Newspaper Page Text
VOLUME XX.
WRIGHT & BECK,
Attorneys at Law.
(OFFICE IN COURT HOUSE.)
JACKSON, - _ GrA.
M. M. MILLS,
Counsellor & Attorney at Law.
Will practice in all the courts. Money
loaned on rial estate at low rate of inter
est. Long timo granted with small pay
ments. Money obtained at once without
delay.
(office in cotjkt house.)
Dr. 0. H. Cantrell,
DENTIST.
JACKSON, - - GEORGIA.
Up stairs over J. W. Bun’s Rock
Corner.
J. W. LEE, M. D.
JACKSON, ; GA.
Will practice medicine in its various
branches.
Office at J. W. Lee & Son’s drug store.
Residence first house west of Mrs.
Brady’s.
~ HOTELS.
DEMPSEY HOUSE.
Mrs, A, E, Wilkinson, Proprietor.
Board reasonable and table supplied
with the best the market affords.
(corner public square)
ALMANDT HOUSE
First-Class Board at Low
Rates.
MRS.JT, B. MOORE, Proper.
STOP AT THE
Morrison House.
EVERYTHING NEW AND FIRST
GLASS.
Conveniently Located,
Free Hack to Depot.
MRS. E. MORRISON, Proprietor.
W. B. YANCEY,
SURGEON DENTIST.
JACKSON, GA.
Respectfully solicits the patronage of
llie people of Jackson and Butts county.
Office up stairs in Watkins Ruildinsr,
room formerly occupied by D>\ Ivey.
UTISFA C I ION GITA R A NTE F. I).
Pure, Brilliant, Perfect.
Authentic living testimonials from dis
tinguished generals and statesmen in fa
vor of llawkes’ Now Crvstalized Lenses
over all others.
Our Next U. .S. Senator Says:
Mu. A. Iv. llawkes Dear Sir: The
panti*copic glasses )ou furnished me
sorr.e time since give excellent satisfac
tion. I have tested them by use and
must say they are umqunled in clearness
and brilliaucy by any that I h:.vo ever
worn. R-spectfully,
John B. Gordon,
Ex Governor of State of Georgia.
•> Business linn’s Clear Tision.
New Y rk City, April 4, 1888.
Mr. A. K. llawkes —Dear Sir: Your
patent eye glasses received some tima
since, and am very much gratified at the
wonderful change that has come over my
eyesight since I have discirdcd my old
glasses and am no v wearing yours.
Alexander Agar,
Secretary Stationers Board of Trade of
New York City.
All eyes fitted and the fir guaranteed by
W. L CARMICHAEL,
i AOKPON. GEORGIA.
CROPS IN TEXAS.
•The Largest Yield of Corn Ever Known
in the State.
A dispatch of Friday from San Antonio,
Texas, says: Abundant rains continue
to fall over the southwestern Texas dis
trict and the suffering among stock has
been completely relieved and crops great
ly benefitted. ’ Many farmers in the
drought-stricken district planted corn in
July, and with late fall rains will make
good crops. The recent rains through
Mexico enhance the prospects of fine
crops in that republic, and the importa
tion of American corn will soon be dis
continued. Some fear that with the pres
ent contracts the Mexican markets may
be overstocked. This will leave Texas
practically without a market for its enor
mous crops, and cattlemen are pre f . ling
to feed large quantities of beef cattle
with 20 and 25 cent corn. Never in the
history of Texas has she harvested such
a large corn crop, and many farmers are
now begiuning to harvest and contract
their crops while they can get 25 to 40
cents per bushel.
The Eight-Hour Law.
Solicitor-General Aldrich, of the de*
partment of justice, is preparing an opin
ion in regard to the application of the
provisions of the eight hou’ law, passed
at the last session of congress, to apply
to the public service in all the executive
departments, but mote espec ally with
reference to the construction >f public
works under contracts with private firms,
such as the buildiug of naval ar.d other
vessels, ond the construction and repair
of public buildings of all classes.
lllllllllllllliPillfe
VAN WINKLE
Gin and Machinery Cos.,
ATLANTA, GEORGIA.
