Lynch Law or the Gospel.
Wiles, the captive horse thief, was given Mose's horse to ride and,
closely guarded by the six men, they all retraced their journey up the
river road. Wiles was sullen and morose, having little to say. His look
was that of a guilty and disappointed man, yet he carried a don't care,
half defiant air which was more assumed than real.
Bad news travels fast. The very atmosphere seems to tear it from house
to house. Farmers had begun to pass along the road in their wagons;
they heard and spread the account of the horse-stealing. It flashed
through the hamlet of Bridgewater with incredible rapidity. As men
heard the reports they became wildly excited and grimly determined to
punish the thieves if caught. Some, by nature more excitable than
others, left their work and rode down the road to aid as best they
could in the pursuit. These met the party as it was returning, and
swelled their number. They were not backward in expressing their
opinions of the culprit as they cast black and angry looks upon him.
These people of the "bottoms" were of a higher class than the "poor
whites" who abode in the hills. They lived in far better houses, they
had better school and church privileges, and their sense of moral
values was keener than the others. While as a rule they were not
experts in grammar and rhetoric, their language was much superior to
that heard in the back districts.
"Lynch him," "Fill his carcass with bullets," "String him up high as
Haman," "He's been in many scrapes like this; now we've caught him,
let's make short work of him," "Hanging is too good for him; he ought
to be skinned alive,"--such were some of the expressions which saluted
Wiles' ears, and they did not serve to make his nerves any more quiet.
When the men reached Bridgewater the morning was well advanced and they
were met by a considerable company from the village and surrounding
plantations. There were a few women among the crowd and a few children.
Any one looking upon that gathering could see that they threatened
vengeance. Hiram Sanders, the herculean blacksmith, was their leader.
This was the blacksmith who was a terror to all wrestlers, and who was
never whipped except once, and then by Jasper Very. When Jasper came
into those parts Sanders said: "I've licked all the preachers who have
come around here and I intend to lick this one." The two met on
horseback, dismounted, and began their bout. The blacksmith had found
his match and Very with a desperate effort threw the fellow over an
adjoining fence. Sanders' pride and fighting spirit were both broken,
and he humbly said: "If you please, Mr. Preacher, will you be so kind
as to throw my horse over the fence too?" His defeat put Sanders on
good terms with Very and now they were close friends.
As the men guarding Wiles entered Bridgewater they were met and stopped
by the crowd which had gathered. The mighty blacksmith walked up to
Judge LeMonde and, addressing him in a respectful manner said: "Judge,
we have heard about this bad scrape; but we want to know the straight
of it, and you will obleege us by telling it from first to last!"
Judge LeMonde stated the facts in a clear and simple manner. As he
proceeded with his account the feelings of the crowd became more and
more aroused; and when he closed with a description of Dolly's death a
general cry of denunciation was raised.
Then up spoke Sanders to the people: "Friends and feller citizens, this
is a case which needs keerful thought and treatment. It is a case which
only men should decide, and I ask that all the women and children go
back home and all the men of this company adjourn to the bridge over
Honey Crick near by, that we can quietly give this matter all the
attention it requires."
His request was heeded and soon some thirty or forty men were on the
bridge, with Wiles seated on a log which had been placed in the middle
of the structure. The men disposed themselves in any way they saw fit,
some leaning against the bridge railing, others sitting on the floor
with their legs hanging over the water, and others bringing logs or
sticks upon which to sit.
As this was likely to be mob law Sanders, and not Judge LeMonde, was
elected chairman and the deliberations commenced at once. Sanders said:
"Men, what have you got to say ag'inst the prisoner! Let any one speak
that wants to."
William Hester, honest David Hester's oldest son, was the first to
respond: "We on the river bottom have endured this Wiles crowd a good
while. We know they are a curse to this section. They steal our hosses
and whatever they can lay their hands on. They make 'licit whisky in
the hills and knobs. They are lazy and shiftless, and no count in
general. They scare our women, and are a nuisance and pest all around.
I say we oughter make an example of Wiles, the ringleader of the gang,
and put him out of the way of killing any more hosses by making him
stretch a rope from this bridge."
"You have listened to what Bill Hester has said. Has any other
gentleman any remarks to make?" asked their chairman.
