The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-08-06
The Leesburg LYnching.

The following timely article recently
appeared in enc Of the Leesburg news
papers:
a very wide misconception seems to
prevail as to the ground on which one
man. or a dozen men can take another's
life. There is such a thing as 3ustihaple
homicide. We can with right and I'M
punity Kill a, man in self-defense or IN
defense Of a person being assaulted.
In all other cases the law must take
its own course slowly and carefully. II
Democracy be not a failure then 1t is
incumbent upon every citizen to see the
law most jealousy protected. The lynch
law, which we have just had In our
midst, is a blot and stain upon the 1air
escutchecn of our peoples honor. Bat
tering down a Jail door in broad day
light, pricing the steel locks, and tear
ing a man from the hands of justice, to-
hang and shoot on the public highway,
is to affirm the supremacy of tndlvldual
might and to step back to barbar1sm.
This law may be justified on the prair1es.
but never in civilized community
It breeds discord, hatred and amnesty
It dencralizes every man who taxes
hand, and its bitter fruits will rlpen III
the after years. The trial by jury IS a
constitutional right of which no man may
Of passion to his death, with no chance
for repentance. is fearful responsible
ity. Christianity teaches in very PLAIN
terms that 1.-The merciful shall obtain
mercy The man wht, was hung was
given no time. fer even a prayer. 1t is
no defense to say that he gave his VIC
tim no time or quarter, for this is TO
fall to the defense of EVIL for evil, ana
to put our passions on the same plane
with the despised criminal. Time Tor
reflection, for meditation for posslole
reformation and conversion in the civil
ICED, Christian and humane way Ihere
was a murder, yes. and we were al III
cersed and Mortified, when we heard CT
the cold blooded murder Of a quiet. pc
loved. honored and respected citizen cut
down in so dastardly manner. The
culprit, who, we believe upon circum-
stantial evide-rn did this thing. after
being loosed like a tiger in the commn-
nifty, had been caught and Gagged and the
trial. the verdict and the rope were be-
fore him; no jury in the land would have
cleared him.
It is at just such times that it behooves
men to be calm. to be more than ever
gentle. Wrath begets wrath-and the
older men iEstigating younger and firing
their blood to vengeance was scene
SucA as nope never AGAIN 10 see
What we aeed is men who will stand
for law and order, men who will not do
nor suffer to be done such outrages upon
our civilization.
With ten or twelve men with the nerve
and stuff to stand for the law, come
| what will, the Jail could not have been
| entered. I was in the thick OF 1t a.!
| and among so many, Mr.. Charles Harrl-
son was the only man who had the nerve
to do what thirty or forty Of our citizens
on the grounds did not do
1t is hardly possible to suppose tina,
all these passive men were only nall
in earnest. It must have been that the
| audacty of the midday instead OF nigh,
attack was the utter surprise that Lfl: para
| lived men. But it is a blot on our toWr
that years will not etface. No matter
how guilty, how vile. how terrible the. &C,
of the culprit. the infractions OF laR.!s JUS
as terrible
happened to be In the thick OF the !, al.
fair from the beginning. and ID .counseiiec
| men and with consid erable effect. ana nd s.
far as I could see none Of the Belmont
men with whom talked took any Part par;