LYNCHINGS IN TEXAS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18086, 10 May 1922, Page 7

LYNCHINGS IN TEXAS.

FOUR NEGROES KILLED.

TROOPS SENT TO DISTRICT. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. (Reed. 6.5 p.m.) NEW YORK. May 8. A fourth negro has been lynched at Kirvin, Texas, as the result of an assault upon and death of a white girl. The Governor, Mr. P. M. Neff, lias ordered troops to tho district to assure order. Rumours are current that the negroes arc banding together to take revenge for the lynchings.

Statistics recently published in an American journal show that 2666 lynchings occurred in the ten Southern States from 1885 to 1920, of which 304 took place in Texas/a total only exceeded by Georgia and Mississippi. A Bill has been introduced into Congress and passed by the House of Representatives "to assure persons within the jurisdiction of every State the equal protection of the laws and to punish the crime of lynching." The Bill assumes that if a State or a governmental subdivision thereof fails or refuses to protect the lives of persons against a mob (three or more persons may constitute a mob), it may be deemed to have denied the equal protection of the laws guaranteed by the Constitution;'- and the Federal Govi ernment may, therefore, intervene to I punish the ' State officers for their i dereliction. The Bi'l provides that any ' local official who is charged with the | duty of protecting a prisoner, and who j fails, neslects or refuses to make all | reasonable efforts to protect him, or any I officer who fails to make all reason - i able offorts to apprehend or prosecute all persons composing the mob. shall be deemed gui'ty of a felony punishable by imprisonment* not exceeding five years or a fine of £1000 or both- Action is to he brought in the United States District Courts, so that local feeling may not interfere with justice. Participation in a lynching is defined as a felony punishable by imprisonment for a term varying from five years to life. Any county in whioh a lynching takes place is to "forfeit £2000 to the family of the victim ; or, if he has no family, the money is to be -for the use of the United It is made mandatory upon the Federal Courts to see that the money is collected —by execution against any property of tho county or by the levy and collection of a tax if it is not paid voluntarilv.