The San Francisco call., 1904-08-18
ANOTHER MOB.

N committed an atrocious murder. The victims
1 white family. The criminals were caught, had
prompt trial in court convicted upon evidence and
confessions, and sentenced to death The
time of execution was set near the conviction and
there was no appeal taken from the verdict OF the jury
and the judgment of the court 1t was most commend
able instance of the prompt administration OF Justice
The majesty of the law was vindlcated and society was
protected by the prompt punishment OF the guilty In
all of its features this calm and quick action OF criminal
Justice might we'll serve as an example other States
where it is complained that the mob spirit is reused by
judicial delays and the qubbng OF lawyers But the
good example and the excellent effect to be expected
from it are destroyed by what followed
furious mob rose attacked the Jail that was de-
Tended by militia by seizng the of the soldiers
found that thew were not loaded Thereupon the troops
were overpowered by sheer force of numbers and by
the connivance of the deputy sheriff. the MOB seizeo the
wretched criminals took them into the helds ueo them
stump poured kerosene on them and burned them
to death The accompanied by unusual evidences
savagey and the expiaed their crime under
circumstances of peculiar barbarity.
1t has been argued with much force to Northern
audiences that burning negroes the stake for an
speakable justified because it saves their victim
the capital humiliation of describing the crime IN a
court OF Justice We admit that there is sympathy Tor
this view of it, and that feeling tolerant OF the method
pursued the world of monster But none OF this
entered into OF this last mob The
victims of murder were dead. Their slayers had con-
fessed were convicted stood within the shadow OF
the galows without the least hope of escape Justice
vndcated
Even the human desire revenge had been satisfied
by the praseworthy action OF the court normal COM
munty should have been more than satisfied 1t should
have been proud the existence of law and the mani
power right all wrongs had been JUS
tilted But that Georgia community was not satshed,
and took its own hands the execution OF legal
Judgment and proceeded itself commit crime more
horrible than the one it avenged
All the conclusions to be drawn the incident
discouraging We put weight into the condemnation
because it happened in the South We offer no indict-
ment of section We depore because it took place
in the United States a republic where the law is the
sole avenger and the sole protector of all rights
While the miserable blacks suffered the torment OF fire
and had their distorted lives licked by flames suffer
ing orures that language cannot describe the law was
also burned at that stump in Georgia The law had
done its duty promptly severely and we'll 1t had be-
come the allegiance and respect of the people,
but it had neither 1t despitefully treated as ii
it had failed and fallen short in the discharge OF its func
tion.
It is the first case of the kind that recall
Where ures have failed do their duty and courts
have seemed to respect the letter than the spirit of
the law communities have lost patience and have taken
the matter their hands. But here there was no
default no failure hesitation, no technical delay
But the law having done all, failed satisfy and
repudiaed and shamed 1t is sorry and one that
cannot be excused by any of the arguments that have
ever been made to Justify lynchng The mob murdered
whom the law had condemned the gallows. and the
law suffered.
The effect cannot fail to be bad in every aspect The
negroes sare made by it. Whatever fiber
remains in them will be nfamed 1t is notice to them
that they are outside the law subject its methods
and the benefciaries of its condemnation In
stead of making the whites safer it exposes them to
greater danger 1t sets up the rule of life for life
side the law Events in evidence prove that the
ignorant, poor and criminal element among the South
ern blacks are in the least restrained by lynchng
Burning them to death has restrained single Grim
inal averted single tragedy. The mob has
pished nothing in the way of admonition of criminals
anJ restraint of crime 1t is useless method 1t in
jurcs those who apply than those who suffer it,
for they dead while their tormentors live to suffer
the weakening of their upon the law which
is the protector of their rights