The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-01-11

say that they could not allow every
Kentuckian who desired so to do 10
come in to their midst and murder
men. women and children ana never be
punished" They said: w pulled from
the ashes of their avn home the bones
OF our mother. sister. brcther-in-iaw
and children, and Eat in tho court
room and allowed the law to take its
course, and when an honsat jury
agreed that Howard Little was the
guilty man., and Judge Burnes decided
that he should die tor his crime, ttlGn
the Governor stepped in and Inter
fered. and he $50 miles from the
scene OF The trial and knew nothing
OF IT until he read ii in the papers.
Then. could we rest conten,ed that
Pennington would he punished? II
looked as lie our families were ali
going 10 be put to death. and IN
order to warn the people against fur
ther Intrusion we have taken the law
into our OWN banda
The above words arc about what the
mob places before the people as All
excuse for its crime. 1t is the con-
clusion OF many people that Governor
sWahson,s interference with tho little
trial and execution was the only cause
of the clHrnc, Had he not stepped In,
mountain cabin, his wounded wife and
children baskinE in his smiles; Henry
bennington would be enjoying health.
and the stain OF disgrace now stamped
uDoI IuCliaIldN county WOULD have
been unheard of. Now, the Governor.
of whom all Virginia is proud. says:
i VIII risk Judge Barnes: he VIII
90 his duty" Yes, Judge Burnes will
do that. n he Will do IL as few men
can do it. When the mob went 10
Lebanon to lynch Little, he talked
them out OF the notion. When he
came mere to try the case the ex-
wished the Judge to call for troops.
he %appeased them with a few
words of reason. and everything work
ed smoothly.
that 2 few Buchananites. crazed by
excessive drinking, hay disgraced the
excellent administration of a worthy
Governor, but IL our noble Executive
he will see that he himself is guilty
OF q mistake. There was no need OF
9 RESPITE for Howard Little. He de-
serves pity from no one. The Jury
was guilty. every MAI WHO listened
to the evidence said he was guilty:
then the Governor, without examining
the evidence, stayed his execution only
hearted lawyer in the city OF Roanoke.
When the half-witted Gilbert youth. OF
Norfolk city. killed his faithless over.
ne PRAYED Tor mercy. the. state press
Governor without avail. and he. q lu-
matte almost. met his death In the
chair, And now comes a giant from
Kentucky, q man WHO has been con-
.victed In that State for two different
murders. He sweeps down upon n
lonely mountain hut. ana in indian
fashion kills them while they sleep.
and robs the house, burns it ana tho
bodies Of his victims. lie receives the
sympathiea of Governor Swanson. and
by so doing brings two more men to
their grave and disgrace upon the
county.
The men who lynched Henry Pen
ntnstoE hould suffer for their crime.
and when a jury finds them guilty the
governor should not interfere. There
Is almost as much Justice In mob Law
as there is in the Governor interfer-
Ing in q case, after a Jury and court
have carefully weighed the evidence
and fixed the punishment. andathe date s
of Its lnniction. when he has not even
the evidence.
w. nj. GRIMSLEY.
Grundy, December 81.
little was granted only q respite of
thirty days, on the representation OF
his attorneys that his witnesses were
inttmidated and on the further claim
that he, had been convicted because
of previous bad reputation, with no
other evidence than circumstantial.-
Editor Times-Dispatch.1