Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1906-08-16
Condemns Lynching in Strong
Language
HE CALLS THEM "CUTTHOATS"
Judge Long Scores tho Lynchers.
oharacterizing the Mob as a Band
Of Gut -Throats and Murderers Ad-
monishes the Grand Jury to Do Its
Full Duty.

Long and Solicitor Hammer have done
all In their power to bring the leaders
Oh the mob that lynched the three ne
groes on Monday night to Justice.
Four arrests have been made. Judge
Long was very severe in his denunci-
alton of the crime. In his charge TO
the grand jury he said, among other
things:
| Gentlemen it has been said that
In the early hours Of the night, there
was an unlawful assembly over
there" pointing to the Jail, "and that
the court and others went and ilied
to dissuade the members of it from
further crime and to disperse them.
His Position Misunderstood.
"But there has been misconcep-
tiOn of my position then. Not while
am judge will ever 90 and beg
criminal not to do an unlawful act
But 1 did as a judicial officer go to
that jail and warn that mob and tell
them that they and their people
would suffer for their deed, not
through me, but through the law, and
told them to disperse. They made
as If to disperse, but this was only
for the purpose Of reinforcement.
And, even after that Jail yard had
been lighted with electricity, so that
1t was almost as bright as day, a
band of ruffians, lawles men, warned
as they had been by my charge to you
on Monday morning and evening and
my words to themselves at the iail
ioverpowered the officers and took
three prisoners In the jail-these
very brave men land carried them
over here near the town of Salisbury
after they had put out the lights.
thereby disclosing the fact that they
hanged and shot and mutilated
these prisoners. 1t is reported that n
near kinsman of the people whose
lives had been taken pleaded with
the mob to let the investigation go
on.
"If Immediately after the Lyerly
murder had been committed n mob
mad iynched the murderers, some al
lowance must hove been made for
the passions of the moment and the
Judgment Of the country would not
have been harsh. But no such al-
lowance can be made in this case.
| A Band Of Cut-Throats.
This was band Of cut-throats
and murderers. There is no escaping
this: that the men who did that deed
are guilty, Of murder In the first de-
gree; that every man who aided ana
a6etted that mob, by his presence.
his acts or his words is guilty of
murder in the first degree. And you
men have sworn to do your duty"
he. asked the clerk to read to the
jury the oath it had taken. When
the reading was finished, the Judge
resumed: A
"The question is whether YOU will
hew to the line. If any of you know
any man who assisted in that lynch
ing, by word or act, 1t Is your duty
to report him to the court, and if the
solicitor furnishes syou with evidence
as TO who composed that mob, it is
your duty to find bills against them.
This, gentleman, Is a,3 extraordi-
nary lynching. Ordinarily when a
lynchtngs occtrs 1t is Immediately
after the act which prdvokes it or
before the court convenes to try the
charge. But here in defiance of the
court .andSof the authority with
which the law clothes you and the
! other officers here, these men have
broken&nto the jail and murdered
these 5soners, right nnder the nose
of the court, the caves of this court
house SO that the question has gone
forth to the ends of the earth whetR.
er or rfnot our laws can be enforced
by the court or must be enforced by
the mob.
Are ycn for the mob, or for the
courtf Take your stand gentlemen.
If you sift this things to the bot
stom, as 4 demand of you, you will find
that the men who participated in this
mob and led # are not men of good
reputation OK Of eny standing u Row
an county, but men who ought to be
behind the bars. / bring YOU face to
face with your duty, gentlemen. ]
am going to do mine, before God and
man; without fear or <ayor''