The Nashville globe. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1906-193?, 1912-02-16
NO MOB AT
SHELBYVILLE
NEGROES ACCUSED OF
KILLING, PROTECTED
Will Be Tried Ac-
cOrding to Law.
Talk of Lynchlns Met with Firm
Condemnation Of cltizens-of-
ficiaIs Take Positive Stand
Quiet Restored at Once
Bedford County Ideal
Community.

Community.
Special to the Globe;
Shelhyville, February 13.
The people in the towns and vici-
mites of Bellbuckle, Wartrace and
Shelbyville were greatly shocked and
consequently thrown into a state OF
wild excitement last Saturday and
Sunday, when the news had spread
abroad that two colored men, Dave
Neil and Watt Greer, both of Shell
byville, had been lodged in jail for
the alleged crime Of killing and
throwing off the train, white man,
who was said to be a railroad detec-
tive. An alleged third party to the
tragedy has not been apprehended.
The trouble seems to have been
brought about by the white man, Mr..
S. W. Everson, by name, attempting
to quiet disturbance between the
colored men, all of whom, it is said,
were drinking and otherwise behav-
ing roughly.
Talk of lynching was freely in
dulged in by not a few. For time
| for fear that such an outbreak would
take place, but be it said to the cred
it of the sheriff Of Bedford County,
| firmly sustained by the citizens of
Shelbyville, who have ever stood for
law and order, it was soon under
stood that an attempt at lynching
would have met with the most stub
born resistance. All talk of mob
violence was soon quieted, and there
is no doubt but that the prisoners
will meet with the penalty that their
crime deserves after a trial accord
ing to law.
From what could be learned, both
of these young men bear bad repu-
tatton, and if they are guilty of the
crime charged against them, they de-
serve to be punished to the full ex-
tent of the law, rs no doubt they
will be. People are so accustomed to
looking for lynching when similar
occurrences take place between
white man and Negroes, that they
were hardly prepared to believe the
story true whenever they hear that
a white community allows cases of
this kind to pass by without taking
i the law into their own hands.
1t was only few weeks ago when
the town of Shelbyville was shocked
, by the double murder of two men in
, the streets at the hands of one An
= derson a white man. There was con-
, siderable talk at that time of lynch
| ing Anderson should he have been
, caught while the excitement ran
high. But after the lapse of two OF
three weeks Anderson returned, and
| gave himself up, and is now lodged
: in the Bedford County Jail, awaiting
, his trial.
In the light of these facts is
brought to mind what has so often
been said by leading colored citizens
of Shelbyville and Bedford County;
, that the white citizens of that COM
munity are probably the exceptions
: in the state Of Tennessee when it
, comes to standing for law and order,
I and the friendly relations which ex-
+ ist there between the Negroes and
the whites.
This does not mean that there is
an iota Of difference between Shelby
! vile and other towns, so far as so
I c1al relations are concerned. But it
! does mean that the best citizens
; there mould sentiment, and that that
7 sentiment is always in favor of law
and order and good government.
|, They seem to know that crime can
: not be stopped by committing a
: crime, nor should be punished by
criminals.
! ! 1t is remembered very distinctly
that when an attempt was made a
few months ago to move the Turner
y Normal College from Shelbyville to
!, another town, Dr. j. A. Jones, the
president, who was the foremost op-
poser to the movement, urged as one
of his strongest points, that fact that
L there was no community in the state
so well fitted for the location of the
school, on account of the friendly re.
l. lations Of the races In that town.
e Dave Mel and Watt Greer will be
d dealt with as individuals, the leading
e citizens of Bedford County not beins
s of that class that blame a whole com
:, munity Of Negroes for the acts OF
: one.