Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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The Press Censured The State's and Item's Edi torials Not Approved. A BIG MASS MEETING. Citizens Think tbe Lynching of Cooper Justifiable-Res olutions of Condem? nation. To the Editor of the State : A crowd of people numbering be tween 1,500 and 2,000 were assem? bled here to day. . The people came from every direction and four coun? ties were represented. The boyd of the Send, Cooper, was expected to be here, but for some reason was not sent from Sumter. Excitement was at high pitch and only the counsel of old and conservative citizens saved the parties who. previous to the mur der, aided and harbored Cooper from being summarily dealt with . Seve ral have been arrested and placed in jail, which is decidedly the best place for them now. Resolutions, which have probably been sent you, were passed. Could you, Mr Editor, have been in this community and witnessed the hor? rors that we have, you could not, as a human being, condemn the action of those citizens who killed Cooper No torture which human agency could devise could inflict the punish? ment this devil deserved. At the time Cooper made his visit through this village, Wednesday evening,-there was hardly a house where there was not some one watch? ing at the bedsides of sick ones Grippe and pneumonia were in al? most every house and the shock ex? perienced during the last 10 days wilf probably, if not now, cause the > death of more than one of our fair loved ones Our citizens are pro? foundly grateful to those citizens who, leaving their homes and busi? ness, joined in the pursuit and only ceased when the fiend was captured and despatched and heartily endorse their action. The bodies of the murdered family <ware interred yesterday in the pres? ence of a large crowd of sympathiz ing friends. CITIZEN Lynchburg, Jan 9 RESOLUTIONS OF CENSURE. S Magnolia, Ja/f 9. At a mass meeting held io day at Magnolia, composed of cozens from the counties of Sumte^f Darlington, Clarendon and Flo/Snce. upon the motion of Capt E. Keels, Thos G. McLeod j?ae elected chairman and L. V. Bgo<vn secretary, and after the ^bbject of the meeting had been stated the following resolutions were read and unanimously adopted : Whereas a crime the most horrible that has ever occurred in the history of this State, has been committed here in the midst of a community noted for its peacefulness, for the res? pect for law and order, and Whereas our citizens forbore to act precipitately on the first provoca? ci?n, waiting for the law to take its course, and suffering as a conse quence to their forbearance the mur der of a whole family, the shocking details of which have been only par? tially protrayed by the press, and Whereas, the murderer, taken red handed and defiant, was put to death by the outraged citizens, and Whereas this community being totally unprepared to protect itself against the methods of murder pur? sued by this fiend, numerous families being sick, physicians endangered if sent for. delicate women unprotected and some of them dying from shock, and knowing the probability of de? lay and possible escape of this fiend, if left to the uncertain process of common law, We, the citizens of this comunity, do heartily endorse the action of those of our citizens who shot this fiend to death, acticg ia meeting with the hearty sympathy and cooperation of citizens of Florence, Darlington' and Clareudou Therefore be it Resolved, That we do denounce as uncalled for, unjust and a3 reflecting on the name of our community and State, the criticisms that have ap pared in the following papers, viz : The State of Columbia and The Daily Item of Sumter D. E Keels, J. A Rhame, Joseph Sanders, T. N Griffin, S. Copeland, S. D. M Chandler, E. D. Smith. L. V. Brown Secretary. More Censure. BISHOPVILLB, S. C., Jan 10. Editor the Item : We were too far from the "seat of j war" to take part in the capture and killing of Simom Cooper, the blood thirsty brute, but the sympathies of the people of this section are with I the brave men who risked their lives to effect his captare, and condemn the severe and unjustifiable criticisms uttered by the Item and State. This incarnate fiend deserved in? stant death in any way it could be administered, and it is a pity they had not shot him to death at once His crimes were of such a heinous nature as to forfeit all claim to humane treatment and no punishment that could have been inflicted would have been too severe or cruel. The Columbia State charges the people of Sumter County with "vio latioii of a flag of