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By Yesterday Kvenlug’n Mall*,The Excitement in Rockingham.—At j last accounts the euitemeut in Rjckingham county had so far abated as to prevent any violent proceedings against .lones, (the accomplice of Randall in his crimes) who was arrested in Albemarle by a portion of the ■ Vigilance Committee, and taken to Ricking- : haiu last week. Jones has been handed over to the officers of the law, and will doubtless j ‘ be consigned to the Penitentiaiy. It is said : that the Sheriff of R ckingham has gone tu | Richmond for the purpose of arresting two j negroes, recently taken frra Rockingham by; traders, against whom sufficient evidence has jbeen obtained to convict them of-various i ! crimes. Old Mrs. Randall, the mother of j Jefferson Randall, has, it is rumored, made | a full development in regard to the transactions of her son and confederates. Burglary, Arson, R ipe, Murder, Wife whippmg. c., j are said to make up the catalogue of his ! crimes.We learn than on Saturday last, a meeting was held at Port Republic, and a paper drawn up for put* icaiion, setting torth all the facts in this lamentable affair. It is said that ; more than two hundred persons have signed a paper endorsing the action of the \ lgilanceCommittee.No one, we presume, doubts for a moment that Randall deserved hanging; but it must be remembered that every man however, steeped in crime, is entitled to a lair trial be I ore a legal tribunal. It is notthe fate of Randall that concerns those win*expre-s their regret at the action of the Vigilance Committee. It is the horrible precedent set by men of the highest standing in the «rinmutiity— a precedent that will be appealed to iu future in justification of every outrage that law less mows may leel ; disposed to perpetrate. If men are to be j hung by the populace, simply because theyare supposed to deserve it, some poor wretch will be hung up to a tree every few weeks.1 and it will not be long before souie are hung who really do not deserve it. ibis is the dangerous tendency of the thing—not that i any ooe is disposed to paliato the conduct or regret tho death ol a desperado who from all acci unts ought long since to have been punished for bis awful crimes. Staini-I ton Spectator.
Newspaper Details
Alexandria Gazette
Alexandria, Virginia, US
Thu, Jun 18, 1857
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Holly R.
VA, USA 27 Mar 2020
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