Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1910-02-01
ENGLISH LYNCH LAW.
Cases of Justice Administered BY Mob
In Great Britain.

Cases of Justice Administered BY Mot
In Great Britain.
The British are the most law abiding
nation in the world. 1t Is only Den
mark and perhaps Norway and Ice
land that can hold candle to US ir
this respect.
It is so unp-Ial To" Englishmen OF
Scotsmen to take the law in their own
hands that the recent case in which
DR." Walford Bodie was mercilessly
ragged" after a jury had adjudicat-
ed him "quack," caused a great
sensation.
Lynch law Is not unknown in this
country and there have been many
cases Of summary justice being meted
out without the formality Of trial. The
most famous on record was that
known as the Porteous Riot. On April
|15, 1885, Capt. Porteous commanded
the military guard at the execution at
Edinburgh of the famous smuggler
Wilson. Wilson was very popular, for
he had given up his own liberty to
save a comrade.
The infuriated spectators pelted the
guard with stones, and Porteous, fear
Ing rescue, ordered his men to fire.
Seventeen persons were killed or
wounded and Capt. Porteous was ar
rested and lodged in Jail. A huge mob
collected, stormed the prison, broke
down the doors, hauled the unfortu-
nate officer out into the Grassmarket
and hanged him on dyer's sign post
There was a lynching episode In
Darlington about nine years ago. The
trouble started with some children be-
ing made Ill by Ice cream sold by Ital-
ian street venders. Later a crowd
mobbed the italian hawkers. One
barrow was smashed to pieces, where
upon two of the Italians drew their
knives. They were seized, disarmed
and carried away to the river, into
which they were flung. 1t was only
through the exertions Of the police
that they were not both drowned.
A French giant was being exhibited
on the sands at Weymouth when two
little children offended him by laugh
ing. He ran at them and struck the
boy and kicked the girl. Instantly the
crowd made q rush at his tent and
pulled it about his ears. The giant
ran for his life, the crowd at his heels
There was a cab on the parade. The
giant flung himself into 1t. But the
mob kept up the chase Stones
smashed through the windows Of the
cab, and had 1t not been for the po.
lice the giant and his agent both would
have probably been killed.
At Thrapston fifty women were
obliged to waste their whole day al
the suit of an assignee against a loca
draper. AS hours passed and they
thought Of their uncooked dinners and
uncared for children they got more
and more angry. When the case was
at last over they gathered and sur
rounded The draper and fell upor
him furiously. Capless and coatles!
he escaped but they chased him. Only
the very hardest running saved theil
quarry.
Fairs are greatly disliked by the po-
lice on account Of the rows that Of
ten ensue. The most serious affray ir
recent years was at a village neal
Wrexham i. in November Of last year
A family of gypsies offered pig as 8
prize for climbing greasy pole. Az.
ter the contest the pig was not forth
coming. The crowd grew angry and
threatened the gypsies. The latter, Of
whom there were four. snatched III
rifles from their shooting gallery and
opened fire. Nearly score Of per
sons were struck by the bullets. Their
the fat was in the fire with ven
geance. Kill them!" roared the crow6
and there was terrific rush. The
gypsies had barricaded themselves ir
van, whereupon the crowd broke uI
all their galleries and shows, piled the
pieces round and proceeded to sci
them on flre.-Answers.