truce," and of "the most damning breach of the laws of war " This is certainly a heavy charge, and as unjustifiable as it is silly Let us euppose that it could be proven as an undoubted fact, that when Gen. Maceo met the bpanish officers under a flag of truce he fell to cursing them, threatening to kill the last one of them, and a Spanish officer had shot him down, would the editor of the State have condemned them for it in as severe terms as he and others have done the people of Sumter ? v Now this negro, according to the full and accurate account given by the correspondent of the State, never surrendered, but came out of the house armed with pistol and razor, and aQ7anced upon the men cursing and threatening to kill, and it is very probable if he had not been 6hot j down some of the men would have fallen victim to his insatiate thirst for blood Those lusty warriors who stay safely ensconced behind their desks and only make their appearance in. printers' ink after the battle is over, and all danger past, should be more moderate jn their criticisms of men whose lives have been for hours in etuminent peril, iu their effort to rid j the county of one of the most dan? gerous and desperate villains that ever cursed any couutry. R. R Tue Man-Hunt in Sumter. Haman nature threw off all thc tram mels of civilization io Sumter county yesterday, aod primitive passions wrought primitive justice. The county had its first lynching, and it was grue? some enoagh to .last it a very long time. It was too much to expeot that Simon Cooper would not bc killed if takeo. He had committed a series of horrible crimes, had shown bis readiness for others, aod the people, white and col? ored, were maddened by rage and fear The man had acted like a wild beast, be was bunted like a wild beast, aud his ferocity challenged the death of a wild beast. The circumstances were so exceptional and his resistance was so murderous that if he had been shot down with arms in his bands we would not have offered a word of criticism. It was his liYe or the lives of his pur? suers-a conflict which was war in petto rather than the ordinary precess of legal arrest. But we oaooot justify nor condone the manner of bis slaughter. He had been promised that he would not be killed if he laid down his arms and came naked out of his cabin He dropped his rifle and came out clothed. Then he was set upon by members of the posse and shot down After thai he was banged at leisure. While he did not technically comply with thc sense of the capitulation by leaving his rifle and coming out of his fonress inca? pable of .coping with his pursuers. The letter of tbe\ agreement may not have been violated but the spirit of it unquestionably was wheo be was shot and banged. It was a shameful deed, for which the people of Sumter will blush when they come to their second thought. Granting that this was war; that law was not and could cot be re? garded ; yet it was equivalent to the violation of a flag of truce-the most damning breach of the laws of war. We do not know what else to?say of the matter I* is idle to ask for the trial of the lynchers wheo they them? selves made up the coroner's jury and the county rejoices in the death of the desperado. We can only point out and condemn what is unpardonable even in savagery -The State. Jan. 9. The State Denounced. The State has been denounced for pointing out. and condemning what seemed to us unpardonable. The State's criticisms of lynchings and lynchers have denounced before and they will doubtless be condemned again, for we do not expect lynchings to cease in South Carolioa and we do expect to comment unfavorably on that class of lawlessness which lowers the standard of our civilization and is injurious to the moral tone and manhood of our people. As is generally the case, nine-tenths of those who are supposed to have voted for the condemnatory resolutions, were probably in ignorance of what The State did say about the killing of Coop? er. In a nutshell, herc it is : "It was too much to expect that Simon Cooper would not JQ killed if taken. * * * The man had acted life a wild beast, he was hunted like a wild beast, and his ferocity challenged thc death of a wild beast. The circumstance were so exceptional and bis resistance so mur? derous that if he had been shot down with arms io his hands we would not have offered a word of criticism. * * * But we cannot jastify nor con done the manner of bis plaughter. He j had been promised that he would not be killed if he iaid oowu bin arms and came naked out of bis cabin. He drop? ped bis rifle and came out clothed. : Theo he was pet upou by