OCR Text |
Show NIGHT RIDERS. The Tennessee night -riders are in the toils of the Jaw. In the brief period since the outrages perpetrated by the ruthless marauders who have been burning and murdering in the Reelfoot Lake region of Tennessee, more than a thousand men, including the governor of the commonwealth, have been engaged in running down the assassins, and more than a hundred persons have been detained as witnesses or principals in the outrages. The militia of the state of Tennessee has been called out, and they have done effective work, showing the determination of the state authorities to stop the infamy. Confessions were secured from several sev-eral of the gang, and it is believed that evidence sufficient to convict has been secured. Trials will follow, expensive trials to the commonwealth, but it is confidently asserted that nieht ridinir in Ten nessee has been effectually stopped. The crime of arson and murder by self-constituted correctors of evils arising from the alleged al-leged tyranny of the tobacco trust and the cotton exchange has been very common in the southland during the past two or three years. It is only another an-other 'form of lawlessness which no doubt has grown out of the unpunished crimes perpetrated against the negro race, and which leads misguided mis-guided persons to blow up Mormon meeting houses. Xo matter what fancied wrongs it is intended in-tended to be corrected by these wanton crimes, it may be laid down that disregard for law and the fact that certain crimes go unpunished leads to more lawlessness. The wave of indignation which swept over Tennessee and which led to the arrest of those supposed to be guilty will have a very beneficial effect upon criminals who hereafter might have a desire to take the administration of "justice" upon themselves. There has been some talk of a conference of governors of southern states .' to discuss these outrages, but if they will all act with the rapidity and effectiveness of Governor Patterson Pat-terson of Tennessee there will soon be no occasion for such , a conference. It is to be hoped that merited punishment will be handed- out to the guilty ones in the Reelfoot Lake district, for the moral effect upon others in similar unhallowed conspiracies will be great. |