The McDowell times. [volume] (Keystone, W. Va.) 1904-1941, 1917-07-27

The case of the state against
Henderson Lacy, 20 years old. charg-
ed.wlth an attack on a en-year-old
girl last May, Was called in immedi-
ate court this afternoon
Authorizes say il Is one of the
most unsIeak able crimes which has
come TO their notice in recent years.
The little girl, Who is small for her
age, II is alleged, Was enticed to the
room OF Lacy with the aid Of candy
and sweets and there the crime is al
legged To have been committed. IL is
said lac threatened To kill her if she
told of il. but the child told her
mother and the arrest and indict-
ment followed
The above is cllpped from the Char
lection Mail, Inder date of July II. To
begin with, the Mail IL one of the fairest
papers IN the state with reference TO the
manner II reports any happening Ii IL
absolutely unbiased and intelligently 80.
Ia the first place, IT il ably edited by one
OF the hest newspaper men in the state,
who doesn't permit his reporters 20 cover
up their defects and short comings in re-
porting. II they happen To have any, by
substituting IN lieu thereof lot of yell
low stud, trying to Use Negro or other
dialect and ~adIng out into foreign folk
lore. the latter being a dangerous pro-
ceedIng at best, To him who happens To
know but little about il. Therefore,
what l. said has and can have no refer
ence To tlIe Mai.
Here I- a clear case OF RAPE OF the
worst kind. Ii Was at once, iiendish, de-
ceptIve and brutal In most any other
paDer, there would have leen lurid head
lines, when tins occurred. We recall, in
this connection, that the Mail made Il a
news item then, gave It proper space and
prominence, told the truth about il and
stopped there: no more. no less
Be II said to the credit OF the commun-
Ity, that while the matter - ~ dastardly
ss II could veil be, they have preferred
- ist tire Law take its course They have
not rIsen NJ, gathered themselves into
mob, disgrared themselves and set civil
zaIIOn baek by lynching or attempting
To lynch this man. The papers deserve
great credit for this. for they CREATE pub
llc sentiment. and they conld have stir
red tie soul Of this community to the
point where the above mentioned thing
might have, YEA. would have happened
But they didn't, therefore they are 70 he
commended ior avertinx = probable Sec
Ond crime. Tins l. WHITE MAN
This - WHITE GIRL All Of the
parties are WHITE The paper doe-n'
say 80, and ~ didn't expect Governor
CLARK o. say that for he Doesn't print
that KIND OF -tu8. Will him news j.
news. Ia J. news i'm the abstract: not
white ne~snor black news but just new-).
butmost paper. had tins have been 9th
sr~ise, ~oud have designated 70 IN such
Way A. O. IEcite aud inhame II this
man - guilty. be onght o. l,e punished.
Ia = np 10 the court o. say 10 what *
tent, Tor the law gives the cour; some
istituds and permits "a b. u-e some di--
cretiOnsry power in the matter. II he
Is Innocrnt, be- should by ali means be
set free and vindicated. The fart that
he - White man AMI that ~ are =
Negro makes no difference Whstever
With us. We are glad he j. to have his
day in court. o. be triei ~ hi- feer-. u
be allowed O. come into court and pre-
sent his side 81 tlie question W. would
condenn any attempt o. lynch tins man
just a. quicklJ A. We would the blarke-t
man On earth. Ia y not tine man. 10 =
tiIs principie involved. lie i entitled
" certain considerations under the Law.
We are gisd be- = getting a. We would
lend our Puny force o. any effort that
would give 70 n him. had he 10 not.
Nov, u tni- = risht. and we must admit
that "a - ugh' for tins nan. why j. IL not
rght for all nen-for the BLACK MAN
for example
We have said al tie above % -sy this:
The newspapers the country over are
more guilty for most Of the lynching
than any other agency known. They
are guilty both of ans OF commission and