The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1921-08-24
Following Conference
Chief Executive Will
Call on NeWspap-
ers to Furnish
Evidence

lowing statement:
when / read In certain daily
papers editorials which, in effect
charged that the state had abdicat-
ed and surrendered to the mob, and
that the governor of the state had
done nothing in reference to the
threatened mob violence and none
of these papers having communi-
Gated with me as to any action
taken or contemplated, I felt out
ragged.
These papers virtually charge
that mob of armed citizens clti-
zens has defied the law ard the law
officers. has been holding up citi-
zens on the public highway and
searching trains and no steps have
been taken to prevent it. I assume
that some one connected with these
papers is in position to give specific
instances of such acts of violence.
i have endeavored. and am now en-
deavoring, through the only avail
able channels to find out the truth
about these matters. l did not
deem it advisable to publish in the
daily press that an investigation
would be made and the persons
who violate the law brought to
trial; but since the newspapers are
determine dto have newspaper
trial. I feel compelled to ask for
ray day in court
AS governor of the state I call
upon every citizen and especially
the newspapers to furnish me any
& Information which will enable the
proper officers to ascertain who
composed the personnel of any
mob or assent blage Of persons in
connection with the Brazen mur-
der case. If the newspapers who
have made the charge that the
state government has abdicated
and surrendered to the mob are un-
able to make good the charges
which they made, l assume, of
course. that they will make due
apology to the state which they
have slandered. If they can fur
nish the information desired. they
should have done so and given the
legal authorities an opportunity to
act before charging them with in
difference and inactivity.
"It is not out of place. in this
connection. to say that the chief
difficulty which the officers interest
ed seem to have had n dealing
with the threat of mob violence
was the fact that the newspapers
published to the world every move
ment of the officers ard thereby en-
abled those who would do violence
to the law to have the advantage
Of advance Information. When
there seemed to be danger of vio-
lence to prisoners in legal custody
my first concern, naturally, was to
prevent any act Of violence. The
sheriff Of Lexington county. where
this horrible murder was commit
ted. went to Savannah, Ga. where
two Of the prisoners were in Gus
tody. and the fact of his departure
was published in the afternoon pa
pers. When he left Savannah,
ostensibly for Columbia, with his
prisoners in charge, this fact also
was given wide publicity. When his
prisoners were delivered to the
sheriff of Charleston county and
we're securely guarded, the officers,
as well as the governor, were
&L Ior
to the mob because the prisoners
were not brought forthwith to Co
lum bia, where the mob was sup
posed to be forming.
ITO have adopted this course
would probably have meant the
shedding of blood and the unneces-
sary sacrifice of human life. 1t is
we'll known fact that the Jail at
Lexington is insecure, if there was
no danger Of violence from without.
These prisoners must be incarce-
rated, therefore, elsewhere than in
Lexington until the time of trial.
am unable to see where the state
government is failing in its duty
when it decides to hold prisoners
in the Jail at Charleston. in pref
erence to placing them in the jail
or penitentiary at Columbia. The
penitentiary is not a detention
house, but is a prison where per
sons are incarcerated after con-
viction. 1t frequently happens. OF
course, that prisoners before trial
are placed in the penitentiary for
safe keeping Usually the peni-
Tertiary is selected in order to re-
move the prisoners from the storm
center. In this case it would have
been bringing them into the place
where the mob was supposed to be
There would be no objection to
such a course in the present case
but there is no necessity for it un-
less there is reason to apprehend
danger of a successful attack or
the Charleston Jail.
'There seems to be an idea, also
fiat the governor of the state car
not discharge the duties Of his Of
flee unless he is at his desk in the
governors Office in the state capi-
toll. l wish to say that | have beer
in constant and continuous touch
with this whole situation. by telc-
phone and telegraph from my tenn
porary residence on Paris mountain