MANUFACTURERS.
COTTON REED OIL CYPRESS TANKS,
Iho best system for elevating cotton and distributing same direct to gins
Many gold medals have been awarded to us. Write for
Catalogue and lor wlmt you WAIST.
Van Winkle Gin and Machinery Cos.,
ATLANTA, GEORGIA.
WE AGAIN OFFER TO TIIE TRADE THE CELEBRATED
COLLET MAGNOLIA GINS,
Feeders and Condencers.
The GULLET GIN produces the Finest Sample shown in the
market, and will generally bring from 1-S to 1-4 cent per pound
more thanany other cotton.
tHe glark Hardware e@.
Atlanta Ga.,
JACKSON
Real Estate ifl Reitii Aienci.
D. J. THAXTON, Manager.
SUCCESSOR TO
H. O. Benton & Cos.
Farm Lands, Business Lots and
Residence Lots For Sale.
FREE OF CHARGE.
We Advertise Property in
the MIDDLE GEORGIA AR
GUS without cost to the
owner.
We are the only Real Estate Agents in Jackson, and have In our hands quite s
number of valuable and desirable, farms in Butts and other counties for sale on the
best of ttrm.
Also City Property, Residence and
Business Lots.
If you have land te sell, put it into our hands and we will find yon a buyer. If
you have houses to rent- we will find you a renter. If you wish to buy a home call
on us and we will furnish team and driver.
WE ASK ONLY A TRIAL.
Jackson, Ga,, June 9, 1892.
JACKSON, GA.. FRIDAY. AUGUST 10, 1892.
CONVICTS LET OUT.
Riotous Miners Once More on the Wat
Path in Tennessee.
THE STOCKADE AT TRACT OITT BURNED
AND SIX HUNDRED AND NINETY
CONVICTS LIBERATED.
A dispatch of Saturday from Tracy
City, Tenn., says: Once more Tennessee
has riotous miners, prison stockades have
been burned again and convicts have
been timporarily driven from their com
petition with free labor. Tracy Cry is
he scene of the trouble. This is a point
where trouble was least (Xpected. Last
summer when the c nvicts were released
a Coal Creek, Olivir Springs and Brice
v'.lle an unsuccessful attempt was ma ie
to have Tracy City to take similar ac
tion, but it failed for the reason that
the Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad
Company was workiug its free miners on
full time and they were injured by the
convicts being there. Recently,however,
the company found it necessary to reduce
the coal output and during July the out
put was ouly twenty-eight thousand tons,
whereas a year ago it was thirty-six thou
sand. This loss fell on the the free
miners who were put on half time, while
the convicts worked full time. This
caused the organization of the band that
burned the stockade Saturday.
THE BREAK MADE.
The stockade was burned at 9:30
o’clock and 690 convicts were liberated.
All was quiet when the laborers quit
work Fiiday night. At 5 o’clock, alter
a mass meeting had been secretly held,
a committee of miners called on Mr. E.
O. Nathurct, superintendent of the Ten
mssee Coal and Iron company, Saturday
morn ng, and asked that the miners be
allowed to work as many hours per dav
as the convicts. He promised to submit
the matter to the •ompuny. After the
committee left Mr. Nathurst feared
trouble, knowing of a se
cret-bound organization formed
some time ago with unknown
purposes. lie, with Deputy Warden
Burton, circulated among the rniueis,
who were in groups, and tried to keep
things quiet, but their efforts were of no
avail. Things grew worse till 9;30
o’clock, when an armed body of men ad
vanced and took the stockade. There
were about one hundred and fifty armed
men in the party that went to the stock
ade about 8 o’clock. The men approach
ed each guard. Twm disarmed him while
the third took his place. The convicts
were then ordered out of the mines and
off the grounds. There were 690 of them
They were marched to and loaded on flat
cars anti were then turned over to Warden
Burton and he was ordered to take them
away immediately. The train then pro
ceeded to Cowan, where they waited for
the special sent from Nashville.
