North Carolina Newspapers

LINCOLN COURIKK-. J. M. ROBERTS. EDITOR AND MANAOEU. ENTEUED in the Post Office aT TjioolhtoN as second CLASS MAIL UATTKE LINCOLNTON, N. C, NOV. 20. 191. UK FAIR AND UNKIXI. In another column we print an editorial from last week's Shelby Aurora, criticising an editorial which appeared in last week's is sue of the Courier. We intended to let alone any further stirring of this unpleasant subject, the Motz tragedy, and we shall try to carry out that inten- tinn nc far n TUiS-iihln: but the UI1- fair and unjust criticism of the j Aurora makes it incumbent upon us to speak a few words in self defense and in behalf of justice. As to the points mentioned in our last issue, we shall leave the "mat ter to our readers" and let them 'judge for themselves' as we stat ed in that issue. Now, in the first place, the Au rora has been tetotally blind to certain points in this whole matter lie never has seen but one side of this question from the very be ginning. As his files will show, he took his stand before the case ever came to trial ; and while the trial was in progress, long before the conclusion of the evidence, he hsues a papc containing an edi torial clamoring for the acquittal cf the prisoners ! And more than t'lat; in the midst of the trial, we are reliably informed that he en tered the court with a bouquet of flowers, and in the presence of judge and jury would have given it to t hti prisoners but for the in terference of one of the defend ants' counsel ! Why does the Aurora want us to call names? Could he or any one doubt to whom we referred? If the editor wished to comment on that part of the article, why did he not copy it in full, so that his readers might know our treat ment of the whole matter ? Instead of showing the least scintilla of fairness, he tries to make the im pression upon his readers that we vero trying to uphold the man, v hen he knows that we condemn ed both parties in unmistakable tt rms. We defy the Aurora to p-.ico our article in full before the p ople of Cleveland county. We h ve the consolation of knowing t" at the editorial which has been ( bitterly attacked by the Aurora has received the highest compli r ents by a host of the most relin i 1 and most intelligent citizens of tnis community, both ladies and gentlemen, ministers and laymen. 1. was heartily endorsed even by those who were in favor of a ver dict of acquittal. We do not make tl.'se statements boastingly, but to show that all minds are not as the Aurora's. That journal says : ''Our homes mast be protected and woe to the seducer who would, under prom ise of marriage, rob her of her fair name," and so say we. But let us see if the editor of the above nam ed journal has ".been carrying out. this principle by his actions in the p;st. We want to ask the editor of the Aurora, the great knight of the nineteenth Century, the giv?at defender of ''woman's vir tu?,' if a certain married man, a prominent teacher in Cleveland county, did not cunningly win the love of a beautiful young lady wiiile she was a pupil in his school and make improper proposals to her, thus injuring her "fair name"? We want to ask him, if, soon after these facts were known, he (the editor) did not hold up the hands of this same teacher and aid in pi icing him in charge of the young men of Shelby and of Cleve land county ? We want to ask him, if he is so bent on having the sc lip of the seducer and so dis tressed that we did not call the parties by name whom we con demned, and if he is so chivalric and so mighty in his efforts to down the seducer ; and if he is so touched by the testimony of the girl at Shelby court, (was he not equally touched by the pathetic recital of that school girl to whom wo have referred ?) in the face of all these facts, we want to ask the virtue defending editor why, in the name of consistency, in the pa me of chivalry and virtue, in the name of honest y ami truth yes, why we repeat why in behalf of the sons and daughters of Cleve land, did he not come out boldly and pointedly against that doubly E , , i , 4 -ad we leave the subject to the uillv man and civ out ''unclean,! J " ., , " , , ; reader. The Coubier has never unclean, and woe be unto you, a; t - , ' , ,, condemned the verdict of the 12 in pure daughters, instead of aiding in placing him in charge of the worthy sons of Cleveland county ? If the editor of the Aurora is so ready to jump upon the max and stamp him in the dust ; if he is al most ready (as the Concord Stan dard charges) to sanction a lynch ing if he is ready to do this in the case of a young unmarried man who has been overtaken in a grievous and wicked fault, why is it that a married man and a man of a pure and innocent family, can leave the wife of his bosom and ;he