The Aberdeen weekly. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1878-1933, 1908-02-14
Mob Violence Must Down.

Mob violence Of the most danger
Gus type manifested itself at Brook
haven, Monday, when a band Of
eight hundred or thousand infuri-
ated men took the negro, Ell
Spigot, the self-confessed rapist Of
Miss Matte Williams. from the
custody of the military escort of the
State guard, riddled his body with
bullets and strung him to a limb.
The crime Of which the negro was
guilty deserved even severer punish
ment. 1t is not that which charac-
terizes the occurrence as dangerous.
1t is absolute disregard of constitut-
cd authority and want Of respect for
law. governmental function, or
aught else that protects the right to
life, liberty or property that classes
the Brookhaven mob as the most
dangerous that has ever assem- bled
in the State.
4 special term Of the circuit court
for trial Of the negro, was to be held
that day, the prisoner was in Gus
tody of the sheriff escorted by fifty
members Of the State guard, he was
self-confesscd and nothing remained
but the formality of the court be
fore the law would visit capital
punishment. Was this enough for
these 500 or 1000 Infatuated, law
less men? Surely, if they had been
imbued with that regard for law
and authority, which, indwelling
in the hearts of good citizens, fur
nishes the only foundation for safe
government. Instead, they forcibly
seized the-misarable brute, battled
with the State guards, who were there
only to uphold the majesty and
dignity Of the law, and would have
she'd the blood of the best citizenry
of the state, if only a gun would
have been fired, to crafty the mad
impulse to override law, trample on
authority and win a name fer law
lessness that blots that section Of
the State.
There are circumstances where
the Weekly would justify mob
violence. When the courts had
failed to visit summary punishment
to such feinds as Eli Spigot, this
paper would never condemn such
act as was perpetrated by the
Brookhaven mob. But where the
culprit is self confessed and self
doomed, and the machinery of the
law is organized instanter to execute
the punishment, it can but con-
denim and desire that the strong
hand of the State may prevent any
like occurrence in the future.
It takes this method of commend
ing the following strong utterance
of GOV. Noel:
Jackson, Miss, Feb. 20.-''I had
made every arrangement. after
keeping in touch with Judge VIII
kinson and the authorities, to have
/ the law take it course so far as |
could bring that about, and had
been advised of the conditions as
stated in the report of Adjutant
General Fridge, would not have
been content to send the prisoner
down to Brookhaven in the very
teeth of Il relentless mob, with only
light detachment of infantry.
shall instruct in the future, should
occasion arise, that any armed
guard must fire with ball and car
tridges on any and all persons who
may attempt to interfere, and they
may shoot regardless Of con-
| sequences.
1t is a shame and a blot on our
civilization, regardless of the very
great provocation, and the heinous-
ness of the offense, which even
though the prisoner had admitted,
| did not excuse the outrage of the
law, and the open defiance of the
men in the uniform of the state
troops. Easy methods viii not be
tolerated during my administration,
and mobs must be put down, re-
CARELESS of the. consequences. =