When the convicts had left the free
miners removed four sick prisoners from
the hospital and placing all the arms,
ammunition and other property in placc-s
of safety, the stockades, which cost about
$5,000, were burned. The guards in
charge of the convicts were allowed a gun
apiece and the others were confiscated by
the miners. Not a shot was fired during
the trouble.
A BREAK FOR LIBERTY.
Within a quarter of a mile of Sewanee
the coupling pin was drawn from the
back car, and between twenty and thirty
convicts made a break for liberty. The
guards fired, and two convicts were
killed. One is said to be wounded in
the woods and one captured alive by
mountaineers. It is known that only
five have been recaptured.
The miners are very reticent, and say
they have no statement to make and
would not give the names of the leaders
or state their intentions in case the con
victs returned. They say the time they
worked was not sufficient for them to
rrake a living.
Everything was quiet at Tracy City
Saturday night, and will remain go until
further action from the other end of the
line is taken. The trouble grew out of the
lease system. The miners at Tracy City
have beeu among the most conservative
in the state. The mines are situated in
Grundy county, and are among the most
extensive in the state.
MAY ABANDON THE LEASE.
A dispatch from Nashville states that
f l:e 400 convicts employed at Tracy City
reached that city Saturday night, and are
now safe in the penitentiary. What the
authorities or lessees will do is not known,
but there is a probability that the lessees
of convicts will abandon the lease.
A committee of miners from Coal City
called on Governor Buchanan Sunday,
and asked to have the troops removed.
He took the reques' under advisement.
It is expected in many quarters that an
other uprising will be the result.
MINERS CAPTURE INMAN.
The fears expressed by Governor Buch
anan, and by the lessees of the state pen
itentiary, have been ju=tified bv Monday’s
and evelopments. The news of the action of
the Tracy City minerscaused great, excite
ment among the Marion county mine's,
aud led to their marching upon the stock
ade at Inman and forcing the removal of
the convicts. A force of forty guards on
the way to Inman from Nashville, were
captured by about two hundred free
miners, about four miles from the town
< arly Monday morniog, and disarrred.
They were then started back towards
Jasper. The mob of miners hid marched
over the mountains from Whitewell,
about eight miles distant, and their inter
cepting the guards was an accident. The
mob then proceeded to Inman, and were
Dot resisted. Sheriff Morrison hd
been warned of the mob’s com
ing, but was powerless, as he could
not secure a posse to a-sist him
in defending the stockade. Judge Morn,
of the cireuit court, ordered him to the
scene, but he refused to act. The mob
at once matched to the stockade. There
were only about thirty guards, aud these
surrendered on demand. The convicts
were in the -mines, and were at once
called out and load ed on flatcars. The
engineer of the ore train was ordered to
take them away at once.
After the men were placed on the cars,
they were turned over to Warden H. H.
Bradley and the guards. Mine Supcrin
-13 dent Anderson appealed to the mob
o not bum the stockade. ns the railroad
running just ab-ve one side of it would
b> destoyed. The men were advised by
the r leader to tear the stoekad# down,
which they did. There was not a shot
fired during the whole trouble. Th re
were 200 convicts in the party, and none
escaped pto the time they arrived at
Stevenson, on the mniu line of the Nash
ville, Chattanooga and St. Louis railway,
reman i simply a convict mining camp
in Marion county, and is on the property
of the Tennessee Coal and Railroad com
pany. They had 290 convicts and a few
free miners digging iron ore, which was
shipped to their furnaces at Cowan and
other points.
SITUATION AT NASHVILLE.
A Nashville telegram states that
neither Gov< rnor Buchanan or the lessees
of the penitentiary were surprised at the
action of the Marion county miners
M< ndny. Governor Buchanan antici
pated this result and was only afraid that
there would be bloodshed. All of the
Tracy City guards had been s arted for
Inman Sunday, and it was thought that
they might reach there in time to protect
the prison.
E irly Monday morning the governor
received the following telegram from the
warden at Inman: “The convicts have
been released by a mob of 200 men and
arc awaiting trains at Victoria. What is
the reward for the leaders and men in the
Inrnau mob?
To this Governor Buchanan did not
reply, but he will probably offer the
same reward as he offered for the Coal
Creek rioters, and which was never
claimed, viz: $5,000 for the leaders and
$250 for each member of the mob.
