The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1909-08-21

A sheriff who Tried It Tells How
Brave Men Did It.

Brave Men Did It.
Familiar as all southern are with
the absolute inaexibility Of the execu-
tion Of the uneritten law in such cases,
knew with absolute positiveness what
would have to combat when the cur
tain Of night should be drawn. I
knew that my neighbors and friends
my personal and political friends and
perhaps those Of my own flesh and
blood would be wrought to frenzyi and
could have exchanged my Office for
bod carriers lot, with honor and the
retention, Of my manhood and selfres-
poet, ] should have done so gladly,
writes Sheriff J, C. Van pelt IN the Sun.
day School Times
But such course was impossible.
/ had sought the high and honorable
responsibilities OF the Office Of Sheriff
Of Escambia county; / had pledged my
sacred word 10 those who had honored
me with the office and intrusted to my
keeping its responsibilities faithful,
fearless discharge Of every exaction that
It might entail; / had entered into q
covenant with my Maker in faithfully
keeping my pledge 70 my neghbors
and friends, and to uphold the organic
and statute lava OF my country and
my state.
In the face Of al this realization
Of the pending inevitable was the great.
est trial o my life. Leander Shaw was
my prisoner, and II was my duty TO
protect his worthless person for the
laws vindcatiOn for bis crime.
Before the ink had dried on the edi-
ton Of the afternoon paper indignant
citizens began to gather In groups on
every street corner, earnestly discus
sing the fendish net 81 the brute in
human semblance who had been placed
in my keeping. Many Of these groups
and individuals called at the jail. None
was admitted within the Enclosure, how
ever, and all Of them were counseled BY
me 70 20 70 their homes. with the ass
suranee that I would exhaust every
means at my command 20 guarantee a
speedy trial Of the guilty hend.
With my brother, John A. Van pelt,
at my side, / stood on the steps Of the
main entrance to the iail, and inside
Of the building, both upstairs and down,
II had placed deputies at windows,
armed and instructed 70 repel any at
tack that might be made
BY eight O'clock the entire block IN
front Of the Jail wa Il solid mass Of
humanity, an infuriated, but leaderless
unorganized band OF individuals bent on
nrecking vengeance.
r.s.fs.ss.aN
warn my neighbors, but al IN balm,
rush was made on the fence, batter
ne ram was brought into service, and
the iron gate went down before its re-
sistless impact; those who had torn the
gate from It's hinges rushed inside,
those who elambeFed on the fence start.
ed over. and simultaneously shot rang
out from the street outside
From within, where ! and my depu.
ties stood guard--not a. guardians Of
the individual, Leander Shaw, whose
crime OF the morning had placed him
beyond the pale Of human sympathy.
but as sworn officers to uphold the in.
vioahle majesty Of the lava rolley
OF perhaps fifty shots rang out on the
night air
Following this for brief period the
clamor seased; there was hush; death
had stalked into the midst Of those who
were clamoring for the blood and body
Of Leander Shaw who deserved To die
but only as the law DEGREES that al Of
bis kind shall die.
The father OF one Of mr. most trusted
deputies lay dead Just inside The por
tails Of the iail Enclosure. shot through
the head another Of my friends. a per
sonal and political friend Of years.
standing lay writhing III agony from a
wound which subsequently proved FATAL
while three others Of my friends, al
seriously but none fatally wounded,
were also removed from the yard. when
the smoke had cleared. OF those wound
ed, who stood with me as defenders Of
the iail were my brother. who stood BY
my side, and my iailer stationed ii
an upstairs window-In the melee
myself and received in my right arm
wound from CHANGING bullet
Numerous overtures were made to me
by cool headed, representative citizens
to surrender to the mob, but remained
obdurate. | had sworn to die rather
than surrender the jail, and meant
to do so.