tender, trusting, innocent chil dren of his household, and play upon the affections of another wo man and lead her astray and tar nish her "fair name," and still find favor and support in the eyes of the Aurora ? Oh, consistency ! consistency ! Again, the editor of that large, gushingly literary, home-protect-iig(?), virtue-defending (?) jour r al knows that that same man to vdiom we have alluded, not satis fied with robbing the girl of her 'fair name," enters the home of a named couple and foully touches ; le woman of another man's bos :n, and wrecks their happiness so : uit they are separated and the woman's "fair name' tarnished orever ! And yet the editor in lis eagerness to protect and defend Jie "purity of home" and the vir tue of woman, is found standing is a mighty pillar, upholding the l mds of tliis same man who has fbbed the girl of her jewel and mother home of its purity ! We dislike to allude to these natters, and we would never have lone so, but for the unwarranted md personal attack which the Vurora made on the Courier, and or the fact that consistency is al io a jewel. Let justice be done in ill things. If you are for stoning he guilty young man, let the guil y married man be stoned also. If 'ou are so bent on protecting the purity of home' against the 7outii, protect it also against the IIDDLE-AOEl): In one paragraph the Aurora says it means no personal reflect- j on on the editor of th Courier, md then closes his article with ihe most discourteous, uncalled or, and unprofessional personal illusion to us that could be imag ined. But, as we have shown, con. istency is the beauty of his val r(0. It is none of the Aurora's busi ness whether we print a single line :f "local news" or not, though okIi the inside and outside of the r st two issues of the Courier ,7ere filled with local matter. It is i t our dictator nor have we asked : : to direct the management of this : iner. If the knightly editor of .1 at great journal of modern chivab y knew with what reception the l ist issue of his paper met by the majority ot the citizens of this com nuuity, he would probably be glad take lessons under the COURIER as to how tha citizens of Lincoln t-ouuty may be "delighted.' "It the unfortuuate 'heroine' roue"! What journal has been More render in dealing with the er i:rsofthis untortunate girl than '.: -a Courier t When the first scene oi this sad diama was enacted, cut of respect for wounded relatives and i '-iends and sympatlry tor the fallen, passed it with only the following it m : ''There is some news we do not publish. When one falls from the lopmost round of the ladder that, b ads to the highest circles of socie ty, it hurts bid enough, and inflicts Miou-rh wouDds upon the hearts of innocent friends and relative?, with, oat parading before the public t -trough the newspapers the deed i iat brings forth the fall." Had the first act that became known beeu the last, the COURIER vtuld never have mentioned it i ; nn. And even when the homicide was o nmitted, we disposed of her rela tons to if as briefly as could be d )ie and give our readers au intel li zsnt account of the tragedy. And ii our issue concluding the testimo n 7 we lelt it our duty to give an e :pression of our thoughts as sug g isted by the celebrated trial and ii doing so we tried to be fair as well as honest ; and if the Aurora i i I have the fairness to place our 3ditorial, unRrblel, before his rad :s though we oh evr so "gentle" j we shall not fear their verdict. ? We have but a few words more eingeui men wuo comp'jseu me ju- y that sat through that long and tedious trial. But as a public joar lalist, living in the midst of the jommcmity in which the cause of ;ae trial originated, we felt it our invite to give our views touch ng the results and its lessons ; and n doing so we felt that we eoald lot participate in shouting, in the 'tiring of cannon" nor lend our 'gentle" sanctiou to the same for je reason plainly seated last week. .Ve remember, too, that in this com. nnnity live the aged and doting pa ents and the affectionate sisters and rotbers of the unfortunate slam; remember the gray hairs of the ifectionate father of the erring son; re remember that neither the hoz as of the multitude nor the firing f ten thousaad cannon can restore he virtue that is lost, nor heal the orrows of those whose hearts have een grieved. Could the vrrdict of he jury that released the three unfor unate prisoners (God bless them in heir fieedom and we say it with iil reverence!) have released also he bonds of the tomb and restored he son that is dead to the bereaved nme; could it have eliminated the !ot of the unfortunate sister and ostored to her the virtue of former l.iya; could It have washed and :ieansed the bauds ot him who lampled upon the girl's