Shortly after the news of the relearn
had been received the following telegram
was received from Superintendent of
Prisons Wade: “I have done all I can to
prevent trouble at Inman by sending all
the men I can get to go, which are. in
adequate to meet the emergencies. Can’t
you strengthen the place with troops?”
As to sending troops, Governor Bu
chanan is absolutely powerless, as he can
only call them out on request of the civil
authorities. He has heard nothing from
Sheriff Morrison, although he wireei him
instructing him to summon as many men
as needed, and asking if he needed mili
tary assistance. No reply was received.
Tennessee’s crowded prison.
A horrible condition of affairs exists at
the state penitentiary. The prison is in
the center of a thickly settled portion of
Nashville aud was built fifty years ago
It would be an unhealthy place for a
small number of men. It is small and
iliy ventilated, ‘ and with three tiers of
cells can accommodate only 320 prison
ers. There were 340 prisoners prior t"
the Tracy City trouble, and when the 350
'rom that place were received some were
compelled to bunk two m a cell, while
the others slept on the st< ne floors of the
wings. Now with 290 more that reached
the city from Inman there is not room
tor them to sleep on the floor even,
so that there are three times as many
prisoners as cells. Not only will they
have to be crowded together at night but
there is absolutely no work for them to
do, and to avoid danger of outbreak they
will have to be kept up all day. To add
to the perplexities of the s-t te < fficial*,
the lessees, the Tennessee Coal, Iron and
Raihoad Company gav i notification
that they would not feed the Tracy City
and Inman men. so that besides !os ng the
lease money, the state will have to feed
the G2O idle n.en. The lessees are heart
ily sic k of the troubles of the past year
and would be very glad to surrender the
leas’.
MINERS AND SOLDIER MOIII
The expect <1 nttac; <> U.c eo.,v c
*toekadc at Oiv r Sprint;* was ina<h
Tuesday morning. It resulted ; n a fight,
md the miners were whipped for the first
time in the histo y of the mine troubles
n Tennessee. Oliver Spring o , a little
mining village, is across the mountain
from Coal Creek and Briceville. The
distance over the mountain is only six
miles, while by rail around it is twenty
five miles. All day Monday the miners
at Oliver Springs and Coal Creek were
engaged in discussing the miue 'rouble.
They did no work, and every man was
armed. The men were in communica
tion with each other by runners
across the mountains. They planned
the attack on Oliver Springs, where
there were no militiamen and only
forty guards. If successful there thev
hoped to so terrorize the g rrison at Coal
Creek that it would capitulate before the
attack of all the miners of the district
combined. Tuesday morning at 5 o’clock
Captain Ferris, in c mmand of the
guards at Oliver Springs, discovered that
the stockade was surrounded by miners.
The men had taken position on two
woody eminences which surrouud the
stockade. The leader of the miners
shouted to the guards to surrender and
give up the convicts. Captain Ferris
replied: “Come and get us!” The
leader shouted, “All right, G—d d—n
you, we’ll take you.” The battle then
began. From almost every direction the
balls rained in upon the guards. They
were well protected by the stock.de.
They had the convicts also well sheltered
from any rifl; balls. While part
of the guard kept the convicts from
stampeding the others poured shot after
shot into the woods where the miners
held position Hundreds of shots had
been fired, but the guard remaned firm.
Finally the miners seemed to think that
a storming of the stockade would be
successful, and a number of the more
bold dashed out of the woods and into
an open space not more than a hundred
yards from the fort. They went no fur -
ther and a number of those in the attack
fell. A flag of truce went up from the
woods then and the guard ceased firing.
The leaders of the miners said that they
wished to carry off the wounded. They
were assured they could come to the
-tockade and not be hurt, provided the
miners did not fire. The guards were
fearful of treachery. When one fel
low came in easy range he was covered by
rifles. The miners were then allow* dto
carry off those who were wounded or
killed. Before they left they declared
they would get more and come back and
“wipeout” the guards. It is not known
how many, if any, of the miners were
hurt. There is a rumor that three were
killed and a number wounded, but there
are no means of verifying the report, as
all telegraph wires are cut. At 3 o’clock
Tuesday afternoon a special train left
Knoxville for Oliver Springs to relieve
the beseiged guards. 1 here were only
twenty-eight men on board in charge of
Major Chandler, of the Third regiment.
