The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1921-08-18
DEMANDS APOLOGY
OF SOUTH CAROLINA

The mob formed in Columbia and
proceeded in a campact body along
the usual highway to Augusta. 1t is
known that Sheriff Heise knew of the
formation of the mob before Sheriff
Plunkett telephoned him. 1t is known
that Chief Of Police Derrick saw and
spoke to the members of the mob in
the automobiles as they passed
through Leesville. On the uncertain
ty as to whether the mob would or
would not attack the jail the sheriff
deemed it best to remove the prison
ers to the city of Savannah.
At 4 o'clock a. m. Wednesday night
an organized mob of over 100 heavily
armed men went to the county stock
ade on Fifteenth street and with
curses and therats forced and COM
PEELED an entrance to the stockade,
made a search of the premises, arous-
ed fifty or more sleeping convicts. Not
finding their intended victims they
, then went to the Richmond county
jail, a brick structure surrounded by
brick wall ten feet high. Again
with threats and curses they scaled
the wall, entered the jail yard and
porch threatening to batter down the
doors of the jail unless Fox and Gap
pins we're instantly turned over to
them. The jailer assured them that
the prisoners had been removed from
the Jail, but these assurances were
set at naught and the jailor compelled
to turn over his keys and admit them
for the purpose of search. They
aroused the inmates of the jail, 60
ing from cell to cell in serch for
their victims. Not finding them,
they again with threats and curses
and in tumultous fashion left the jail.
The members of this mob were guilty
of felony under Georgia law and
subject to a punishment of from one
to twenty years in the penitentiary.
Mobs and lynchings have become so
much the order of the day that unless
some unique feature is presented
mere comment upon the condition
would seem to be vain. But up to
This time mobs have been intra-state.
This one was interstate. Peace Off
GERS have been called on to deal with
mobs formed within their own baili-
wick. Has it come to pass that a
sheriff may expect mob from a
neighbor, perhaps from distant
state?
However this may be, as a general
proposition, the concrete situation is
presented to Your Excellency Of your
sheriff, exerting almost superhuman
effort to render service to the state Of
South Carolina-succ ccessful service,
and the reward of such service is the
invasion of Georgia territory by an
armed, organized mob, the peace and
quiet of a great city violated, the
states stronghold assaulted, its keep
ers and defenders defed. Must you
not require of the state of South Caro-
line genuine activity in securing and
delivering to Georgia authority some
of the hundred offenders who have
outraged it? Three South Carolina
criminals were arrested by Georgia
authorities and returned to South
Carolina with evidence to convict.
Will not South Carolina arrest and
deliver to Georgia one of the one
hundred men who broke and defed
it's laws? Had this very incident oc-
Cured between the countries of Mex
leo and the United States on the
south, or the Dominion of Canada and
the United States on the north, would
not full explanation and apologies
have been instantly made, and if not
would the occurrence not have been
cause of war? Georgia and South
Carolina are as distinct sovereigns as
are the two countries. A new condi-
tion is presented to your Excellency
and you should take thought
Gus thought-of how you should meet
it. Here is invasion of your state by
an armed force, defiance of it's laws
and your authority. Assault and cap
ture of your jail and stockade, your
property seized, and what have you
from South Carolina or it's governor
in satisfaction of these unthinkable
outrages?
What answer does she propose to
make or will you exact?
Respectfully,
HENRY G.. HAMMOND.