Abner Hunt, a fiery little man, whose plantation joined that of David
Hester, spoke in rapid tones, emphasizing his words with vigorous
gesticulations: "I fully agree with what Bill has said. Most all the
people living on these here bottoms are peaceable and law-abiding and
it is too bad that a few desprit villians should keep the county in a
state of terror and alarm. If there were some big rattle snakes in our
midst, we would try to ketch and kill them; and these human rascals are
worse than rattlers. My vote is to string him up quick."
"We want a free and full discussion of this case, and I wait to hear
any one else speak," said Sanders.
Then Hans Schmidt, a large, fair-faced German, arose, and said: "Mine
freunds, dis ist a wery serious matter, und we must consider it with
much deliberation. Gott's Book tells us to luv our enemies, und we
should not show hate und refenge to any man. We all know Wiles is vun
great rogue, und I would give much money to see heem out of the bottom;
but I would not like to haf a hand in lynching heem. I tink it is
better for the law to take its course and for us to deliver heem up to
prison."
These words acted like sparks to gunpowder, and several in the crowd
cried: "No! No!" "Hang him!" "Don't let him escape!" A few others said
they agreed with what Schmidt had proposed.
When quiet was restored, one more speaker was heard. His name was Damon
Craig. He was a hill farmer who made a good living for himself and
family by industry and economy on the thin soil above the river bottom.
All highly respected him and his words had much weight: "Thur is al'ys
danger in takin; a hoss thief to jail. Dey air slick by natur' and der
bizness makes 'em slicker. You'uns can't trust sich a feller as Wiles
ur Turner a minit. Ef you'uns put 'im in jail he mought 'scape, and
aryhow we don't know but sum smart lawyers might cl'ar 'im ur git a
light sentence for 'im. So I'm in favor uv riddin' de kentry uv 'im
right now, and I'll be de fust to pull de rope."
This speech was received by nods of assent and cries of "Good!" "Good!"
"That's the talk!" by many in the crowd.
After Craig had spoken Sanders looked at Judge LeMonde and thus
addressed him: "Judge, you are the most interested person in this
company. You have lost two fine hosses and been put to the most
trouble. It is only right that we should hear from you before we take a
vote. Would you like to say anything?"
Upon this invitation Judge LeMonde arose from the log upon which he was
sitting. His clothing was bespattered with mud and his face showed the
struggle both physical and mental through which he had passed. But even
with these limitations he appeared the typical judge. A serious but
composed look was in his eyes. It was with deep feeling that he
addressed the group of determined men.
"Neighbors and friends," said he, "many of you I have known from my
youth, and I am glad to call you friends. I wish to thank you for the
interest you have shown in my welfare by aiding me in every possible
way to regain my stolen property; and while my good Velox is now far
away from me, probably never to return, and my noble Dolly is buried by
the roadside, you have helped to capture the chief criminal in the
affair. I do not wonder that this dastardly act has stung you to the
quick and that your honest hearts cry out for justice to be visited
upon the guilty. But you will pardon me if I differ from most of you as
to how that justice should be administered. Let us remember that the
sovereign State of Kentucky has laws upon her statute books meting out
just punishment for all crimes. She has suitable machinery for the
execution of those laws--courts, judges, lawyers, police, jails,
penitentiary--and it is the duty of all citizens to abide by the laws
they have made. Therefore I cannot agree with your arguments nor
justify your wish to take the law into your own hands. My voice is, let
the miserable culprit be taken to the county jail, be tried before the
court and receive his punishment in a lawful manner."
Judge LeMonde's speech made a visible impression on the men and
possibly his advice would have been heeded had not Sanders, the
chairman, spoken. These were his words: "With all respect to the
Judge's remarks I think his premises are wrong. We have an unwritten
law in Kentucky that hoss thieves should be put out of the world as
soon as they are caught and proved guilty. It saves time, danger of
escape, and expense to the State. This is a clear case for Wiles was
caught in the very act, and we are quite sure this is not his first
offense. My opinion is the county should be rid of such trash, and the
sooner the better. We will now vote on the case. All in favor of
hanging Sam Wiles at this time for hoss stealing raise your hands."
Thirty hands were lifted up. "All opposed raise your hands." Five put
up their hands and a few refused to vote.
In spite of protests made by Judge LeMonde and others, preparations for
the tragic act were quickly made. A man had cut a clothesline in his
yard and had brought it to the bridge.
Hiram Sanders spoke quickly and with a tone of authority: "Damon Craig,
take this rope, tie a small stone to one end, and throw it over that
big limb of the tall walnut tree standing by the crick."