The company will fight to kill, beyond a
doubt, if necessary. The train was ru i
through very rapidly and reached Oliver
Springs safely. Beyond this nothing is
known, as within a few minutes after
the train reached Oliver Springs
the telegraph wires were cut at Clinton.
Latest advices from Jellico state that
the miners there were terribly excited
Tuesday aud under arm*. They proposed
to capture an engiue and traiu there and
come south thirty miles to Coal Creek,
picking up the miners as they came, and
kill every soldier in the garrison at that
place. There were 135 men there Tues
day morning. A part of these men start
ed to go to Oliver Spriugs to the aid of
the guards there, under the orders of the
adjutant general. The railroad authori
ties furnished a train to take them to
Oliver Springs. While the troops were
boardiug at the depot a mob of more
than one hundred miners tore up the
track so that the train could uot proceed.
A local passenger train which pnssed
Coal Creek just before dark was
hoarded by eighty-two miners, all
heavily armed. They put pistols to the
head of the conductor and fireman and
made thorn run to Clinton; then the
coaches were detached aud left standing
with the passengers in a terrorized con
dition. The engineer was then forced to
couple to some Coal Creek cars and take
the miners to Oliver Springs. Chief
Train Dispatcher Zeigler, under the or
ders of his superiors, has abandoned all
trains on the Knoxville and Ohio. Toe
mobs at Coal Creek, CliutoD, Jellico,
Oliver Springs and other places
have placed dynamite under the
railroad rails to prevent the run
ning of trains. This is done to keep
the military out. It is reported that
several companies have taken another
route from Chattanooga. They will go by
the Chattanooga Southern to Ilarriman.
As they cannot get by rail from there to
Oliver Springs, as their road is torn up
with dynamite and all wires cut, they
will have a walk of seventeen miles if
they foot it to Oliver Springs. Miners
are pouring in that place by the hundreds.
Citizens of Knoxville are highly indig
nant at the dilly-dally course of the gov
ernor. There is talk of petitioning the
president for help.
AT JELLICO.
At 4 o’clock Tuesday afternoon an arm
ed mob of several hundred took possession
of an engine at Jellico and made the con
ductor ami firemen run it to suit them
selves. Jellico is right on the Kentucky
line and the mob was composed of
miners from both states. They coup
led up some coal cars and started
south. They stopped at all mines
along the n ute and gathered additional
armed miners. At 9.20 o’clock Tuesday
they reached Coal Creek, where they
wre met by others. Their arrival was
g e ted with cheers. They proposed
g dug on to Clinton and then
to Oiv rs. Th v y swear to kill cvi-ry
s ddier an 1 guard. It is possible that
tr v wil rema' • at Cod Creek.
THE COTTON REPORT
As Issued by tlie Agricultural De
partmeut*
The August report of the statistician
of the dep:i! tment of agriculture at
Washington, issued Wednesday, shows a
reduition in the condition of cotton dur
ing July from 80 9to 82.3. This is the
lowest average since August, 1886, when
the general condition w .s one point lower.
The season has been almost everywhere
too wet, though in South Carolina and
Georgia alternations of an excessive rain
fall and a blistering sunshine have been
injurious. In Texas the need o!
rain is reported by some cor
respondents. The natural result
of these conditions appears in grassy
fields, rank plant growth and small
fruitage, with considerable shedding.
Grassworms and caterpillars have ap
peared in the more southern and
western districts, but no material
damage has yet resulted. The state av
erages of condition are: Virginia, s3}
North Carolina, 82; South Carolina, 83}
Georgia, 84; Florida, 81; Alabama, 88}
Mississippi, 80; Louisiana, 83; Texas,
86; Arkansas, 75; Tennessee, 79.
CANDIDATE BUCHANAN
Will Run for Governor of Tennessee as
an Independent Democrat.
