Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1912-11-08
The Aliens.

SIX murths aga sho: was frci in
a little village in Southwestern Vir-
ginia which was heard all over the
nation, sending thrill of indignation
through every law-abiding citizen in
the lard. That one shot gave the sig
nal for others, and IN few minutes
a court of justice was charne! house.
The crack of Il revolver, puff of
I flame and the Commonwealth at
dead, a sacrifice to duty done. An
other shot and another, and then a
fusillade and the judge on the bench
slippled quietly to the floor to gasp
out his life at the Cu0t of the throne
of Law. The sheriff vino had brought
a law-breaker into court, a juror who
had dared defy his threats ami bring
III Il We diet according To law and the
evidence an innocent young woman,
whose only olfense vas that she had
entered temple of Justice to see its
sanctlty upheld all these were sacri-
feed to the uncomfortable rage and
anarchistic spirit of fuedist.
1t was wholesale murder, premed-
itated and cowardly, but it was more
( than that. 1t was defiance of civil
iaztion; challenge to the law the
peopl, of Virginia had made That
challenge was accepted by the State
of Virginia and money spent without
stint to bring to justice the per-
| petrat rrs of foul crime and the
enemies of all organized society.
They were captured, given fair trial
of them found guilty ana sentence
imposed. Two have begun to serve
their sentence in the prison they
swore they would never enter; two
await the death they declared they
preferred to obedience to the law of
God and man; two await trial.
In the hills of Southwest Virginia
lives an old woman-thc wife, mother
and kinswoman of the criminals. For
her the people of Virginia have
naught but sympathy, but in the same
neighborhood lives the wives and
daughters and kinsmen of those whom
her loved ones had sent to an untimely
end. There is sympathy for these as
well, Dad these also must he remem-
bercd. But there arr s.ill others to
remember. They are the citi1.ns of
Virginia who. by their obedicnce to
the law, have earned tho right OF its
protection. a right which will be
denied them if those who have snatch
ed it from others meet not the OK
IRENE penalty of their crimes.
Remember the stricken mother
aye, give her of the sympathy of the
hearts of the people, but remember
also those others whose loved ones
were cut off in the prime of life.
Remember also Thornton Massie,
brave and upright judge, who died
IN the service of his country as much
as ever did soldier who marched to
battle to the music of the bands and
the plaudits of his admiring COM
patriots. Remember Sheriff Webb;
remember Commonwealth ATTORNEY
Foster; remember Juror Fowler. Aye,
remember these, and then remember
the people of Virginia and the civil
ization which we all are striving to
perfect.
Sympathy for those in misfortune
is the evidence in us of the divine,
but sympathy instructed is weak
sentimentality. Sympathy which
denies justice to the many while ex-
tending mercy to the few; sympathy
which encourages lawlessness and
murder il almost a crime can eye
for an eye, tooth for tooth" is
not the spirit of revenge; it is nee
essary for the protection on earth of
those who fear God and keep the laws
they themselves have imposed. Rich
mond Virginian.
James Bellwood. Canadian, has
mt the State fair an exhibit of more
than 500 different articles produced
on his farm in Chesterfield county.
This is almost incredible. Among the
exhibits is beet weighing eighteen
pounds and alfalfa eight feet high.
Yet blue grass or limestone coun-
try farmer looking at the Bellwood
farm land as Mr.. 3elwood first saw
it sumo years ago would not believe
man could support his family on it.
1t is an old anecdote in Richmond
that John Randolph. of Roanoke,
when he went there always called at
the Eagle Tavern, for Chesterfield
county eggs. Some gentleman from
Chesterfield, hearing this, were much
gratified at the preference given their
county and had mutual friend ask
Mr.. Randolph the reason. He explain
ed that the Chesterfield land was so
Internally poor that he knew nobody