timbers of I he posse and snot down. * * * - i it wa? equivalent to the violation cf a ; of truce-tbe most daaniog breach ! of the laws of war 91 Will our condemners say tbe informa I tion on which we based our criticism j was untrue ? They do not deny it. If it was true-, by what code of honor will they prove our concludion false-. Can? not, wili not tho men who condemu us understand that we d d Dot speak for Simon Cooper, wbose death was but paltry pay for bis hideous crimes, but for the manhood of South Carolina Io his card, "Citizen" says : "Could you, iMr Editor, have been in this commnoity and witnessed the horrors that we have, yoa could not, a? a human being, condemn the action of those citizens who killed Cooper. No torture which bumao agency could devise could inflict the puoi?haieot this devil deserved " Could the men have been there, "Citizen,'' who in past days made South Carolina a name cf honor from ocean to oceao, and witnessed the bor rors described, they would, if we mis? take not, have been so inflamed by a just anger, that they, arms in hands, would have searched for the bi ute who like a rabid aoimal was spreading death io his path, and f?odiog him wouid have rushed upon him, barricaded though be I was, and killed him Some may have died, but their oames would be high up on the honor role; those who survived would have had the consciousness of having bravely done their duty. The consciences of-some South Carolinians would not have made tbem feel that this act was something to be ashamed ?of; they would have needed no r?solu 1 tiona of endorsement to justify their ! action It was ic the name of men who would so act that we condemned tbe manner in which Simon Cooper was killed. When he was empty handed and had practically surrendered, the legal hangman should have been his executioner We are not disposed to harshly criti i eise those who have condemned us, nor to show that several statements in the j resolutions are at variance with pub lished reports, and that others are pre? sented for the first time. We do Dot recognize them, however, as the spokesmen for Sumter, Darlington, Clarendon aod Florence. Tbe fact is that quite a Dumber of the citizens of Sumter whe were io the posse at tbe time of Cooper's capture, aod were doubtless as much eoraged at the cruel murder of the Wilsoo family, coun? seled against his killing, aod for some time prevented others from takiog the prisooer's life. If the people of Lyocbburg aod vicioity could rise above their some? what natural passions, and realize how the executions of lynchers, which be? gan for one crime only, are extending in some sections to trivial offens?e; how the once semi-respectabie court of "Judge Lynch" has become a shield for the naturally lawless, bloodthirsty and cowardly, they might appreciatp the honest purpose of The State in its censure. Tbey would know tben that the State's efforts are for South Caro? lina's betterment, and that only the action of its people will reflect on the good name of any community. As we said io the beginning. The State has been censured for condemning lynchings before. On one occasion a mass meeting at Denmark-there is as much safety in a mass meeting as in a lynohing party-declared that this paper waa eocouragiog Degroes to assault white women. That was a horrible charge aod well calculated to make even cold blood boil, but after 'applying a little logic we were able to take the matter more philosophically. As the members of the mass meeting were supposed to have lyoched a oegro for an attempted assault, it was manifest they considered that a crime deserving immediate death It was equally clear that a white insti? gator of a negro to such crime was more deserving of death than the ne? gro. Then it appeared as plain a3 day that those who had lynched an unarmed negro, and then accuse The State of a worse crime, refraining from visaing Columbia and attempting to execute the editor, 'Mn defense of our homes," convicted themselves of either an un? speakable base slander or of miserable poltroonery. We are glad the Lynchburg people were moderate in their unjust condem? nation.