The Chesterfield advertiser. [volume] (Chesterfield C.H., S.C.) 1884-1978, 1921-08-18
THE LAW OR TIE MOB?


rier)
M. E. Drazell, father of the taxicab
driver, who was brutally murdered
lear Leesyille, in Lexington county,
week ago yesterday, has issued
"a personal appeal through the CO.
lumbia State that the threats of mob
violence against C. 0. Fox and Jesse
Gappins, the two men accused Of the
crime, be not executed. Mr.. Brazell
believes that these men are guilty
and he believes further that mo pun
ishment, however cruel, could possi-
bly, be too severe for them but he
says that if he were in the sheriff's
place, 81 should hold them if it cost
me my life,' adding: "I now expect
the sheriff and other officers to do
likewise"
This is spoken like good citizen
and good citizens everywhere will
honor Mr.. Brazell for speaking out
as he has done against lynch law at
a time when the lust for personal
vengeance against the men held for
this crime RACES at the State Capt.
tai with an openness unparalleled we
think, in the history of crime in this
State.
1t has been published repeatedly
and not denied that during the week
Which has elapsed since young Bra
zell was slain bodies of armed men
have almost continuously patrolled
the highways leading into Columbia
and have searched all trains enter
ing the Capital City. They have done
this with the undisguised purpose of
taking Fox and Gappins from the
officers of the law and summarily
lynching them. They have not sue
ceeded in this design up to the pres
ent time but in order to thwart them
the two priscnefs have been held first
in the Jail at Augusta, whence they
were hurriedly spirituded to clude a
mob which little later visited the
jail, then in Savannah, and since ear
ly Sunday morning in Charleston. In,
short, the mob has succeeded for a
week in terrorizing the law and while
it has not been able to get hold of
the prisoners it has prevented the
officers of the law from taking them
to the capital of the State and lodg-
ing them in the State penitentiary.
This exhibition of governmental
helplessness in the face of organized
potential lynchers operating under
the very shadow of the State Capitol
is calculated to fill with bitter humi-
lation all those who would like to
believe in the majesty of the law.
Governor Cooper, after talking
about calling out the militia if nee
cessary to protect Fox and Gappins,
was quoted yesterday as suggesting
that they may be left in the Jail
in Charleston until the time set for
their trial. To do that is to confess
Carolina lacks the power to get them
to the penitentiary now and to pro-
tect them there afterwards. The au-
thorities have had a full week in
which to make the law respected.
They cannot make it respected as
long as the belief prevails, as it very
naturally does prevail at present,
that Fox and Gappins could not be
taken into Columbia now without be-
ing lynched.
Is the law in South Carolina in
potent? Is the government in South
Carolina utterly lacking in force and
decision?
The murder of William Brazell was
one of the ugliest crimes this State
has experienced and it is easy to un-
derstand why Indignation against it
men accused of it should flame so
high; but the murderels are in the
hands of the law and there is nc ques-
ton of the verdict of the courts being
just one. 1t is the duty of the State
10 see that they are protected against
moy violence, and the State should do
this,not by running away from lynch
ing parties. but by providing a guard
sufficient to put these men in the
State penitentiary and to protect
them when they are there.
Not in this generation at least has
there been so much lawlessness in
South Carolina as there is at pres
ent, so many crimes of violence. Such
a condition of affairs is not to be end
ed by sentimental appeals to public
sentiment. What is needed is for the
State to assert it's power, its majesty,
it's authority, and to assert it with
force. Instead of running away from
men bent on taking the law in their