The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-10-07
SAVED BY SENATOR SIMMONS,

|
the time of the spirit of devotion to law
that characterized the conduct of Senator
and unprovoked assassination of his hon
ored and aged father. The Senator would
not countenance any suggestion of lynch
ing the man guilty of the death of his
father In Mondays Washington Post
Mr.. Claude N. Bennett cites the action OF
Senator Simmons as a notable instance
Carolina, and writes as follows:
Here is an instance well worth your
while of the triumph of law and order
in the South:
Some days ago a blameless white cit.
| lZen of North Carolina was murdered by
a negro. He was an old man of seven
ty-four-kind, law-abiding, and loved by
his neighbors. He wass the father of
| United States Senator F. NJ Simmons
The negro was trespassing on Mr.. Sim
mons plantation. He had been previous
ly warned-he persisted in the trespass.
The old gentleman saw him, approached
him, and ordered him away. The remon-
| STRANGE was met with club. The ven
cradle man sank to his death. The negro
laughed at his deed, threw his bloody club
| in the bushes, and went his way.
"Mr. Simmons was missed His son, the
Senator, who was in Raleigh, FASTENED to
the old home in response to telegram,
and instituted search for his father In
/ a. L IL.
after the murderer was caught He was
clearly identified his guilt was undenied,
The mob was there-the passionate law
| less, uncontrolled and uncomfortable
Southern mob A Winchester was access
ible to every man of them. Many of them
had revolvers. All of them had knives
Rope was plentiful. Tar, pitch and tur-
pentine are not scarce in North Carolina,
and fire burns easily.
"The brute stood in their mdst-sullen,
logged unrepentant Black of color,
thick of lip, low of brow, full of hate,
expecting no mercy. Senator Simmons
had been several times chairman of the
State Democratic committee. Under his
leadership the State had been not long ago
saved from the threatened negro control.
Gratitude to him was in every heart. The
Wilmington outrages, the red-shirt cam
paign, the late necessity of dealing with
| the negro question in heroic fashion were
| fresh in every memory
us it less than a modern miracle that
this mob was dispersed and this negro
taken peaceably to Jail to await trial in
regular process of law? The miracle was
wrought by Senator Simmons-the most
injured member of that party. He is a
hot-booded man. In discussing the ne
gro question in the United States Senate
he has been accused of Incorporate
| speech. But the severest test was now
upon him. and he met it like a Spartan
judge He stood up before that infurate
crowd and implored them to let the law
take its course He said he had no need
| to dwell upon his love for his father and
grief at his remorseless taking off. That
father had gone to his reward. The foul
crime that sent him thence could not be
wiped out or mitigated by further viola
ton of law. To Jail with the criminal
| let the proud escutcheon of North Caro-
lima be untarnished.
take this incident for what it is worth.
But remember, in passing, that If this ne
gro had committed the offense usually
provocative of lynching in the South,
forty thousand Senators and all the courts
in Christendom could not have taken him
to Jail through that North Carolina mob"