The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-09-19
Mob Violence Denounced from
Huntsville Pu|pits
COURT OF INQUIRY TODAY
United States Secret Service Men Are
Busy and Huntsville People Are
Leaving on Every Train
to Escape Arrest
BY FRANK II. BELL.

BY FRANK n. BELL.
Huntsville, September 1S-(SpeciaL)-
Practically every pastor in Huntsville
preached on Law and Order today In
connection with the lynehng of ten days
ago. As a rule the sermons were not vio-
lent, and the pastors confined themselves
to quiet discussions of the needs of the
city, county and state for the prevention
in the future of such lawless acts as were
committed ON the night of the lynching
of Horace Naples.
All the sermons were regarded as able
and the churches were well filed with
people. who were attracted to a large ex-
tent by the announcement of the various
pastors that their sermons would be on
The same general line.
Among those who spoke on Law and
Order were the Rev. Father Burns the
Catholic priest; the Rev Mr.. Claybrook,
who is acting rector of the Episcopal
church, the Rev Frank P Culver, pas
tor of the Methodist church; the Rev.
Bruce G. Mitchell, pastor of the Pres
byterian church, and the Rev. W. NJ.
Murray, pastor OF the Baptist church.
Is Representative Sermon
Possibly the sermon of the Rev. Mr.
f'aesr was representative of the sermons
De vered today and also of the sentiment
amons the people of Huntsville. Mr.. Cul-
yer Is member of the grand jury which
has surned the nineteen true bills
agala citizens on charges of murder
ind arson in connection with the lynch
Ing of the negro and the burning of the
,11s,ss in
part:
Il want to read the thirteenth chapter
of Romans and will take my text from
the seventh chapter of Ezekial; The land
is full Of bloody crime and the city full
of violence
This is nc time for half-heartedness
but for an exhibition of vigorous man.
hood. II is a preachers business to preach
against sin. like the prophet of old l
believe that had he been alive and in
Huntsville today he would have chosen
that text-'The land Is full of bloody crime
and the city fun of violence.
vaerant Glass Responsible
ut is the vagrant class of our city ard
county which is largely responsible for the
trime committed and the authorities are
lax in their duty by allowing these classes
to loaf about the city and the streets.
There has been a carnival CT gambling in
our city, and men have fought in the
streets and had difficulties as a result OF
the troubles over cards, dice and the
bucket shops
Murder has run riot through our coun-
ty There have been thirty-three muir
ders and two lynchings in the past few
years and only two convictions. | saw In
an editorial in the Age-Herald recently
that there are more homicides in Jef1er-
son county In a year than in the whole
Of prif
paratively, has as many murders and
crimes as Jefferson county. 1t is the
looseness of the administration of the
law. The law is not enforced and the
citizens are not made to respect it. They
disregard the law all the time The Off
cials have not the power of machinery
to enforce the statutes of the law
believe hat crimina. should be treated
as such. and not as poor man to be
pitied He should be dealt with justly
and severely in order that the innocent
may not suffer
Must Protect the Innocent.
..That is what the law is made for. to
protect the innocent Criminals have too
powerful a pull with officials. | believe
that wave of lawlessness Is sweeping
over our land, and that life is too cheap
I would rather take the chances of con-
victing man for stealing my purse than
much self defense in the country as there
is now. There was not good citizen in
Huntsville last week who was not dis
graced and who does not feel ashamed
of the deeds which were committed here.
The majesty of the law of the CITY, coun-
ty and state was trampled under foot.
Crime generally seeks the obscurity of
CT tr-kness. but these sought the glare of
electric lights. What cared they for the
law, or the majesty or the right of law?
They cid what they did openly. fiagrantly
and without shame. God only knows
how many murderers there are in this
county as result of that nights deeds.
Probably 100 murderers were made in the
unlawful punishment of one.
Must be Upheld.
THE law must be upheld at all hazards
If it costs life to uphold the law, the
lives must be sacrificed Nothing is so
dear as the upholding of the law 1t is
not a question of life when the law is
to be upheld. 1t is a question of main
tanning the dignity and majesty of the
law with impartial justice. 1t is an awful
thing to have to shoot man down, but
nothing good was ever accomplished in
this world without the loss of human
blood. Just think of the drops OF human
blood which have been shed in defense
of human liberties.
IA mob is anarchy in the worst form.
and it is a blow at civilization. The man
who struck down President Mckinley
was an anarchist and the country as a
whole condemned and despised him, but
this was not circumstance to the anar-
chv shown by mob 1t Is the spirit of
uob law which grows on us, and 1t feeds
upon itself Once started it grows. An
archy feeds on anarchy. Ten men have
been lynched in this county since 1876 and
the lives of some of the best citizens
have been Threatened They were threat
ened last week.
s.There was a time when certain crime
was punishable by lynching and instant
DEATH and no questions were asked about
the people who formed part OF the mob.
No man was called to account for a
lvnching for that crime. Therein was our
mistake. From this it has grown to be
a habit for all manner of crimes, and this
one thing has led to others until 1t has
grown almost ipnd control, | want
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