The Semi-weekly leader. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1905-1941, 1909-01-16
Some Aspects Of the SOrsby-FitzgeraId
Murder.

NY, IAO IuuAOO1CA Va AOSIOAiASC III
spector Charles Fitzgerald, has
aroused anew the deep interest felt
all over the country as to the final
outcome of this cold-blooded, das-
tardly crime, and well it may.
There are some facts and aspects
of this case that no thoughtful,
law-loving citizen Of Mississippi
can contemplate without feelings
of mingled indignation and humil-
iation, coupled with grave concern
and misgivings for the future.
Whether considered as citizen,
official, husband, father or friend,
Charles Fitzgerald, the victim of
the craven assassin S bullet, was one
of the truest, best and noblest sons
this commonwealth could boast.
He was murdered for no other
reason than because, while gentle,
kind and brave, he was too loyal to
official duty-his integrity of a
kind too pure and exalted-to per-
nit him to betray a public trust
and shield from exposure and
prosecution a deliberate criminal,
even though his naturally tender
sympathy prompted him to do SO.
The character of this man and
officer, no less than the manner of
his cowardly taking off, it would
seem, should have aroused the active
resentment and concern of every
citizen of a community whose
proudest boast is that it is a center
of education, enlightenment and
religious influences, where college
yells and chapel bells are ever pro.
claiming the presence and the on
ward march of Christian education
and civilization, and caused every
effort to be put forth to effect the
murderer's arrest and punishment.
But what did we see? So far
from anything of the kind.
neither the officials nor the private
citizens of the old College town of
Clinton, which was supposed of all
other places to be inhospitable to
murderers and other criminals,
seem to have given themselves any
special concern about the matter.
The murderer was not only not ar
rested at the time, but it now ap-
pears that after the 29th of Sep pteEl-
Der, the date of the murder, he spent
his time in and close around Clinton,
and when captured by detectives
from Jackson, had been rendezvou-
ing in the very heart of the town
in the residence of man named R.
H. Johnson, one Of its prominent
citizens, who actually expressed
pride in the fact that he had fur
nished refuge for a double-dyed
criminaI-an emblezzer and assassin
in order that he might escape
the just penalty of the law. Alas
alas! civic virtue seems to have
died or gone to sleep on the very
steps of the churches and colleges
in the old college town.
Every man in Clinton known to
have been accessory after the fact
to the murder of Charles Fitzger.
aid, should have been arrested on
the spot and carried to jail at
Jackson with Sorsby. They would
still be arrested and held under
bond but for the civic and legal
paralysis which seems to have seiz-
ed the authorities of Kinds county
and the leading citizens of Clinton
in particular. These accessories
will get to Jail and to the peniten-
tiary yet, if the juries and court
of Kinds county do their duty.
But the above are not the only
shocking and alarming features of
this outrageous murder case.
Weeks before Sorsby was discover
ed and captured, there were bold
suggestions of proposed dicker
with the court to have him voIun-
tariIy surrender and plead guilty,
if he could be assured in advance
of penitentiary sentence in lieu
of the gallows; and no sooner was
he lodged in jail than the same
parties and influences which had
kept him in hiding for three
months were at work along this
same line, and the stricken widow
and brothers of the murdered man
were soon sounded in the quest for
a compromise verdict and instruct
ed jury. The Leader, for one, is
glad these stricken and deeply be-
reaved relatives, with becoming
dignity but none the less distinct
| ", have made it clearly understood
that they want the law to take its
regular course and the case decided
by a jury on its merits like any
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