chastity, aid have restored joy to his aged ather aud worthy, devoted family tnd relatives, atid thus brought back lapp uess to all whose hearts have oeu wounded could the verdic . lave done all these things, then ?ould we, too, have felt that the :eoplo of this community could have joined iu giving forth huzzas and houts of joy and delight and in the ( ring of cannon a an appropriate xpressiou of happiness over restor- d life and regained virtue. But as it , we can only refer tne rring to him who said, "Go and siu i o more." It ESS COMMENTS OX THE MOTZTRIAL. (Concord Times.) A Jnst Verdict. We have carefully read the testis nony as published in its entirety in the Shelby Aurora, and find that it established conclusively the follows nig facts : 1. That Kobt, Michal was the au. thor of the ruin of Maggie Motz uu cer promise of marriage; 2. The State failed niter a most rigid cross examination to elicit a single disparaging fact unconnected vith Robert Michal. 3. The State tailed after the most 'ieuuous efforts to produce a single ? itness who impeached her charact er save iu this unfortunate affair. -1- She proved by the best men of uincolnton, young, middle-aged and o d men, that her character was u otless up to this occurrence. 5. That Samuel Motz, the deceas' nl, was ihe friend, kiusman, and :odjutor of the defendants in this ;uat he procured Robt. Michal to go jut to the place of the killing, a re ared place, in order that they might : srsuade him to fulfil the promise ) marriage aud repair the wrong " hich be had done to her and her I. inily. G. That defendants were men ot 4 od character. 7. The evidence left it in great d mbt who fired the first shot the 3 epouderauce hemg that Michal j mmenced ihe shootiug. 8. The evidence was overwhelm 1 g that the defendants did not go the place for the purpose of kill ;ig Michal at the outset. Why t juld a man with a double-barreled til ot gun loaded with buckshot, sut ft the pt rso.i he intended to kill to a proach within twenty five feet of li 11 before shooting when he saw M chat's pistol ? Why were the IN in use spoken tor ? Why was the ; ocb shell takeu out there to be bl wn ! Why was the minister spo. n to ! Why was the horse and buggy sent after Maggie ? Was it tc marry her to a dead mn T Solicitor Osborne, recognized to h . one of the ablest prosecuting at tcrnesinthe State, was assisted b six other lawyers, eome of the v ry highest rank. The prosecution w 14 able and vigorous. The jary w is composed of gentlemen of the vi ry highest staudiog in every res fpect. After ten days cf investiga tion, presided ovtr by an impartial iad able judge, they said "not goiK y.r And we agree with the verdict. -Kvny man who has a sister or laughter breathes freer npon the rendition of such verdicts. No jury i) this Southland of ours has ever '.eudered a verdict of guilty nnder :uch provocation "Should he deal with onr sister as with an harlot!" (as was quoted by one of the coun sel tor the 'efene) is a question which no father or brother, sitting as a juror, has ever been able to an awer, from Jacob's day to this, ex cept by a verdict of fnot guilty." It may be sentiment, bat we hope nev or to live in any country where a Mister's or daughter's honor is net dearer than life. We hope never to e the day when the price of wom an's virtue is not the lira of the scoundrel who robbed her of it. (Newton Enterprise.) Xot Guilty. The Motz case was given to the jury at twelve o'clock lPBt Friday, and at five the jury handed in their verdict of 'not guilty.'" Judge Graves had beforehand forbidden iny demonstration from the audi ence on the announcement of the verdict, and none was made in the ?onrt bouse, bat as soon as the ?rowd could reach the court yard they sent up a shout that wss taken jj all over town. The Motz boys were accompanied to the hotel by a irge crowd, and the whole family, except Miss Maggie Motz, shook iands with the demonstrative and oyous crowd, and received their :ongratnlations. So well pleased rere the people of Shelby with the ?erdict that cannons were fired to Kid to the noise. It was the proper rerdict to render in such cases. Few vho heard or read Michal's testi nony could see how the jury could irrive at ouy other. (King's Mountain Kews.) Not Oullfy. The case was given to tne jury at 12 o'clock yesterday. At 5:30 the rerdict of "not guilty" was return id, and then the Motz brothers vere given an ovation and a recep- .ion at their Uote). There were theers for the Motz's aud groans .'or Michal. A righteous verdict, md the Shelby people did the tandsome thing which they can be depended on to do at all times and tinder all cirenmstauees. (Charlotte News.) Ending of the Motz Trial. The Motz trial at Shelby ended aat night. The verdict of the