Evening star., 1902-08-11
BEFORE !! GRAND !: JURY
Court Directs Investigation
Of Craven Lynching.
TEXT ZOE: THE CHARGE
DECLARES HANGING TO HAVE
BEEN UNNECESSARY.
circumstances Distinguished It From
ALI Other Crimes-The Facts
Reviewed.
TEXT ss550F:::: THE CHARGE
eciaI Dispatch To The Evening Star.

special Dispatch to The Evening Star
LEES3URG. Va, August 11.-Interest
here centers around the action OF the
grand jury which met at 1880 to inVestl-
gate the lynching of Craven. Judge Tebbs
delivered an able charge to the jury, which
is composed of some of the best citizens
of Loudoun. Among them are S. S. Lutz,
Henry Harrison. Alfred Stanton, E. w.
Presgraves, r. W. Braden, Jno. H. Bow
ers, Jno. H Grim, VIM. Fletcher, Voiney
Osburn.
| Judge Tebbs said. in part: Gentlemen
| of the grand jury:
1T is made nv duty, as Judge Of this
| court. to select for this service men good
and true and | cannot offer to Virginia
| the service of better men than see before
| me. 1t is my duty to remind you or the
| law. but the honor and fair fame or Lou
| doun, the order and well being OF the COM
| munity, the peace and dignity of the conn
| monwealth. are entrusted to your hands. In
| the emergency that confronts us your duty
| may be an onerous one. No man would
| seek it, yet no honest man can Shirk IT,
| These duties are succinctly set forth IN
| the oath of your foreman, which you and
| each of you have sworn to observe ana
! keep on your part 1t Is now my paln1ui
| duty to charge you in regard to recent oc-
| currence, crime of uneXampled magni-
| tude, at least In this community, and OF
far-reachfng consequence. reproach to
| our people and foul blot on the hitherto
| unstained escutcheon Of Loudoun.
you are to inquire into the death which
| only a few days since Charles Craven met
| at the hands of a mob. Why is this killing
| Of Craven so important? you ask. Was he
| such an important citizen, or can his loss
| be so hardly borne? MOI In his death the
state sustains no loss. Barn-burner, high
| way robber, murderer. Most likely his
before his Maker for deeds done in the
| flesh, and none not even his old mother,
bewails his fate. Was it simply that he
| was murdered? No other murders are daily
| happening in this broad land, yet they do
not shock us like this one.
| AS citizens view crimes only as they
affect the commonwealth.
Distinguished From other Crimes.
There are circumstances that distinguish
this from other crimes and have caused
the eyes of all mankind to be turned upon
| us in sad astonishment. 1t was a most
useless act. Not the slightest excuse can
| be offered for It's commission. 1t is true
| that there are even now at large murder
| ers that have escaped capture, hence every
| reason for the praseworthy zeal shown in
| the determined efforts to apprehend this
| man; but, once captured, no man can say
| that justice has failed in this community
| and just retribution for this mans sins,
! so far as men can infiict punishment, was
certain, and no lawless act could Increase
| it. Countries are held to be civilized and
enlightened, savage and barbarous. By
naught are they, 80 much distinguished as
| by the character of their laws and the due
| respect and obedience paid them.
I'VE live under laws and a government,
the heritage of our forefathers, enjoying un-
der these their laws, for which they fought
and bled and died, the noble heritage OF
| protection in life, liberty and the pursui.
| of happiness-without reason or excuse
merely to glut their mad passion for law
| less and useless vengeance. in defiance OF
| the laws of God and In daylight
with a reckless disregard for the rights
nay, the very lives of others; with the de-
clared purpose If necessary to the accom-
| plishment Of their fell design, to take the
! lives of best citizens; careless of tho
| honor and fair name Of this, their native
| land. this laWless mob overpowered the of
ficers of justice, broke into and injured on.
| jail, imbrued their hands in human blood
| and brought down shame and disgrace upon
US
| And. gentlemen, this is not all, nor the
| worst. Of the sad story. Saddest Of all is
to consider the character of the men who
| did this deed. This mob was composed
| only, l am told. in small degree of the
base and degraded among us. 1t consisted
| largely OF men from whom we had the
| right to expect better things; men of stand
ing and education in the community; men
| whom we should expect to find uphoiding
and maintaining, ready to fight for, even
to die for. the laws and rights and govern
ment so dear to their ancestors, and these
men were the leaders in needless violence,
in rank lawlessness. If such things are to
be upheld by the good people of this land.
then God save old Loudoun-God save Via
ginia.
Gentlemen, not in anger or Indignation,
but oppressed with sorrow, and with a full
sense Of the responsibility resting upon me,
have 1 spoken. l have endeavored faith
fully to discharge my sworn duty under
the laws. Most sincerely do l trust that
many of these men have already seen, OF
! will yet see, the error OF their ways, and
in the future will be true defenders Of that
government they have wronged, those laws
they have violated. Gentlemen, I now sub
nit this whole matter to you, with implicit
confidence that you will perform yours and
as best you may. so act as to vindicate the
honor Of Loudoun and the majesty of the
law, re-establish peace and safety among
us, and that never again does deed so
shameful darken the pages of our history