The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1913-08-09
THE TRIAL AID CONVICTION OF COL.
W. A. MONTGOMERY.

months, since the confession of
Lawrence Yerger, the governor
has been telling US that he was
not satisfied with such small game
az that. but he was going to
get the men g higher up;
that the management Of the pen.
itentiary was honey-cOmbed with
graft and he meant to bring 10
justice, not subOrdinates. who
stole thousands of dollars. but
those who robbed the State OF
hundreds of thousands. On this
assurance, he received from the
legislature, in addition to the con.
tingent fund of his office, ten
thousand dollars to prosecute this
pursuit of bigger game.
Well, he ''got' one of those
men last Saturday in the circuit
court OF Kinds County; he "got'
Col. w. A. Montgomery, the
man of all others, whom he most
hated in Mississippi. he "got
this brave man and noble gentle.
man and the ''getting' Of him
was an achievement which may
satisfy the governors pride, but
is a matter of shame amolg Miss
issippians who have no malice to
crafty and another kind fpride
to cherish. The getting OF
this pure and spotless patriot,
the very incarnation of honor and
integrity, type OF the Southern
gentleman that lives in song and
story. for the glory of our land
and the inspiration of our children
the :. getting ofthis veteran of
two wars and hero of reoonstruc-
ton, after a Nindicative pursuit Of
months, led by hired sleuths OF the
law, land the manner oil" getting
him, are things of which our gov.
ernor may be very proud; he may
esteem them as IA glorious victory
and vindication, but most men
would be ashamed TO wear that
kind Of laural wreath, wrung out
of the heart-break and humilia-
ton of noble soul that has man.
fully won the right to go down the
valley of agei in peace,
Those who witnessed that trial
and conviction will never forget
it; it was tragedy burnt into the
memory of ali who gathered in
that court house, day after day,
to note the details of that immo-
lation, in the name of justice,
and wonder at the cruelty of the
spirit that prompted and executed
it. Grizzled veterans of the Con.
federacy were there, struck mute
and amazed at the spectacle; men
who stood shoulder to shoulder
with the victim in the rescue of
Mississippi from the vandals OF
reconstruction looked on wonder
ing how such things could be;
men Of the newer generation,
reared under the the influence OF
Southern ideals and traditions,
that ruled in Southern homes,
for their inspiration and guild.
ance, were appalled, at the fate
that befell one who had lived the
life they were taught to live and
whose example of .nanliness they
were urged to emulate. Good
women were there 10 give strength
and courage to the brave spirit
struggling in the meshes that
smart attorneys sought to entan.
gle him in. And when, at last,
the blow had fallen, the spirit
that never quailed in the presence
Of foe, fell, whipped and pros
trate, before court of his coun.
try, scourged to his doom by the
whip of malice; branded with a
stigma Of violating public trust
and guilty of an offense that. in
the court 8 discretion, might have
clothed him in stripes. at the
county farm, for its expiation-|
and many there were, who
thought that this sentence should
be imposed that the record might
be complete and the governors
pursuit justified and his wrath
appeased.
What was the crime of which
Colonel Montgomery was accused