A Nashville news special says: Gov.
John P. Buchanan on Monday announced
that he is an independent democratic can
didate for governor. This announcement
was expected, as Gov. Buchanan with
drew his name from before the recent
convention as soon as he was defeated at
the primaries. He has recently been call
ed upon by delegations from several
counties and asked to run as an
independent. The people's party,
it is said, has pledged him 25,(ML)
votes. In making his announcement,
Governor Buchanan says he believes ho
is doing so in obedience to the will of
the majority of the rank and file if the
democracy. He announces his platform
to be free coinage, an increase in the
circuiting medium, abolition of the na
tional banking system, graduated income
tax, tariff for revenue only, election of
United States senators by the people,
against trusts and dealing in futures, op
position to the force bill, against alien
ownership of lands, abolition of the lease
system, arbitration laws and a constitu
tional convention.
KILLED BY A LANDSLIDE.
Eight Men Buried Alive—Three of
them Dead.
There wa9 a terrible landslide one mile
below Whitesburg, Carroll county, Ga.,
Tuesday morning,in which three negr. es.
Jerry (Jo'lin, Sim Wimbush and S-m
Weems, lost their lives, and five o her
negroes were badly hurt. The work
traiu of the Central railr >ad was loading
rock, to be used for ba.llasiing in a deep
cut, eight negroes were undermin ng tin
rock when the bank caved in, covering
them all with the dirt and rocks.
Representative Warwick Dead.
Repre-entative John G. Warwick,
democrat, who succeeded William Mc-
Kinley as representative from the six
teenth Ohio district, died in Washington
Su day night after a protracted illness,
in his six tty-second year. The death of
Corigr. ssman Warwick removes oncof the
inosi s rikieg figures in nation ■! p Aitics.
NUMBER 3‘2.
BUCHANAN SCORED.
Denounced for Having Commuted H.
Clay King's Sentence,
BURNED IN EFFIGY IJ* TIIK PUBLIC STREET
OF MEMPHIS —KING SAFELY IN
TIIE PENITENTIARY.
The city of Memphis was thrown into
a state of intense excitement when the
announcement appeared in Wednesday
morning’s papers that Governor Buchan
an had commuted the sente nee of Colonel
H. Clay King, who was to have been
hmged on the 12:li instant for the murder
of Mr. Postou. Wednesday moraing’s
Appeal Avalanche said:
If the governor's power in the matter is abso
lute and conclusive, the responsibility is his
% one. He is not required to give reasons. He
m i.v yield io any passing caprice, to appeal to
h s sympathies, to prejudice, and yet his author
by remains undisputable aud supreme. If his
and ’termination of the King case is to be taken ns
a precedent, then we see no res son why any
other criminal should L>j hanged in Tennessee.
King, in cold blood, after careful deliberation,
shot down David H. Poston, unarmed and un
suspecting. It was a highway assassination in
which the victim was given no chance to defend
himself. There could not have been a murder
more heinous. When the trial was had, the
murderer himself, with most extraordinary as
surance, protested against the introduction of
ilio insanity plea.
Discussing the review of the case by
th ■ supreme court, the Appeal-Avalanche
lou tinu '8:
The opinion was welcomed by all lovers of law
and order. Its effort was not confined to Ten
nessee. It was felt throughout the whole United
States, and the supreme court of Tenuessee was
entitled to enduring honor for advancing civili-
Zitim to that degree. The court did not over
look a phase of the case) it considered every ex
cuse King made for his act.
But the governor has brought all this to
naught. Having greater power to save, he has
met tho court’s power to condemn and has
whistled the latter’s judgment down. With a
strok ; of his pen he Pas given hope to every
murderer in tne jails of Tennessee. Ho lias re
mised the jury and made light of the state’s
Highest tribunal of justice. It were infinitely
hotter tf the jury of tho trial court had bade
King go free. We now wish sincerely that it
iad done so. It were even better if the governor
la 1 granted au absolute paadon. Ho has acted
vithout tho support of a trial, judge, jury or
prosecution, usually an essential perequisite in
gubernatorial clemency, and it now remains for
King’s attorney to solve tho question of his free
dom.
