Year: 1869

las Inc Atdmdnce JuIraSeSs litl VII


MEssRs. EDITORS :-It would be inferred
from an editorial in the Sentinel of the Goth
instant, headed "War in iAlamance, that
no atrocities had been committed in the
county by armed mobs of men in disguise !;
or if outrages had been committed, it was
on persons who, by their criminal conduct,
had brought upon themselves merited pun
ishment. The purpose of the article is to
mislead the public, cover up and smooth
over the brutal deeds perpetrated on peace
able and unofending citizens ;aor the editor
is ignorant of the true condition of things in
the county. He has certainly heard of but
one instance of mob or lynch law having
been applied, the case of Squire Alston,
who he says was soundly fraicd for taking
undue liberties with respectable hite girl
fourteen years old, and that the war in,
Alamance" will be found to be a tempest
in tea pot" y isTa


The Sentinel forgets entirely that besides
the case Of Squire Alston, four colored men,
one woman and one white man, have been
lynched and beaten until their backs were
laid in deep and heavy gashes; and they, all,
except the woman and white man, hung up
by their necks until life was almost extinct
All this may be sport for the Sentinel and his
boys in white gowns and masks, and In the
estimation of the Sentinel and its friends,
'deseryedly proper treatment for negroes.
They should nevertheless remember
that those negroes are human beings
land that all are amenable to, and entitled
to the protection of the law. The editor of
the Sentinel does not assent to this, or he
would not have styled the Governor of the
State "our turbulent Governor" Why is
this course pursued by this journal, its sup
porters and advisers Would they have the
scenes of violence that have occurred in this
county within the last six weeks reenacted
Would they have the streets of our towns
and the highways of our country infested
with bands of men, disguised and masked,
committing and threatening violence, and
disturbing the general peace of our county {?
1t NUT have been known to the Sentinel
that at the hour of midnight Caswcll Holt
was taken from his bed, unmercifully beaten
and lashed with hckories, and then his
bleeding, lacerated back rubbed with a
rough stick. This was noticed in the STAN
DARD and condemned; aud was replied to
abiding Democratic representative from this
county, who justified the barbarous decd on
the ground that Caswell Holt had been
guilty of unconstitutionally approprlating
other peoples property to his own use."'


The matter has been investigated. and
out of the reluctant mouths of his democra-
tic friends Caswell Holt established his
good character, and they were lnrccd to ad
nit on their oaths that he had not been
even suspected of stealing.


Now what do they say is the reason why
they thus beat him? The reply now is
that he bad insulted white lady by indie
Gently exposing his person. That was not
thought of the night they commit
ted the outrage; for while they bad the
poor negro tied, the only questions asked
were about the chickens, and the corn. But
in this case, us in tue case OF Alston, when
one of the masked miscreants had his head
and nose split open with an AK, and he and
his companions stand detected in their
crimes. it is denied that Steel's head was
split by Aston's wife.


Thus it happens that young man, not
twenty one, by the example and teachings
of the Sentinel and its friends, is brought to
grief And although Squire Alston's wife
acknowledges and insists that she struck
| young Steel with the AK; that she split lis
forehead open, and severed his nose, while
| he and his party OF K. KS were attempting
to take her husband out of the house, YET
| they will not believe her, and this, too, in
the face OF the fact that both Aston and
his wife were wounded by shots fired AT
| them hy the party after Steel was wounded
| with the AK, and the same surgeon vas sent
for the same night, about the same hour, tc
attend to the wounds of each party. The
woman says she cut Steel; that she is the
guilty person, yet the Sentinel and his
friends will not believe word ofit-but in
| sist that Steel was wayaid.


| Let me ask one question, hope it will bl
answered. What became OF the man that til,
wife OF Alstnn cut down and who was taker
out of Alstnn's house by his companions2 III,
was badly hurt for he bled freely; it showet
for itself the next day. Who was this man


What has become of him? Speak ou
and do not be afraid to tell the truth. rAnt
let us also know why your friends shot tn
man and his wife and attempted to burr
down his house, after they had succeeded il
thrashing him soundly." as you have stated


The fact is, Aston was not thrashed bu
that he was not, he owes to the resolute arm
of his wife and her trusty axe, and the as
| sistance rendered by her son and neigh
boring negro staying over night wit
them If the woman did wound youn
Steel let the matter be investigated, and
not done in self defence, let the law be mete,
out fully and justly


Justice is all that law abiding citizens as
in ALAMANCE.
|