Damon Craig instantly obeyed, and with one attempt the rope was thrown
over and both ends were near the ground. It was the work of only a
minute or two to bring the miserable prisoner under the limb and to
adjust the rope in the form of a hangman's knot around his neck.
When this was done Sanders said: "Wiles, we don't want to send you out
of this world without giving you a chance for preparation; so if you
want to pray or to send any message to your dad or mam, we'll wait for
you."
Wiles was a man not without physical courage, and in this trying hour
his grit did not fail him. He cast one hurried glance around, as though
looking for some allies to aid him, but none were in sight. He gazed
into the faces of those standing near him to see if there were any
relenting; but the stern and determined looks of most of these men
showed him it was useless to expect mercy from them. All hope seemed
gone. Wiles, apparently wishing more to show a brave front to man than
a humble and contrite spirit to God, simply said: "I've nuthin' to say
to de likes uv you'uns; only I defy ye to do yer wu'st."
"Haul away!" cried Sanders, and a dozen men seizing the rope, began
pulling it, tightening the noose around Wiles' neck; but before they
had lifted the body free from the ground a loud beating of horses'
hoofs was heard in the direction of Bridgewater. Instinctively the men
ceased from their work to look down the road. Perhaps there was a
tremor of fear and condemnation in their hearts. We believe that every
man who purposes in his heart to help lynch one of his fellow men, if
he allows reason and conscience half a chance to be heard, will not
engage in the attempt.
Presently two men came in sight, riding as though their lives depended
upon their haste. They were Jasper Very and John Larkin, who had heard
of the proposed lynching. The riders spurred their horses across the
bridge and flung themselves from their saddles, but not before Jasper
Very had shouted in his loudest voice: "Men, I call upon you in the
name of God to stop this wicked act." Then, rushing up to the condemned
man, who was already gasping for breath, he pulled the rope from over
the limb sufficiently to loosen the knot around Wiles' neck. The
lynchers were too much surprised to resist.
While John Larkin held the weakened prisoner Jasper Very removed the
rope from his neck, and the two preachers helped Wiles to a seat on the
bridge. Here Very stood over him as though he were his guardian angel.
His eyes blazed with a fire never seen in them before. His gigantic
form seemed to swell to larger proportions. He looked the incarnation
of power tempered with pity. Very spoke with his heart hot within him:
"Men of Kentucky, I am ashamed of your actions this day. What you
purpose doing is a stain upon our State. It is a crime the memory of
which, if committed, you will not be able to hide from your minds till
life's last hour. Do you not know that two sins can never make an act
right? How do you dare to hurry this man into the presence of his Maker
unprepared? How can you meet such a sin at the judgment day? There are
the courts. Let Sam Wiles be tried in them. You are well aware that our
laws are very severe against horse-stealing, and when brought to the
bar of justice the prisoner will suffer the full penalty of his deeds.
But there is a higher law than those in our criminal courts. It is
God's law, given to the children of men amid the thunders of Mount
Sinai when the whole mountain was black with a thick cloud of smoke,
which rolled away as from a great furnace into the sky. God descended
in fire upon the mount. Thunders roared, lightnings flashed, and the
peaks trembled to their foundations. The trumpets sounded louder and
louder and the awful voice of almighty God 'shook the earth.' What were
the commandments there given? One of them was: 'Thou shalt not kill.'
Do not think that lynch law is not murder. It is murder of a very
deplorable kind; for the perpetrators of the deed are not one but many,
so that many are guilty of shedding their brother's blood. In the name
of Him whose I am and whom I serve as a humble ambassador, I call upon
you to desist from this proposed crime, conceived in passion and
carried forward under great excitement. Listen to the voice of reason,
and your consciences will approve your course."
What the majesty of the law could not do under the words of the honored
Judge, the power of the gospel accomplished through the agency of the
backwoods preacher.
Hiram Sanders was the first to yield. "Neighbors," he said, "what the
preacher spoke is true. I think we will sleep sounder tonight if we
spare the prisoner, though he is a sneaking, onery critter. But let the
law take its course. We must see that he is securely guarded and lodged
in jail without a mishap."
Under a strong guard Wiles was taken up the river road to be placed in
the county jail. The planters and others returned to their usual work,
while Judge LeMonde and his company rode home at their leisure.