The Evening Scimeter vehemently de
nounces the governor in a sensational
article abounding in such sentences as
those:
“Ho has spit on the carpets of the stato and
nation and held out Ins hand to save an assassin
i t whoso person was centered und upon whose
f ite depended the question whether any influ
-3 ice in tho south was sufficient to make dis
tinct on between p rsons convicted of cold
bl or led murder.
“The rescue of H. Clay King from the gal
tows to wlrch all courts of the country, after
i careful review of the evidence,had condemned
him, was a crime more damnable even than the
murder of Poston.
“He has risen above all law, all right and all
Justice. Wliat King did as a citiz.n, he has
done as chief executive of the stato. He has
taken the law in his own hands; he has Justified
ihemurder of Poston; he has saved an assassin;
h; has taken the smoking pistol from King’s
hand, stepped into his shoes, dipped his hands
iu th blood of his victim and trampled upon
the already outraged law. He has turned a deaf
3ar to the pleadings of the victim’s family for
(ustice; he made a governor of a state a cham
pion of murderers.
“The governor’s conduct tears the bandage
from the eyes of justice: it pulls down the pillars
of the temple; it paralyses the strong arm of the
law; it stifles the cry of the widow and tho or
phan, and makes of the court a sham; it shakes
the very foundation of society, and makes every
man a law unto himself.
“If Buchanan should be shot down from be
hind a pillar on the portica on the capitol to
day, if King should be slain on his way to the
penitentiary, who shall say that the gallows
would bear fruit?”
These publications aroused intense
feeling. A mass meeting was arranged
for at which Governor Buchanan was to
have been hung in effigy Wednesday
night. It was given out that the jail
would be attacked and the notorious pris
oner would be lynched. So great was the
anxiety that Criminal Court Judge J. J.
Dubose i sued the following order:
It appearing to the court that there is now
undue excitement in the public mind because of
the commutation of the sentence of H. Clay
King, who was by the supreme court sentenced
to hang on the 12th day of August, 1892, and it
further appearing that becau e of threatened
mob violence, it is not safe to longer keep said
King in the county jail of Hhelby county; it is
therefore ordered by the court that tho sheriff
of Shelby county, without delay, take said King
ai.d deliver him to the keeper of the penitentia
ry at Nashville, in pursuance to the order, as
made by the governor, commuting his sentence
to life imprisonment in the penitentiary of the
state.
KINO TAKEN AWAT.
Sheriff McLendon took King from jail
in the meantime and out of the city, on
the Chesapeake and Ohio railroad, en
route to Nashville where they arrived
safely. The sheriff hurried his prisoner
to the penitentiary.
HUNG IN EFFIGY.
The indignation against Governor
Buchanan for commuting King’s sentence
found vent in hanging and burning him
in effigy at the corner of Main and Madi
son streets Wednesday night. The crowd
was composed not of toughs and street
arabs but of well clad, unusually orderly
and respectable y >ung men. When the
figure burned in two and the lower half fell
to the ground the crowd vented in wrath
by kicking the burning embers about the
streets. The governor was cursed and
abused with every contemptous epithet
i naginable.
BUCHANAN TALKS.
Governor Buchanan, in an interview
with an Associated Press reporter, gives
bis reasons for the commutiation of King’s
sentence as follows: “First,” said the
governor, “I thought that King should
have had a chance of venue. Affidavits
to the effect that Juror Smith had com
municated with outside parties and ex
pressed an opinion about the case were
filed with me. These affidavits could
inot be introduced in the court of record,
because it was too late. The action of
Juror Mustin and of the jury going to
Arkansas to deliberate upon the case
also had their weight; the dissension
of one of the supreme judges
in defense of partial insanity; the
pleadings of his witc and children and
the most prominent men of the country,
besides hundreds of letters and petitions
—they were my reasons for commuting
the sentence. I am responsible for my
action,” added the governor. “I
thought I was doing right, and t acted
according to my belief.” He then
handed the reporter a petition signed by
twenty-six senators and congressmen.