jury . ad been anticipated and no sur ;ri8e was expressed when the fore nan announced that the jary had iound the prisoners not guilty, The Motz boys intended to kill ! Michal, :.nd the killing of Sam Motz was i-ccidental. (Gastonia Gazette.) The Motz Trial. The celebrated case was closed I Ht Friday afternoon by a verdict f "not guilty" for those brothers t tree who took their lives in their lands to avenge a sister's ruin. They would have slain her trad u cer nd betrayer ; they slew their own f Mend. And a jury of their pers t ave s id "not guilty." From the demonstration made at :ae close of the trial, and from the newspaper comments, it seems to be received as a righteous verdict. So ) it it be, for so the evidence made i The greater jury is public opin i )n, the people, and the press and n the same evidence they give the sme verdict, going further, if pos t ble, than the judicial tribnual, and t daring guilty the treachorous re I robate who to the seduction of a tinfiding woman added the equally kase&nd more heartless crime of deserting her in her shame. . The determination ot the three brothers to mitigate or avenge their h rlptess sister's ruin men hesitate t coudemn. For John Motz's brotherly devotion to his fallen sis t' r humanity can only stand in si 1 nt admiration admiration none t. te less genuine becanse mute. Yet a 1 these things bring with them a s- a8e of regret tbat they had to be. 3d the parents of the youDg man ho was the " aathor of the girl's d iwnfall the world cannot refuse p; .npathy ; for him who is basest treachery wrought the shame and r lued to share it the world has o dy closed hearts aud heaven may ii not be T only closed gates. And If at but not by far the least of all come the heart-stricken parents of her who has been so prominent and tuwillingly a figure in all this tra f edy. They doubtless love their daughter as ever and she them. But H lat a voiceless sorrow is theirs 1 31 ay it all work oat the ends for vrhich sorrow is sent into this world. (Charlotte Chronicle,) Mow Tar Is a Wonittn to Dlame. '. ' The ovation given the Motz j brothers at Shelby, npon their ac- quittal for killiug Samuel Motz by i mistake for Robert Michil the be t ayer of their sister has given oc Cision for discussion agaiu of the extent of woman's blame for her :wn fall. All women and men are equally -.0 blame for their joint sins. There ;s no divine reason why they are EOt, There was some good reason f c-r an evation at Shelby, but a worn rn's honor was not at stake and woman's honor was not redeemed in the verdict of the jury which verdict was an attempted response to a chivalric sentiment that so sa credty guards the honor of women i3 this country. There is a law in our Statute books ffbich makes it a crirpe for any mar riagable man nnder promise of mar riage to wrong a woman and afters vrards refuse to marry her. What i the intent and purpose of this Uw f It is to force a man to marry 3 womau he wronged ana thereby repair the wrong. But the woman '.1 a 8 much to blame as the man for :he existing necessity tor ouch a 'aw. The firing of caunoo and the ipeecS mukiajr at Shelby simply meant a rebuke to a man who had refused to help palliate and repair a wrong for which he wan outy par. tially responsible. This man is guilty of two wrongs and the wom au only one. In the first they are equally responsible, in the scmhI be aloo, because she coutesses lb t she stood ready as btr a i t w - t possible to do so, to atono then mil Then it is a crue! aud unjust judgement that will pass upon the womau as harshiy as the man. He deserves to receive not only the righteous indignation ot public seu timeut, but a striped habit and a couch in a cell. As a matter of oourse she will receive what sbn de serves. But notwithstanding the fact they both will receive due pun ishmeut in one way or another.tny should not abandon the hope of making the best of the situation. S j be if. CHickory Murcury.) The Motz Case. This was the moso noted trial ever witnessed in this part of the S'ate After over a week of anxiety ot friends, ami hard legal work by At torneys, for and ag-uus, the three Motz boys were acquitted tor the Izi ling of theu cousin Sam Motz After the acquittal, the Irieuds of, with the acqmted, indulged iu a gtueral bauquyt. Tne lawyers and it seemed, uking a part. The people are still devided a to the de cision of the jury. Some think they ought to have been found guil ty, while others say they ought to Lave been acquitted. The demon strations after the rendering of the verdict were oat of place. Ic mat ters not wuat the facts iu tie case were, such "corn shucking" affairs, tond to Iover the dignity of our courts of justice. There is no doubt a'Qottt there being something wrong svith the whole