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lt;* * * i^ HARRISONBURG, - APRIL 25, 1878.'■ JUSTICE IN THE RE-ADJUSTEDDISTRICT.la last week’s Richmond Dispatch \ 1 therewas a telegram published from Hanrisonburg, which gleefully announced the fact that the negro boy, Jim Argenbrighfc, who when arrested acknowledged that he had fired the barn of Henry Sipc iu Bast ! * Rockingham, was cleared upou trial, the telegram being headed with the shameful announcement,“ Justice in the Ro-Ad«*. justed District.” The heading of tho telegram also announced in small capitals that Charlotte Harris, the woman who was lynched for her part in the burning was deolarod innocent.It is very true that Argenright, who it is not denied set fire to the barn of Mr. Sipc was tried and escaped conviction on account of the laws technalities, but is all law justice? Tho jury was sworn to decide by the law and the evidence, and the confession of the negro having been ruled out for the reason that he had been influ^enced, the jury could not do aught elsethan acquit him.But what has the escape on technical grounds of the boy Argenbright to do with •the guilt or innocence of Charlotte Harris I Who tried her and when was she tried, as the heading of the telegram suggested ?Wo know nothing about the guilt or in-%noscence of Charlotte Harris, but we are sat isfied that the boy, Argebright, was guilty of the crime, and regret if the innocent was punished that the guilty should be allowed to go scott free, to do further damage, whenever instigated by promises of reward, or from genuine African deviltry. Can we wonder at earthquakes sometimes happening when a oommunity with heated blood from the law failing to meet out justice to criminals overstep the bounds of civilized life and leave a dark stain of venigance satiated to mark the tale of horror that we are forced to record ?Our people are almost unanimously re-* adjusters, on the debt question, and they would like to re-adjust the law so that when criminals are tried, there is no escape from justice. Then and not until then, in all truth and candor can we exclaim that we have “ Justice in the Re-Ad justedDistrict.”
Newspaper Details
Harrisonburg Rockingham Register
Harrisonburg, Virginia, US
Thu, Apr 25, 1878
Page 1
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Anonymous
USA 09 Jun 2020
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