Year: 1867

tor Falls a Victim TO the Fury OF a


Mob.


Fr5m the Warsaw Indanian, Dec, 81


Our neighboring Village of Pierceton, in
this county, was the scene on Friday last
of most Infamous and revolving outrage,
on the part of a negro, as well as of the
speedy, terrible, and inhuman punishment
of the perpetrator of the outrage, by num-
Der Of the citizens or the village of Pierce
ton. The facts, as near as we can gather
them, are about as follows:


\ negro, whom we understand, formerly
lived in this place, but has lately made his
home in Michigan, and who stayed in this
place the night previous to the preparation
of the outrage, went to the house of Mr.. j.
S. Baker, who resides about mile and a
half south of Plerceton, and who was alb
sent from home at the time, and asked Mrs.
Baker for some apples. Mrs b. went into
the cellar to procure them, and was follow
ed by the negro, who threatened her life, if
she did not submit to his hellish designs.
Accomplishing his purpose, he left the
house, but the alarm was soon given, and
pursuit was instantaneous, which resulted
in his capture, short distance south Of
Larwill, in Whitley county. He was
brought back TO Pierceton, where he was
met by an excited mob, who Immediately
fell upon him, and shot, beat, and stabbed
him, until he was dead. A rope was then
placed around his neck, and his body was
dragged through the streets and finally,
left lying in tie road, until the next morn
ing, when some of the citizens had his re-
mains taken into an out building or shan
y,


The above are about as near the facts as
we have been able to get them, and while
the crime was one of the most revolving,
the punishment of the guilty one was
equally so. We have heard but one ex-
preston IN regard to the matter, and that
is, that if the husband of the injured wo-
man had taken the matter In his own hands
and shot the negro dead on sight, there
would have been some excuse for him, but
because miserable negro had committed
brutal, Infamous and devilish crime, there
is no excuse for enlightened white men TO
band themselves together, place themselves
in the attitude of demons, and take the
law in their own hands. That he desery-
ed punishment, swift and sure, no one, We
think, will deny. That that punishment
was IN accordance with the enlightened age
in which we live, admits of the gravest
doubts.



REMARKs.-No one, we presume,
will dispute the conclusion of the Ladi-
dnian, that had the negro been slain by
the husband of the injured woman, there
would have been found but few to object
But it is plain to be seen that the PiercetOn
mob was influenced more by hatred of the
c0lored race than detestation of the crime
of the individual. We are equally horifed
by the crime and its mode of punishment
We are informed that so thoroughly was
the taste for blood aroused in Pierceton,
that after the poor wretch was stark and
stiff in death, boys, some OF them too small
to understand the nature of his offence,
amused themselves by hacking and how
ing the dead carcass with their knives.
Scarcely less Infamous is the attempt of
Democratic papers TO make political cap
ital out of the affair. Such acts are COM
mitted by men of all nationslities, colors,
and creeds, and are not justly charageable
upon any class. Wherever or whenever
they occur, we are In favor Of their pun
lshment by the utmost rigor of the law, but
we shall never nod approval to a mob, no
motter who compose it or who its victim
may be. The vilest criminal has rights,
which cannot be abrogatcd without danger