Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-02-13

Samuel-and the event was the lynchinS
Of Absalom. son of the conqueror OF The
great blusterer. Absalom, IL recollect my
Sunday school teachings, flying after his
rebellion, was caught by his long locks in
an oak tree and Joab, one of the success
full generals, hearing of it, precipated HIM
self upon him, and with ten of his men
ruthlessly. slew him. There was no court
martial, not even a drum-head court; no
trial Of any kind, but he was incontinently
slain for rebellion. If that was not as
much of a Iynching as the encounter be-
tween David and Goliath was duel then
I am out on my reckoning
"And now let me tell you that I once
saw a man a very few minutes after he
had been lynched, though in measure
was a forced witness to the sight. and
these, as near as 1 recollect, were the cir
cumstances: 'S~7
= Judge Lynch in Maryland.
lone beautiful summer morning more
than twenty-five years ago 1. with a friend
was travelling toward the ancient city of
Annapolis We had bsan enjoying an out
Ing of two or three day with some friends
on South river. at page about six miles
distant from the Maryi9nd capital. On the
early, intending to walk to- Annapolis and
there take the Steamboat for Baltimore.
We had completed abontshalf our journey,
and had just turned iEfo main road at
called Camp Parole. ThaFa is q post office
stationed at that point ana at a Short dis
tanea beyond -ts, going ~ the Opposite d.
rectien, we noticed body OF men, rather
dimly perceived in the early morning twi-
light. We naturally halted to see what
was going on. They saw US also, and three
Of them very rapidly came back to where
we stood. One of:them said:
:" Where are you fellows gofng?'
MY companion, who Is living TO-DAY ana
is prominent and active business man OF
this city, answered him:
"'We are going to Annapolis
"'Well. go on, and be quick about It. was
the rather menacing command; ana we
went on, but not far. for we began to meet
on the highway squads OF men coming
that the old town had been visited before
daybreak that morning by crowd OF Anne
Arundel county farmers and others, VINO
had broken into the Jail and taken negro
who was in prison for a crime that Is SO
often visited with lynching in the south.
and they, out Of curiosity, of course FOR II
was too late to prevent the lynchers from
doing their work, even II they wanted TO-
were out to see whatever they could see
We joined them and retraced our steps, ana
a short walk showed us that the mop had
carried out its Intentions quickly, Tor hang-
ing from tree a few feet from the ROAD
we saw a sight that l will never forget
The dead body OF the negro was swinging
from the limb Of tree. By that time the
golden light of the rising sun was snlm-
mering on the tops of the trees. there was
a pure and sweet breeze ruff1ing the sum
mer foliage and the whole party or slSht-
seers seemed awed by the surroundings. AS
for the lynching party, not one, so far as
we could know, was anywhere In the neigh
borhood. There was the dead man, nsntly
clad, shoeless, with CLASSY eyes starting
from their sockets. hanging before us Inc
results of two crimes were merged III the
spectacle--one that Of the dead man, VINO
had been made to expiate his aWfui crime;
the other that Of the mob, who declined to
let the law take its proper course. al
Ways opposed lynching-that sight made
me more opposed to 1t than. ever.