The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-04-16
PROTEST AGAINST MOB
SPIRIT DISPLAYED
Winchester Law and Order League
Dcpiofes Action of Citizens and
Asks That Law BE Enforced.

Pledging their devotion to the prin.
cipies of prohibition and to the strict
enforcement OF the laws, the Winches-
ter Law and order league has made
formal protest against the mot
spirit displayed there against the Off
GERS held for the killing of the tive
3Ctleggefs in Shenandoah. The fact
is deplored tiiat a crowd insulted and
jeered the officers, following their ar
rest for carrying out their sworn duty
in appre bending desperadoes operating
in defiance of the law. The Win
hester people adopted the following
resolutions at meeting held Sunday;
ours is in the main a law
abiding citizenship. We have
voted as city and a state by large
majorities to outlaw the traffic in
Intoxicating drink. We stand for
the just enforcement of that as
we'll as other laws of our state and
nation, and, while we deplore as
every reasonable man must, the
loss Of human life IN the enforce
mont Of this law. we would remind
our fellow citizens that when this
crowd was jeering and insulting
the officers of the state, they were
already under the jurisdiction of
the courts of the land, to answer
If they exceeded their authority
or took life without Justification.
Before We ACCOUNT or condemn
them we must await the duly au-
thori2ad action OF the courts. II is
not the prerogatiye of any inGi
vidual or any group OF indi-
vidual 10 usurp the authority Of
the law of the land. and when it
ir.
foundation of that fabric OF law
and order which protects the
persons, property and homes of
all OF us.
1--WE reafTlrm our approval and
"' devotion to the principles of pro-
hibition, as 1t has been embodied
in the law of our city. state and
nation, and pledge our influence
and support to the reasonable and
strict enforcement of these laws.
We call upon all good citizens to
stand for law and order and pro-
test against the effort which is
being made to break down the
enforcement of the law and make
il easy for the bootleggers to do
business in our town.
Now that there has been time
for passion to subsde and for the
law-abiding elements in our COM
munity to think calmly, we feel
that a more formal and public
protest than has already been
made against the disorder that
happened in our streets should he
placed on record In order that
the good name of our city may
not be brought into general rc-
proach and the cause Of law and
order be injured throughout the
commonwealth. The night OF
March 26 a crowd formed around
the Hotel Evans, situated on the
main street OF our town, and
howled and jeered and in other
ways sought to insult humiliate
an dintimidate the officers of the
law. There were also missiles
thrown and cries that a rope b~
brought and the officers lynched.
Previous to this, on at least two
occasions, a smaller crowd had
met the officers at the railroad
station and jeered them and en-
outraged law breakers to resist
arrest. Inasmuch as these acts
have been given wide publicity in
the press Of the country and have
branded our city as a place where
law and order have been set at
naupht and over ridden by law
lessness and disorder. and mas
mucn as THESE demonstrations
have been made, not against citi-
zens simply sojourning for a night
in our city, but against officers of
the law representing the sover-
eighty of the state of Virginia:
therefore
Resolved. That we publicly and
most earnestly protest against
these cast and declare that do not
represent the thoughtful senti-
ment of our community"