affairmore than lias ever beeu brought to light, yet tha law a-bidjng citizens can only bxpe that all will be well, and no lurm will come of it. The way to ktep such things down is to give th nja no encouragement. Let the p .t D8 forgotten and all work for b; tier things in the future. (Concord Standard.) Sentiment Justifies 3Xurder. Standard readers are acquainied with the MotZoMicbal stink that oc nrred in Lincoln county, sometime luring the past Summer. The case was moved from Ltn- !uton to Shelby court for trial. It soasutned over a week Friday 3'ning the trialone of the dirtiest ot. sea on the record of the State if. me to an end. The witnesses bad their say, but .ore of them did not say all that :t 3.v possibly wauted to. The Motz gir', whose downfall precipitated this trouble, was there dressed in black, and looked crushed in spirit aud in life this bud its effect on the jury. Bob Michal aa there ; he teati. lied. Meau things could be said about him; charges- could be brought against him and the law. vers conld call him names, demon this had its effect on the jury. Nothing could be said about Maggie Motz The court, from the very na ture of things, could not go into the merits cf her course she was not oq trial neither was Michal. The father, crushed and loaded with pain, led bis daughter to the witness stand this had iU effect. The lawyers had their say. They are said to have been loquont, touching and powerful. They pict ured a sad picture a father and home ruined brothers outraged a beautiful, loving girl damned, so far a9 this world is concerned. The Shelby Aurora made a blood thirsty attack on Bob Michal acd ; almost advocated his assassination, during the trial. The judge charged the jury before a breathless crowd. out and it returned the foreman i answered: rtNot guilty." ' 1 Here it stands : Maggie Motz is . no longer a virgin, but she will live ' under a cloud on earth Sam Mots, a cousin, conspirator (or not a con spirator, probably, but if so a cow ' aidly would be assassin, who de served his fate,) is dead John, Caldwell and Charlie Motz, murder ers, are free. Bob Michal, who from his own evidence, is a dirty sorry tellow, is foot loose. And a cold sneak, conspired murder goes una venged ! Seuitment and not justice pre vailed a ruined woman and not law did the work, Jisb Michal and. Sam Motz drove out from town that was part of the conspiracy John, Caldwell and Chirlie Motz went through the woo Jh with guns they were on a matrimonial gunning they were going to "persuade" (?) Bob Michal to marry their sister they took guns, which are very useful (f) in matriuioui il persuasions. It wan at this scene tint John Motz fired his gun, kille I S un Motz and tried to k.l! Bob Michal. The jury says they ar not guilty. Ha it come to ttii, lb at men may pick up guns, and wayl iy others and kill one and attempt the life of auother, and they go scott free ? Bb Michal in a mean mau a a mean as they make them and ougM to be punished aud wdl punished, but, if law is the right and proper tiling, the Motzb ys are murderers. Sentiment reigned and declared them justified. But there is a day of reckoning and Bob Michal, the Motz boys and Maggie Motz too will gat justice. Iu auother Eiitorial the Stnadard says : In another column the Standard prints a clipping from the Shelby Aurora (this paper has given appa tently a most excellent report of the celebrated Motz case) in which the editor shows a mighty little discre tion and no little anticipation and a powerful little sense of justice. If the Aurora has any influence and we believe it has, if not it onght to have it has by that very article assisted in thwarting jastice. Ev erybody knows that justice cannot be expected every time in court. Meu, of former good and unim peachable character, may at extreme moments concoct and swear lies to save men, interested men will do most auy thing. The way the Auro ra shoots off itself, it is not guilty of the slightest suspicion of discres tion. The court was not trying Bob Michal ; it presamably was trying the Motz boys, The poor girl may have sworn to the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. This can easily be doubted. She knows Concluded on local page.) MUSIC Anything from a $1000 Piano to a lc Jew's harp I have petfected arrangements whereby I can get you any thing in the music line. Prices guaranteed low as the lowest. . Call and see my samples and prices. Sheet music, song and dance folios, sacred song books for churches, Sunday and day schools, etc X am still in the lead with fresh confections, fruits, etc. Fine ci gars and tobaccos. Closing out one box tobacco at coat, JUST RECEIVED a fresh lot of bananas and Itahau oranges, very fine. 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