-Columbia State Mass Meeting of Ten. MAYESVILLE, S C., Jan. 10, '97. We, the undersigned citizens of Mayesville, io meetiog assembled, do hereby endorse the action of the parties who took part io the lycchtDg of Simon Cooper in this county, and believe he got his just desert. We bave proof to the effect that he did not come out of the house unarmed as has been publish? ed, as he was ordered to do, but was armed with pistol and razor. We believe, had the county officers taken prompt acti-m io arresting Coop? er, after tho first killing, that the lives of the Wilson family and the negro would have been saved O M McCall. R P Williams. F J Hass, R F Dcpchamps, W B Meecbao). I) C Deschampe, J E Allen, J C An -j derson, W E Lea, A J Descbamps. ?URES WHERE ALL ELSE FAILS. Best Gough Syrup. Tastes Good. Uc in time. Sold by druggists. The Jury Not Lynchers. One of the Number Corrects "The State's" Impression. To.the Editor of the State : The following ie taken from the editorial, "The Man-Hunt in Sum? ter," iu the issue of Saturday, the 9th instant : "It is idle to ask for the trial of the lynchers when they themselves made up the coroner's jury, and the county rejoices in the death ot the desperado." Injustice to one of that jury at least, I ask that you give publicity to a brief statement. I was a member of the jury of in? quest, but had absolutely nothing to do with the lynching, and knew nothing about it. In company with Mr. John B. Miller, I .went to Jake Dar.gan'8 house where" Simon Cooper was intrenched with the posse that left town about 9 o'clock Friday morning in response to the request for aid from the posse that surround ed the house at daylight. I remain? ed on the scene until Cooper came out of the house and was shot down, but did not even 6ee him shot, as I had gone into the house for the pur? pose of making an examination When I heard the reports ot the pis? tol and gun, with which he was shot down, I turned in the back door ju3t in time to see him fall Shortly after he was shot Mr Mil? ler and I left the place and returned to town, and must have been a mile or more ahead of the lynching party I was summoned to serve on the jury in the city of Sumter, and re? turned to Green Swamp, four and a half miles from the city, where the lynching occurred, in company with Mr. W. H Commander, special con? stable for Coroner Moses, who sum? moned the jury After tho jury was sworn, Dr S. C Biker, who examiued. the body, said that he protested against any man who knew anything about the lynching serving on the jury, and Mr. J. K. Winn and I got up and asked to be excused OH the ground that we were at Jake Dargan's house when Cooper wa? first shot. It was decided that this did not debar us from serving, and although we asked to be excused anyhow, our request was not granted, as we had been already sworn in as jurors. None of the other jurors were pres ent as far as was ascertained. The lynching was bad enough as it was, but to let the statement that the lynchers made up the jury and exon I erated themselves paRs unchallenged, would be a still greater reflection on the county o? Sumter and the men who composed the jury Very respectfully, N. G O STEEN, JR [Editorial from the State ] We are glad to print a letter from Mr. N G. Osteen, jr , of Sumter, showing that he. and probably all the other members of the jury of inquest on the body of Simon Cooper, had no connection with his killing. Our inference that the members of the jury were drawn from the lynching party was a natural one in view of the^reports that the coroner assem? bled his jury immediately after the lynching, and the absence of infor? mation that any others than the lynchers were in the neighborhood. That such a shocking travesty was not performed is gratifying ; but surely this summary inquest, on the very heels of the hanging and with? out a real effort to ascertain the names of the lynchers, was some? thing far from creditable to the coro? ner and such others as aided him The object of inquest in cases of murder is to discover the murderers ; the object of this hurried inquest seems to have been to prevent the discovery of the murderers. There? fore an officer of the law perverted the law to shield lawlessness As there must be a good many more than ten citizeus in Mayesville, Sumter county, the r?solutions passed at amass meeting of the ten will not have much weight. We are glad that no more of the people of that town have committed tbcn^elves to the proposition that treachery is ever commendable. What if the negro did have a pistol and razors on his person ? He had aban? doned his rifle and surrendered, and did not attempt to use pistol or raz r until he was attacked after surrender? ing. Thc lives of none of thc posse wa." menaced. If Cooper did not mean to accept the conditions offered him and resign himself to the law what did he mean by leaving a stout log cabin, a good rifle and a bag of cartridges to come out inti the open, without wea? pon iu his hand, ro be covered by a dozen rifl?s ? Nothing but the theory of panic, of shivering cowardice so great as to dethrone