted raping of a white child IN
Lunenburg County should be punisba-
BILE with death.
4 But this is not all. The case was so
disgusting that all hope of pardon was
abandoned and STOKES was released ON
Friday night, February 2lst, and mp Co
this writing, no effort has been made TO
discover has whereabouts.
No attempt was made TO release the
two innocent colored man confined in
the same Jail with him.
This is the same county in which
Mrs. LUCY JANE POLLARD was -brutally
murdered and a fendish attempt was
made TO lynch innocent women who
knew absolutely nothing about the
crime.
To show TO what extent prejudice is
ramp pant, it is we'll to remark that no
white journal in this city will put the
prefix MIR" to a colored mans name
IN publishing anything about him, and
yet in the article concerning the rapist,
it is Mr.. S. Y. Stokes and "Mr
Stokes" from one end of it to the 9th
er.
The white people of Virginia cannot
afford 60 continue this kind of thing. If
colored men yield up HIGGINBorHAAl
tor execution, then white men should
yield up STOKES tor similar punish.
ment
AS the matter now stands, justice IN
this state is very much like jug. handle,
being all on one side.
The colored people are Disguised and
when certain white men talk to them
about the shortcomings of their own
people, their faces become very much
like u woman's bonnet-it is a hard
matter TO keep it on straight.
Oh, what lot of blubbering hypo-
critics some of these Negro haters are!