Show WICHITA FALLS LYXCHIXG COX DE3IXED There was a lynching at Wichita Falls Texas the other day It was witnessed by some tho > ands of people peo-ple pesumably all the best families being in attendance It was a lynching of the ordinary kind there being no I frills such as torturing mair Hg and burning of the victims The Ivsu I j tenant governor of the state George Tj Jester inthe afbsence of Governor j i Culberson sent a message to Sheriff C M Moses at Wichita Falls in which the violation of the law is condemned i i He says i I Knowing that you were aided in their arrest by the state rangers I supposed you were amply prepared to defend and protect the prisoners As to your inability to control the mob I am not Informed If you were powerless to prevent It it Is your only excuse for this violation of the law In failing to discharge your duty That Crawford and Lewis were guilty of a foul murder mur-der and should have been tried according accord-ing to law and found guilty of murder and hung I do not doubt but those t who participated in taking the law into their own hands commltted an act I that Is unjustifiable Indefensible and should be condemned by all lawabid j ing citizens and casts a blot on the 1 I j t j f t i 1 m > < b 0 county and state The only justification I law tion and argument in favor of mob before obtained Is that justice can not be fore the courts which is a reflection on the laws of our state or the citizenship I citizen-ship in not enforcing the laws I be is more in the Hove that the defect latter than the former and that public i I educated to a sentiment should be I strict enforcement of the laws that our best citizens should be required i i and feel that it is their patriotic duty ito i I contribute to serve on juries and generally and tribute their influence to elevating enforcing the laws Knowing your responsibility as an officer whose duty is to enforce the law I trust you will faithfully discharge it Signed GEORGE T JESTER Lieutenant Governor Acting Governor That is very good so far as it goes but It scarcely goes far enough The acting governor should have instructed the sheriff to arrest the ringleaders of the mob that they might be brought to trial They committed murder no matter how great the provocation That is the serious part of these lynch rings viewed from the standpoint of law and order that one crime is held I to justify the commission of another Until public sentiment is educated up to the point where such a theory is repudiated lynching will continue Acting Governor Jester realizes this when he says that out best citizens should be required and feeF that it is their patriotic duty to serve on juries and generally contribute their influence to elevating and enforcing the laws Sound doctrine surely The strength of a law is the strength of the public sentiment is in favor of enforcing it 11 |