reason, can ac? count for his killing unless it was an act of deliberate treachery and cruelty -Thc Stare Yesterday while Paul Davis, a negro, was being conveyed from Henrisco county Va., jail to the court house, at few fret distance, to ho tried for crimi? nal assault on Cora Twitchell, a white girl, the father of the girl, C. A. Twitchd, shot the negro, inflicting at wound that may prove fata'. Twitchell was i M? mediately arrested by th? officers having Davis io charge and locked up. From Daily Item, Jan. 12 WORDS OF COMMENDATION. Mr. Editor : ID common with most of jour readers, I am much pleased with your edito? rial headed, ''Mass Meetiog Censure " Com j ing as it does from an ere witDees of most of j the circu nstances connected with this deplor ! able affair, it contains statements cf ?acts not based on hearsay evidence, trat upon actual knowledge, which gives tbe article irucb value; ?ind I respectfully submit that the opinions set forth ure of fqual importance. You have express-d these ouinions clearly and without equivocation, and I trust ?nd nelieve that you will rec?is the cordial endorsement of the good peonie of Sumter. LAW. Sumter, Jan. ll, 1837. , Editor Daily Item : I hear some talk around the city to the effect thu ceruin thir? ties are very vehement m denunciation of toe Item tor the position it bis uxen in regat-1 to the recent ly neb tnt; They threatea to boycot tbe pape;*. Now, Mr. Eiitor, you need feel no uneasiness. Meo of this class are not able to hurt anybody-though ?hey . may show considerable bravery (?) in an attack on a dead body. You are sustained by a large m?jjrirv of the cool, substantial men of the city. Please accept congratula? tions for your courageous language from A CONSTANT READER. WORDS OP CONDEMNATION. To the Editor of the Sumter Item : Please allow ne ep*ce io your paper to criticise your comr.ents on the killing of Simon Cooper If you simply meant to condemn the hanging of bira when dying, and then riddling bis body with bullets, I think my? self it was unnec??sary. Buta careful read? ing of your comments leads to the conclu si?o that you condemced the first snooting as weil. Very true that he was surrounded by nearly a hundred armed men, and pro b.i ly escape was impotable ; but he was not secured, and migbt'have wounded or killed several of them if hs had bern aliow I to get out his pistol and razor. You sureiy do not m . to say you would advocate taking that risk. After bis shooting one man and wousding several others, and defying arrest ou Jan. 1st. ?ingi?rate Goodman sboaid have depu? tized several determined men to take him "dead or alive," if he had the authority to issue such a warrant And if he had co such authority the deputies should have taken no chances wiih him, but getting the "drop" on him they should have ordered him to ihrow up his hands, and any motion to use his weapons should hive been met with seve? ral loads of buckshot. And any jury in the State would render the verdict "Well done." One would suppose from your comment and the "indignant outcry from a majority cf the crowd" that you and they would rather see innocent blood flow like water and the majesty of the law be upheld, thin the sum? mary killing of this fiend in hu?an form. Several with whom I have talked agree with me, tbat.8uch a position is absurd to say the least, and I think you will see it that way when you reflect further on the subject. Since writing tba above I have talked with several of our best citizens, and they say tbe newspapers bad about convinced them that lynching is wrong, bat tnis affair bes brought it home to us, and.as long as law embers let such Genda go at large without vany effort to capture them, lynch law is the only practical remedy. When the officers of the law allow criminals to ruo at large until the community is outraged by some such crime, there is no use to preach tbat tbe "majesty of the law must be upheld." One eucb horror as tbe people of Lynchburg have experienced does more to mould puolic seotimeot than a thou? sand theoretical editorials on the upholding of the law. The "majesty of the law" was more trampled upon wheo ber sworu officers allowed Simon Cooper liberty to ruo bis fiendish course than when outraged citizens ended his bloody career by shooting him down aud tunning him. Respectfully, E. W. DABBS fy Mr. Dabbs has read for himself what the editor of the Daily Item bas written, he should not be at a loss to understand our position. But for his benefit we will say : Simon Cooper came out of the house with his bands up, and under the promise that his life would be spared for the time. The editor ot the item was with those who were the near? est to the house in which Cooper w s, and objected to the promise being made. We were io a positioa ?o drive him from bis stronghold, when he would doubtless have met the tate he deserved, but being in? duced by a majority of others to cease our dy? na ile operations, and Cooper being allowed to surrender, we cannot approve of bis being then shot down in violation of the promise made, and while holding up his bands, and held by stroug meo.