Year: 1879

"
of the Chisholm trial has ended in the
prompt acquittal of the murderer, and
in this respect has not disappointed
public opinion. 1t was a foregone con-
clusion from the very outset that the
wretch Gully would never be punished
for his brutal murder of Cornelia CHS
holm, nor any of his gang who joined
with him in the murder of Judge CHS
holm, his little boy, and his two friends.
The circumstances of this trial stamp it
as the most deliberate violation of law
and perversion and intimidation of JUS
tice ever known in the criminal annals
of this country. The evidence in the
case was as clear as the sunlight. There
was no room for the shadow of doubt
that Gully murdered the brave girl Cor
nelia Chisholm deliberately and wan
tonly. The defense introduced no tes-
tmony that even threw a doubt upon
the main fact. The most rigid cross
examination failed to disturb single
statement of those who saw the murder
and had the courage to testify. In any
community which was not ruled by vio-
lence and stepped in barbarism, the
jury would have declared the wretch
guilty without leaving their seats, and
the Court would have sentenced him on
the spot. But the DeKalb jury, shiv-
ering for their lives and covering un-
der the threatening glances of the mob
of Gully's followers who swarmed into
the courtroom and were hanging about
the building, surrendered all their cour-
age and manliness at the bidding of
these desperadoes, and, waiting few
minutes for the sake of common decen-
cy, came in and declared Gully not
guilty!


There was no phase of this trial that
was not a mockery of justice, and dis
grace to the Court, the town, the
county and the State where it was held.
The murderer himself, who was on
trial for one of the most awful and
brutal crimes ever perpetrated even in
that bloody region, was not under re-
straint. He came and went at his
pleasure, the convenient Sheriff taking
his word that he would appear when
ever wanted. Knowing that he would
be acquitted, and that there was not
power enough in Kemper County to
punish him, he appeared promptly
enough each morning, and spent his
time in the courtroom or in the town,
streets and saloons, as best suited his
pleasure; if there had been any doubt
of his acquittal, there was no way to
have prevented his escape. He had
plenty of company for the town was
thronged with his associates and fol-
lowers, many of them the very same
ruffians who were with him in the at
tack upon the Jail when the Chisholms
were killed, and thirty-two of them un-
der indictments for murder found two
years ago, upon which no warrants had
ever been issued by the cowardly off
cials of the court. These rutfians held
high carnival in DeKalb. They were
in complete possession of the town.
No one dared to sympathize with the
poor woman who bravely ventured in
to this nest of crime to demand that
justice be awarded her for the murder
of her husband, daughter and son. Not
man among the many who witnessed
the murder in broad daylight dared to
stand up and corroborate her testimony
by telling the plain truth. All of them
had treacherous memories and forgot
everything that bore directly upon
the crime. The jury sat in its box un-
der a duress as complete as if a pistol
had been held at the head of each one
of them. The lawyers for the defense
went through their cross-examinations
and speeches, and the Court made out
its instructions with the customary
formalities and following the ordinary
precedents of law, well knowing that
justice would not, and could not, be adj
ministered. Thus the farce went on
40 20 10 a


ing that, even if they had the will, they
had not the power to punish this con-
viotcd n.urdoror; and, pielding to the
pressure of the mob, jurors and wit
nesses did not hesitate, at the close of
each days proceedings, to fraternize
with them. Pending the verdict of the
jury, the murderer, surrounded by his
friends, sat on the fence outside with
out even being attended by Bailiff,
not caring to go into the courtroom to
hear the decision which his friends had
arranged for him. When the verdict
was announced, General Woodford, who
escorted Mrs. Chisholm to DeKalb and
acted as her counsel, together with
their friends, hurried to the railroad
station lest any harm should befall her,
while Gully and his fellow-ruffians pro-
ceeded to get drunk and celebrate his
acquittall


The extraordinary result of this trial
shows conclusively that the ordinary
processes of law are no longer possible
in Mississippi, and that the authorities
of that State have no longer the power
to protect the lives of its citizens. 1t
shows that the moral sentiment of its
people is completely deadened, and that
if there are any left who still have a be-
lief in law and justice they dare not as
sert it in the presence of the mob
which overrides the authorities with
perfect impunity. II shows that scores
of ruilians, known to be murderers, are
not even required to give bonds for their
appearance for trial, but roam at large
unchallenged by those whose duty it is
to preserve the peace. 1t shows that
crime of the BLACKLIST description can
no longer be punished. The mob holds
full and complete sway, and the entire
machinery of law has been smashed.
1t is not only disgrace to Kemper
County, but to the whole State, for such
a condition of things could not have
occurred if the majority of the people
had not been willing, and if popular
sentiment had not been debauched by
these gangs of rowing ruifians. 1t is the
most damning impeachment which has
yet been made of the party which i'm
vented the Mississippi plan, which has
unfurled the banner of State-rights,
and which seeks to gain control of the
National Government. The Republican
party cannot afford to let this matter
drop, because this murderer has been
acquitted in open defiance of law and
testimony. Judge Chisholm was MUIR
dered because he was Il Republican and
was in the way of his Democratic COM
petitOr for Congress, and his children
were murdered because they tried to
save their father. The party which in
vented this infamous policy, and which
upholds it as one of the principal feat
,,,.aa ,f Ctafa-YiOhta ahnuld ha held