Dave, The Murder

Source Type: Newspaper
Publisher: Sumter County Whig
Place of publication: Livingston, Alabama
Date of publication: May 30, 1855 12:00 am
Source URL: View Source
Transcript:

DAVE, THE MURDERER It will be remembered, by our readers, that in referring, in our last issue, to the pro- ceedings of the Circuit Court, adverted to the change of venue in the case of the State 3 Dave, a slave, charged with the murder of the daughter of our fellow-countyman, James D. Thornton, as being most unfortunate,- and that we apprehended in consequence thereof, be allowed that the law would not ” to take its gentle course Our apprehen- sions were soon followed by a scene of dread reality. On Wednesday night last, (the 23d inst.) between the hours of 10 and 11 o’clock some three or four men appeared before one of our town Justices, with a negro pinioned and de- manded a mittimus, to commit him, as a fu- gitive slave. The unsuspecting Justice, is- sued the and men the mittimus, these took slave to the county jail, exbibited the mitti- mus to the acting jailer, whereupon the jail- or received the slave, and opened the outer door to put jailer in him in. As the company with these men, was entering, a large crowd rushed the keys of the were in, cells forcibly taken from him, the mitsimus was torn up, the cells were opened, and the boy Dave was borne off in triumph. It turned out that the commitment of the fugitive slave was but a ruse to effect a peaceable entrance into, th e jail. There were ween 75 and 100 PAED engaged in this affair, and among the in some of the most respectable citizens in our coun- the to purpose. ty. necessary materiel effect their They were prepared, it is s’aid, with all They left in high glee with the prisoner, which they felicitated the inselves, they had captured by a coupt-de tat, and without a re- sort to the formidable weapons, with which they were armed. Just before leav ing, some one in the crowd extended an institutien to the Sheriff and the good people “of Livingston to appear near the residence of James D Thornton, (the place of tbe or id murder,) at 1 o’clock, P. .M., on Fr iday following, to witness the burning of the murderer. In justice to our Sheriff, V.e will state here, that he and one of his de- puries had gone to Wetumpka, to carry Ru- ‘binson to the penitentiary, who had been sen- tenced at our last Circuit Court. Indeed, if he had been at home on the occasion, he could not have arrested this unlawful proce- dure; for the rescue was affected so quick, and with 80 little (noise, that many of our citizens living immediately on the square, knew nothing of this affair until next moin- ing. Two of the Sheriff’s deputies afterwards demanded the prisoner and remonstrated against this proceeding, but it was like talk- ing to the winds. Some of our citizens who went down at the appointed place to witness the burning of the murderer, have related to us, that the negro was tied to a stake, with fat light wood piled around him, and that the torch was applied in the presence of two thousand persons, who bad met there to wit- ness the novel scene. The rumors which got afloat, that the negro was tortured, are entire- ly untrue. We are fearful that the example set in this case, may recoil upon the commu- nity : we do not approve of mob law, but if it is under any we think pardonable this circumstances, A fiend- is one of the cases. most ish murder was committed; the murderer con- fessed his guilt, and the whole community was shocked at the brutal outrages connect- ed with it, but they repressed their feelings of indignation, and turned the perpetrator of the foul deed over to the hands of the law. At our last Circuit Court the murderer was ar- raigned, counsel were appointed by the Court to defend him, and the place of trial was re- moved 19 Eutaw, 55 miles distant from the State witnesses. As soon as the venue was changed, the people grew indignant; they con- sidered it equivalent to a nol. pros. of the case, that the chances of escape were enhanced tenfold; that the murderer would finally go unwhipt of justice, and a fiend would be turned loose on society. They considered they were vindicating the laws, instead of de- fying it. We have given the facts to the public, as f detailed to us, and we will abstain from fur- ther comments. DAVE, THE MURDERER It will be remembered, by our readers, that in referring, in our last issue, to the pro- ceedings of the Circuit Court, adverted to the change of venue in the case of the State 3 Dave, a slave, charged with the murder of the daughter of our fellow-countyman, James D. Thornton, as being most unfortunate,- and that we apprehended in consequence thereof, be allowed that the law would not ” to take its gentle course Our apprehen- sions were soon followed by a scene of dread reality. On Wednesday night last, (the 23d inst.) between the hours of 10 and 11 o’clock some three or four men appeared before one of our town Justices, with a negro pinioned and de- manded a mittimus, to commit him, as a fu- gitive slave. The unsuspecting Justice, is- sued the and men the mittimus, these took slave to the county jail, exbibited the mitti- mus to the acting jailer, whereupon the jail- or received the slave, and opened the outer door to put jailer in him in. As the company with these men, was entering, a large crowd rushed the keys of the were in, cells forcibly taken from him, the mitsimus was torn up, the cells were opened, and the boy Dave was borne off in triumph. It turned out that the commitment of the fugitive slave was but a ruse to effect a peaceable entrance into, th e jail. There were ween 75 and 100 PAED engaged in this affair, and among the in some of the most respectable citizens in our coun- the to purpose. ty. necessary materiel effect their They were prepared, it is s’aid, with all They left in high glee with the prisoner, which they felicitated the inselves, they had captured by a coupt-de tat, and without a re- sort to the formidable weapons, with which they were armed. Just before leav ing, some one in the crowd extended an institutien to the Sheriff and the good people “of Livingston to appear near the residence of James D Thornton, (the place of tbe or id murder,) at 1 o’clock, P. .M., on Fr iday following, to witness the burning of the murderer. In justice to our Sheriff, V.e will state here, that he and one of his de- puries had gone to Wetumpka, to carry Ru- ‘binson to the penitentiary, who had been sen- tenced at our last Circuit Court. Indeed, if he had been at home on the occasion, he could not have arrested this unlawful proce- dure; for the rescue was affected so quick, and with 80 little (noise, that many of our citizens living immediately on the square, knew nothing of this affair until next moin- ing. Two of the Sheriff’s deputies afterwards demanded the prisoner and remonstrated against this proceeding, but it was like talk- ing to the winds. Some of our citizens who went down at the appointed place to witness the burning of the murderer, have related to us, that the negro was tied to a stake, with fat light wood piled around him, and that the torch was applied in the presence of two thousand persons, who bad met there to wit- ness the novel scene. The rumors which got afloat, that the negro was tortured, are entire- ly untrue. We are fearful that the example set in this case, may recoil upon the commu- nity : we do not approve of mob law, but if it is under any we think pardonable this circumstances, A fiend- is one of the cases. most ish murder was committed; the murderer con- fessed his guilt, and the whole community was shocked at the brutal outrages connect- ed with it, but they repressed their feelings of indignation, and turned the perpetrator of the foul deed over to the hands of the law. At our last Circuit Court the murderer was ar- raigned, counsel were appointed by the Court to defend him, and the place of trial was re- moved 19 Eutaw, 55 miles distant from the State witnesses. As soon as the venue was changed, the people grew indignant; they con- sidered it equivalent to a nol. pros. of the case, that the chances of escape were enhanced tenfold; that the murderer would finally go unwhipt of justice, and a fiend would be turned loose on society. They considered they were vindicating the laws, instead of de- fying it. We have given the facts to the public, as f detailed to us, and we will abstain from fur- ther comments.