Richmond daily register. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1917-1978, 1920-02-28

heard no reports and saw no fiasl
| such as | must have seen of pistols
had been discharged. I talked tt
hundreds of people that day and tc
numbers of other eye-witneSses since
and all of them unite in the statement
that no shots were fired by the persons
in the crowd. The whole charge seems
lpreposterous. While this small banC
were making an effort to ascend the
steps, with only bare hands, but still
willing to offer their defenseless
breasts to the shot and steel, which
they knew awaited them, the rest O!
the crowd remained in the street
some forty or, fifty feet away. Re
manned perfectly quiet. waiting and
watching only.
From where ! stood, with full view
of everything that happened, / be-
ieved-and l still believe that the
outbreak confined as it was to such
a small number, could have beer
suppressed without the necessity OF
firing a single shot.
Does any sane or sensible man be-
lieve that two hundred soldiers, the
sheriff and all of his deputies and
practically the entire police force of
the city of Lexington could have not
turned back the on-rush of a mere
handful of men without the firing of q
shot, had they so desired? 1t seems,
however, that these who had staged
this elaborate affair were determined
not to be baked in their very evident
desire to let the people see that they
the latter--were indeed in the pres
ence of their Masters.
The, Officers on. the steps gave the
signal to fire and then-MURDER.
Murder as foul, as cruel, as merciless
as hell itself and infinitely more
cowardly. Not by the soldiers in the
open-who were in danger, if any one
was-for their credit be it said, it was
apparent to everyone that they We're
making no effort to injure any one,
but were deliberately firing over tho
heads Of the crowd.
And in the connection let me pause
to ask one question. If these men in
the open, face to face with the mem
bers Of what you have been led to be-
lieve was an armed, desperate and
blood thirsty mob, felt themselves in
so little danger that they saw 10
necessity for killing or wounding any
one, why should the heroic upholders
of the majesty of the law, safe behind
the stone walls OF their fortress find ii
necessary to pour into the struggling
crowd a veritable rain of death from
the doors and windows of the court
house? My God, it was monstrous,
fnorstrous, and l pray that | may
never look upon the like again. Men
fell almost, it might be said, like grain
before the sickle, and then. their lust
for blood unsatisfied still the guns OF
these heroic defenders of the majesty
of the law seemed to turn their death
dealing fire into crowd composed of
not only men, but helpless women and
children as well.
Men on the street were shot, wo-
men in stores wounded. In all of the
ANNALS IF time, including even the in
vasion of Belgium by the Germans
there has never bee g more willful
eckless- aye, malicious-disregardec
for human life than was displayed that
day. The Indifference shown as moi
only shocking, but absolutely IN
human. The rush Of terror-stricker
women and children for shelter was
the most awful sight I have ever be-
! held. Being crippled that day. was
almost swept eff my feet by them il
their mad flight, and in order to avoiC
| it, had to get back to the building ano
brace myself against the window IL
order to maintain my position and still
see what was going on. And what
have said is no exaggeration, but {
true statement of fact that can east
| ly be corroborated by the testimon!
of thousands Of good citizens OF thu
State.
A strenuous effort has bene made
by the defenders of those responsible,
for these occurances to convey the i'm
preston that the wholesale slaughter
while regrettable, was absolutely nee
essary in order to uphold the majest.
of the law. But camofiage lie as the.
may, distort it as they will, the trutl
will OUT, and when the truth and tn
facts of this hideous crime are know
to the people of Kentucky, they viii
| IF I know them at all-be stirred t.
their very depths.
1t claimed by the defenders of tn
actions of that day that it was neces
sary, in order that the law should b
allowed to take it's due, and nature
course, and the defendant, Lockett re
4 ceived a fair and impartial trial.
this be admitted as true, then tn
lquestion becomes pertinent. Why al
q ter all of the horrible slaughter, wa
he not given fair and impartial tris
and his legal rights, at least, protect
led?
4 If the accounts of the trial, as the
appeared in the Lexington papers ar
correct, and assume that they art
as both papers are ardent upholder
of the law, it would seem that to a
i intents and purposes, the defendar
was as much victim of "mob law
|, within the Fayette County Coul
!. House as he could possible have bee
lif turned over to the crowd outside
/ The only difference that I can see be
, tween the two, proceedings is, ths
, within he secured lease of thirt
days on life while without he woul
have been executed instantly. Notwitf
/ standing that the majesty of the La