Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1906-11-21
WORSE THAN SAVAGE
is VAGABOND NEGRO

Is VAGABUND NEGRU
Judge Speer Says Savage Is at
Our Door.
HE FREQUENTs DIsTILLERlEs
Fill Up on Mean Liquor and Then AS
sauIts Women-PeopIe of the South
Facing Worse Savage Than Our
Forefathers Did.
Augusta, Ga, Nov. 20.-Judge
ry/Speer delivered, in some re-
spects, sensational charge to the
federal grand jury at the opening of
the United States court here. Judge
Speer discussed the crimes of the ne
gro against white women and declar-
ed that lynching is no deterrent. He
declared that our condition Is worse
than that of our forefathers of the
frontier when the Indians were on the
warpath. For" declared the Judge,
the savage is at our door and is un-
suspected" "
Judge Speer spoke of the illicit
still as a menace to the rural COM
munity and as an incentive to GRIMM
al assault and to riot.
He said in part
ut is the illicit distiller or reaiI-
er in the quiet country neighborhood
who often supplies to the worthless
tramp, without name or home,
fierce intoxicant which drives the
blood through his savage brain and
imparts to his cowardly nature a des-
peration which Pre- e1pt him to deeds of
horrid and unmentionable atrocity.
think it can be demonstrated that
nearly every crime of this character,
which has so shocked and infuriated
the southern people, is directly trace
able to the demon of the still. We
have conditions in the southern states
which should arouse to the uttermost
the attention of the people, which
should compel the supremest effort
for swift and radical remedies.
ITO the very prosperity of the south
are these conditions in part ascrib-
able. While there are thousands, no
doubt millions. of people of African
descent who work regularly own
homes and farms, strive to better the
conditions Of their families, to edu-
cate their children and to protect
them from association with the lower
classes, there are, unhappily, thou
sands who are homeless and nameless
vagabonds
These men, from the scarcity of
labor in our numerous industries, can
obtain work anywhere. The high
rate of wages enables them in one or
two days to secure support for
week. Thus secured without the
slightest thought of the future, they
retuseto work. The idle brain Is
the devils workshop. They stroll
around the country as irresponsible
as the beasts of the field. When such
a vile nomad-the descendant per-
haps of a Congo cannibal-superadds
to his bestial disposition, his heredi-
tary vice, and the basolute incapacity
for moral comprehension the infuri-
ating influence of poisonous and mad
dening drink-the opportunity offered
"a happy family will contemplate The
interval Of life which remains then
through the blood shot vision of agony
and despair, infuriated by the nm
speakable crimes, the mob is formed
the law is treated as if it were the va
porings Of insanity The brand of
Cain is on every participant, and de-
moralization may settle permanently
upon a community once as law -abid-
ing as it was peaceful and happy.
Is it not then obligatory upon every
man capable of thought and worthy of
the name patriot, to do all in his
power to remove the cause of these
fearful conditions? Superficial, in
deed, in the attention people have
given to the prevention of crimes. to
the removal of their causes, to the de-
lection and arrest of criminals. While
this is true, the savage is at our door.
Our condition is indeed worse than
that of our fOrefathers of the from
tier when the Indians were on the
Warpath. Then every Indian was an
enemy. Now great proportion of
our colored people are our friends.
Then the block house and the rife
could stand off the savage-now, the
savage is unsupported and is often
permitted to escape.
To lynch the offender is in no sense
deterrent of such crimes. The
action of the mob-to such brutes
without discourse of reason-as /
have attempted to describe, is a law
less manifestation of wrongs and utter
loss of self-control on the part of tha
community which give way to uncon-
trOlled frenzy. The savage, like
savages elsewhere, rejoices in the ex-
htbition of fury and frenzy, which
demonstrated that he has tortured
people whom he hates. How incaS-
culably more imposing and effective
would be the stern and awe-inspiring
dignity of conviction and execution by
due process of law. :"
Broker Shot by Woman.
New York, Nov 20.-Gustav Sim
mons, senior partner of the Queen
Water company, was shot and proba-
bly, mortally wounded in the offices
of the company, at Goa Broadway by
Louise de Massey, an employe of the |
company. Miss de Massey went to
the Office to get her salary and was
told to return at $50, the usual hour
for paying wages. According to the |
police, she drew a receiver and shot |
Simmons three times. He was re-