Woodville Republican. (Woodville, Miss.) 185?-current, 1903-05-30


jackson. May. SIT was learn
cd here today that a very quiet and
successful lynching Of a negro in
cend.ary took place n Wilkinson
county. near woodyille. recently
The fact has been reported 10 In
surance Commissioner Cole, but
the name OF tie negro remains a
MYSTERY. On ths night Ct May s
there was a DISASTROUS FIRE IN
Woodyille. entailing a loss Of about
$4,000 in the business quarter OF
the town. Suspicion Of incen-
diarism rested on a certain negro.
who was at once apprchended. An
Investigation followed, and in his
possession some Of the goods from
the burned buildings were found.
Confronted with this evidence, he
confessed TO the crime. The negro.
said he had broken into one Of the
stores for the purpose Of robbing il.
He had only one match, and in
erder to get enough light 10 select
the goods he wished. he lighted
pieces Of paper as he went through
the store. After appropriating
about ten dollars worth Of clothing
he took alarm and fed from the
building. As he left he noticed
that some trash under one Of the
counters had cought fire, but was
too scared to stop and extinguish
/. The negro mysteriously disap
peared right after this confession.
A day or so later Insurance
Commissioner Cole received a letter
from an insurance man in Wood
vile giving the facts about the FIRE,
and stating further that the negro
had been lynched by a mob. Mr..
Cole then wrote TO the sheriff ask
ing for further information. The
,herif replied that a FIRE had oc.
.ured. DESTROYED several OF the lar
gest stores, and that "A negro had
been suspected, caught and had
confessed. The sheriff then closed
his letter with the diplomatic
statement: II am told that the
negro no longer lives in this
county"
The above is a true statement Of
the facts, in reference to the recent
Tres. but it does not mention the
fact of the fires that have occurred
in the past few years, all the work
of incendiaries, who for the purpose
Of robbery, and as a cover to theil
crimes, have wilfully and delibe-
rateiy set fire to the business houses
which they robbed. 1t is true that
some of these criminals are nov
lerving a short term in the peniten.
larry, having been convicted by due
process Of the law, but as the Law
is not severe enough in such cases
md does not inlict a punishment
commensurate with the crime, and
which, as the recent events posi-
lively show. DOS not deter others
from following in the footsteps Of
those who have gone to the peni.
tertiary, but rather encourages ths
wilful applying Of the torch K
thousands and thousands of dollar;
worth of property, TO say nothing
IF the possible loss of life. We say
in such events the people are jus
tihable in meeting out such justic,
as the occasion demands. Thos,
OF our readers who do not live Ii
our immediate section, cannot real
lie what 1t means to have pror erty
destroyed, aud the saving of a life
time consumed, because some un
scrupulous person wants a new pal
of shoes, ETC., aud when we sa,
hanging is too merciful for sucl
wretches, we but echo the senii
ment of all the citizens Of Wood
vile and vicinity.
The affair quoted above, as ",
learn il, was a deliberate, cool. an,
/. justly conducted trial by twelve un
biased, intelligent citizens, who at
! ter hearing the incendiary's con
! ~fession, unanimously agreed tina
: he should hang, then and there
and after giving him a few minute
! time to make his peace with God
he was duly hung. No acts Of vic
lence were permitted, and no ex
J citement in the least was manifest
ed. Everything was conducted de
~liberately and thoughtfully, an,
! Notwithstanding opinions to tn
contrary, we maintain, was just
fable in every sense OF the word