The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-01-21
Voice Of the People.
rl,e Hurley LynchinE.

Editor of The Dispatch:
Sir,-Many and varied as nave oe cen
the published reports concerning .ne
recent trial OF Howard Little, In the
county of Buchanan, in which case
L appeared as counsel Tor tue ue
PENDANT, ] have heretofore refraineu
from taking any part In the to1 1ao.
yersies concerning the same. at lease
so far as the public press IS con-
cerned, and do not do SC, now tor tns
purpose of discussing the merits "
dement's OF that issue. But hayiHs'
as counsel for Little. asked the GOV
crnor for the respite of thirty Gays,
granted by him TO give me time IN
which to present the case 70 the SUI
preme Court on petition tor VIII
of error. l am constrained not 10 al,
low to go unnoticed and unchalienssu
the criticisms of that action OF the
Governor contained in a communica-
ton appearing in your valuable paper
of the 18th instant under the mead
of some Light on the Lynchihs At
Light" is a great thing i Is son some !,
times said, Turn on the light, put II
us saw Turn of the light" because
the apology is worse than the o.
tense.
So far as I have ever seen. persons
ing of anybody. whether white or
black, or with whatever offense he
might be charged, have been few, ana
especially such one as this IS saia
to have been; because this writer at,
tempts to defend this lynching, and
saws. ",rhc fourteen mountaineers who
did 1t had a good excuse. ana thal
good excuse he states further on TO
be the fact that the Governor haa
granted a respite OF thirty DAYS 10
people had doubts as to whether the
man would be punished by the law
This correspondents condemnation
| of lynching or mob law is excellent,
| but when we read in the same para
graph the EXCUSE" he gives for 1t,
and which he says. is a good one. we
| see him travel from the sublime to
| the ridiculous by the shortest
| route I have ever seen. say
ridiculous. because the grantins
| OF respite under similar clrcum
stances. when asked for, is not only
| a matter OF common humanity and
| decency, but is done by every Gov
/ crnor of every State to any man,
| white or black, and that regardless
OF what he is convicted. This fact,
| against the criticism of the Cover
| nor in this case, and while have
no desire to enter this controversy for
| any other purpose than to defend him
/ communication from Grundy will show
| that this action Of the Governor was
not the cause of this lynching, bu,
| sis" the excuse" for the same after
| 1t Is done, and that it is, therefore
4 properly named as such by the writer
]! Of that communication. Because, u
4 this same crowd would travel fifty
4 miles through the mountains to an
4 other county to take a man from thf
i hands Of the law and lynch him
/ against whom there was nothing bu
4 circumstantial evidence. 1t is eviden
i that they would need but little EEK
4 cuse" to cause them to lynch a maj
i who had shot and killed one of thei
! number, and their leader a that
\ in the presence of eye-witnesses.
4 What a reason for such a crime! Be
4 cause man condemned to die is givel
\ a few days in which to ask the judg
ment of the court of last resort as tt
i whether he has been properly dc
4 prived of his life and his liberty; {
man who was tried, according to thi
4 correspondents own evidence. whel
"the excitement was so great tina
. every one wanted the court to ash
. the Governor for the militia" ant
i against whom there is nothing bu
I circumstantial evidence, if any cvi
I, dencc at all!
{. II there be a class of cases (and I
would rather not mention them, AM
. OF which this is not one) In which
. there may be some show of justifica
/ ton for a resort to mob-violence, + ar
sorry that In Virginia such an 'ex
cuse" should ever be offered In cas-
Y like this as is vouched by this writer
1t Is said that a great artist los