The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-08-08

Lawlessness in North Carolina,
North Carolina has had q dtsgracef.ui
\ lynchng, which must be most hum mi ting
5s to the law-ahding citizens Of that 81 proud
Nv State. K, II, IA 4. ij
75a6S On the night Of July 18th Isaac Lyerly,
n his wife and two children were murdered
~ At Barber ] Junction, not far from the
Ii town Of Salisbury. II was y brutal CRIME
IS and naturally aroused the ndisnatilo'n o.
Tho community. The crime was fastened
,,pon several negroes living on the prem
ises. they were promptly arrested 4, taken ak q
10 iail, and several days ago their trial
$ began at n special term Of Rowan : "
~ porior Court, ordered by Governor g enn.
There had been threats of lynelling, arg
'g3Judge 3. F. Long. the trial Judge, de-
Y voted most Of his charge TO the grand
fury to tho subject OF lynching, az nr,ns
VI Tint the prisoners would be protected &C
ali hazard and that any e Interference
N with such intent would be summary
punished Governor Glenn had also no. u
fed the sheriff Of his willingness to send
& troobs. but the sheriff declined the Of
fer and the trial proce led but before Z;
4 II had ended a mob surrounded \ the laIl.
a55s oyerpowered the officers, took three 9 +
i ,the n1risoners out and lynched them.
a When the mob assembled the local MILL
tnry company was called out and al
"a though the mob fired several shots into.
n the Jail, woundng three by-standers, l1se
s sheriff did nothing but plead With A the
mob to break away. Indeed It afterwards
turned out that the militia had nothing
Il IN their guns or their belts but blank
cartridges, apd were as 81 50 many toy
yoldiers, They ''left thes scene" and the
mob triumphed twithouti#a shot from the
sheriff,s. forces in defence Of law and or Pr
der, What n farce! What g cownrldly
surrendera ISL ii gs s53a
W fl, is further stated that the negroes
were dragged to tho scene Of the exc.
$cutIon with ropes around their Y neck ii
I CRYING and pleading for mercy, while the
mob treated them With the greatest
fcrocity, cutting them with knives and
otherwise torturing them on the way
Efforts were made to draw out a oon-
fcssIon from the negroes. 1t Is said
4tlat one OF them confessed, but the other
two held their peace, and the mob finally
Z firing Of such dickerlng swung tho men
up, whether Or not, and riddled their
bodies with bullets. The explanation Is
that the mob had by this time become!
..bloodtlirsty." Quite so,
Another Interesting and significant part
4 Of the story lis the statement that the
+ mob was .augs+lented by fully five hundred
mon from the nsighboring town OF Whit
ncy where the Whitney Development.
Company is developing the Yadkin water
I power. Our correspondent reports that
SIT was said to have been this crowd
that helped form a sort Of flying wedge
made Il break for tho jail doors over
Il powered the officers and effected an ems
trance" 1t is presumed that these men
were, for the most part. strangers. and
II. could not have felt the same degree Of
Indignation that people Of the community
Il felt: yet they appeared to have been the
rlng-leaders, 1t was gladintorlal sport Of
( strong flavor. and they took advantage
4 OF the sentiment In the community to
Indulge their passion
FInally It Ia to be observed, and care
fully noted, mat these negroes were not
under Indictment for 'lhe usual crltne;"
that there WA no ground OF complaint
i on t,lA score OF ''the laws delay, that
there was no reasonable presumption that
4 tthe murderers would escape justice IN an
ogderly court trial In short, none Of the
EXCUSES which apoogists are wont to
make for lynching was present II was
an act OF pure, inexcusable lawlessness,
In defiance OF the authorities Of the gov
Z eminent, In defiance OF tho Judge who
had just made q special dellveranee from,
the bench on the subject OF lynching and
given warning, and who had afterwards
vi begged the mob 40 let the law take It's
Il E course II
Bur the mob has had lin way, the mol
has tri,nnphcd for the time 0eingir the
leaders Of the mob are well known. ant
Il Is now for Goyernar Glenn and thu
judicial authorities 10 say whether or no
such lawlessnass shall go UNPUBLISHED,
e This is the second lynching in Sprtl
Carolina whhin a few months, and IN
state must assert Itself and strike ins,be
half OF Ats peace and dignity, II 'hes
,ynca,ers al. 90 unpunished. the State ma;
expaC, the mob splrtt to break out and d
violence in other sections, ne occasto
may arise.
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Il, TIE Judges and the Mann Law