-Editor of the Item.] One Brave and Farsighted Man. Editor the Item : Pie sse allow me space io your valuable columns to say : That Capt. ?. E. Keels deserves praise for having dooe his full duty ia the community dunog the trying ordeaj through which we have recent? ly passed He was untiring io bis efforts to apprehend the fiend and desperada, Simoo Cooper ; aod if be had bad the co-operation of the neighborhood, douotless the mest ter? rible tragedy which has ever been known in Sumter County would have been averted, and my dear old uncle, Ben E Wilsoo, abd his happy family would now be with us. But as this has been for several years a q'iiet neighborhood, no one seemed to realize the situation as Capt Keels did, and none dream? ed of such a tragedy ; but his prediction on Tuesday "that unless so i ribing was speedily done, more Uood would be shed," came too true. I believe his prompt and energetic action, coupled with good judgaent, in notifying the officials and people before and after the tragedy, prevented further bloodshed and aided in the speedy capture of the demon. Capt. Keels has the heartfelt gratitude of myself and family for his kind and timely consideration of us and the entire commu? nity. I commend the noble men for the end of the "orute," and wish that human endurance bad prevailed so as to land him on the spot where the atrocious deed was committed. Yours ia sorrow. ? J. E. WILSON. Magnolia, S. C , Jan. 9, 1897. Tbe Anglo-American Arbi? tration Treaty. Washington. Jan. ll -The Presi? dent sent the following message to the senate this afternoon, transmit? ting the Anglo-American general arbitration treaty : To the Senate I transmit herewith a treaty for the arbitration of all matters in dif? ference between the United States and Great Britain The provisions of the treaty are the result of long and patient deliberation and repre? sent concessions made by each party for the sake of agreement upon the general scheme. Though ?the result reached may not meet the views of the advocates of immediate, unlimit? ed and irrevocable arbitration of all international controversies, it is, i nevertheless, confidently believed that the treaty cannot fail to be every? where recognized as making a long step in the right direction and as embodying a practical, wciking plan by which disputes between the two countries will reach a peaceful ad? justment as a matter of com si1 and in ordinary routine In the initiation of such an import? ant movement it must be expected that some of the features will assume a tentative character looking io a further advance ; and yet it in appar? ent that the treaty which has been formulated not oniy makes war be? tween the patties to it a remote pos? sibility but precludes those fears and rumore of war which ol themselves too often assume the proportions of a national disaster It is eminently fitting as well as fortunate that the attempt to accomplish results so beneficial should be initiated by kin? dred peoples, speaking the same tongue and joined together by all the fies of common traditions, common institutions and common aspirations. The experiment of substituting civi? lized methods for force as the means of settling international questions of riffht will thus be tried under the happiest auspices Its success ought not be doubtful and the fact that its ultimate ensuing benefits are not like? ly to be limited to the two countries immediately concerned should cause it to be promoted all the more eager ty The example set and the lesson furnished by "the successful opera? tion of this treaty are 6ure lo be felt and taken to heart sooner or later by other nations and will thus mark the beginning of a new epoch in civiliza? tion. Profoundly impressed as I am, therefore, by the promise of trans? cendant good which this treaty af? fords, I don't hesitate to accompany its transmission with an expiession of my earnest hope that it may com? mend itself to the favorable consid? eration of the senate Grover Cleveland. Executive .Mansion,'Jan. ll, 1897. Hood's Stimulate the stomach, ?. 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