Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1913-01-10
on that date the whole country wa.

Knight OF Pythlas and member
Z Pulaski Lodge, No. 90. Of Virgins
who was shot while performing hi
duty at Hillsville, Va, and the most 0
the officers of his court killed o
manned by lawless mountain gang
who at his hands were being halted b,
! the stern arm of the law.
i The feudists and lawless mountain
Eeers of the South have long been
menace to civilization, source O
1 much concern, and at the cost of man!
4 lives State and national >authorltle
| have long endeavored to quell them
but their desperate character made i
difficult to convist them, and the Gov
ernor of Virginia, knowing the un,
swerving sense of justice and integrity
of his former classmate, Thornton L
| Massie, then practicing lawyer OF
Pulaski, Va. asked him to accept the
judgeship OF mountain district, in
order that law should reign instead of
| lawlessness.
Judge Massie accepted, although he
was giving up practice of $4,000 per
year for a salary of $1,000 per annum
and meagre travelling expenses, but he
did so in an attempt to curb the law
lessness of the mountaineers and make
the mountain region as safe and law
abiding as any portion of fair Virgil
MIA.
Judge Massie understood this stupen
dous task from a full conception and
sense of duty, as taught by our Pythlan
Order, which should be proud of the
inspiration it gave him and pay just
tribute to his memory. His sacrifice
was the greater that he had happy
home, with a charming wife to make
it indeed, home, lovely daughter,
lust on the threshold of womanhood,
and two young sons, who were to be
equipped for the battle of life.
Before the fatal day Judge Massle
had been warned of threats against
him and his officers if the members of
the gang on trial were found guilty.
and advised to 60 armed, but his reply
was worthy of the true Pythian knight
that he was; "Only the law is supreme,
and it must be unfraid; no lawless-
ness can make it afraid. No man
would be fit to sit on the bench oil
Virginia or any other State in this land
who carried a deadly weapon to the
task of administering justice. When
a Judge must ascend the bench with
his hand gripping pistol, the day OF
law is past. Civilization is failure.
Thus, as was said by another, Armed
only with his faith in the law, he wal
kea into the jaws of death like
knight of the Grail" and We add,
like the true knight of Pythias that
he was.
We seek our inspiration from the eN
ample af Damon in forsaking his fam
ilv to 90 to the certain death that had
been decreed him, and shall we be less
inspired by the example Of Judge MAS
sic over whom no shadow lowered IN
leaving his happy home in the vale
of sunshine, where the cheer OF WIFE,
dauphter and sons was ever around
him in order to remove the blot OF
lawlessness from the fair es&utcheon
Of "Old Virginia" and in the spirit OF
holy sacrifice say with his last gasp
ing breath; 81 could not have done
Less?
iesdingnipgshr mht NH tmh tmhtmht
High as the topmost line on the
scroll of fame let the name Of Thorn
ton l.. Massie, the Pythian hero, De
engraved. that those faltering and re-
cneat in their duty may be inspired
to renewed courage and effort ana 10
perform their duties with faltn ana
fearlessness never known before. Let
every public official be inspired to
follow his example of fearlessness ana
devotion, and our present unrest ana
distrust will be stilled and with con-
6dence, thust restored our nation Will
be restored to peace and march ana
on to greatness with a strloe tha'
knows no deviation, with wrong dong
so far subjugated that the pubic o.
fcials will be trusted as men we're
never trusted before.
Judge Mazsie and his family are uh-
known to the writer except by the
circumstances of his deateh, but ne
wished to pay his tribute to his men,
ory while Offering them such conso-
lation as words can convey N their
irreparable loss. Great sacrlhces are
often the only means Of arouslng peo-
1 ~ 1% -,