Show WOMINGS SHAM When the peoplo of Wyoming think of the recent tragic affair at Sweetwator we tragcafair i wonder if they do not feel a little ashamed lte i not only of the deed but of the community I Lynchings are not infrequent occurrences I They happen in old settled states as well i a in new aud sparsely settled territories I There are more lynchings in Illinois Missouri Mis-souri Kentucky and in pretty nearly any of tho southern states than in Montana I Idaho Nevada or New Mexico where the people are understood to be somewhat unregenerate un-regenerate more or less disregardful of law and inclined to be rough and reckless generally Even in quiet peaceful Salt Lake city there has been a lynching in broad day light I may be to the discredit of any community professing a regard for law that it will so far forget itself as to adopt the methods of unorganized society but that the most lawabiding communities do sometimes forget themselves is true and in tho heat ef excitement resolve themselves them-selves into mobs and commit outrages which appall them iu their cooler moments But this Wyoming business is entirely different The lynching l was not the result of temporary madness or sudden anger There was none of the mob spirit in i The man Averill and the woman Maxwell had been branding other peoples cattle and the facts were generally knownso well known in truth that the offenders could have readily been convicted of their crime and punished as the law directs provided there is any law in Wyoming But the law was not resorted to No complant was lodged against the maverickers Instead In-stead the best citizens in the neighborhood neighbor-hood got together and not il the heat of passion but coolly and deliberately planned the execution of the thieves and with coolness and deliberation proceeded to cIT their scheme into effect This is not all These best citizens did not seek t hido their identity but boasted of their deed and openly proclaimed that that would bo the policy pursued in the future in dealing with cattle thieves The defiance of the law and its officers was so brazen and outrageous that the officials were fairly shamed into making a show of respecting the forms and decencies of the statutes and civilization and they arrested ar-rested the lynchors who even then did not deny their act but confessing their deed showed by their words aud their acts that they entertained not the least fear of punishment pun-ishment Nor will they be punished They knew that the law would not be made to trouble them when they swung up thc crooked pair and we aro inclined to believe be-lieve that any citizen or official who interested inter-ested himself in trying to bring the lynch ers to justice and magnify the lw would find the county decidedly unhealthy as a place of residence I Our neighbors have taken the initiative I towards forming a state government and next winter will appeal t Congress for admission I ad-mission to the union We suggest that I their appeal will not be likely t call forth a favorable response with this lynching incident fresh in the minds of Congressmen Congress-men and the hangmen and the community In such complete sympathy in their disrespect disre-spect for law and civilization that the lynchers of women are held in such high esteem that nobody can be found to proceed against them Wyoming will not be regarded I re-garded as prepared to assume the duties and dignities of statehood when such an I occurrence as that of last week can happen in ono of her foremost counties and little countes ltte or no effort be made to punish the guilty |