The People rise Above the Law

Monday evening rumors were generally floating around that a party of men would break open the jail during the night and take therefrom J.J. Moore, indicted for the most fiendish murder, perhaps that has ever been committed in this county. Late in the afternoon it was the street talk. Few believed that they would come at the time indicated. Many believed they would come before Court and take the case out of the reach of technicalities and lawyer's quibbles and the court's delay. About eleven o'clock they did come, and in force. It is supposed that about 150 men came into town with a strong reserve force, guarding various roads. They entered the jail, but could not find Moore. The leaders ordered the men to disperse in various directions, declaring it to be their intention to have Moore before they stopped.

The Sheriff anticipating something of the kind had taken Moore from the jail under guard a little after dark. His movements were watched, and his hiding place made known. some of the party found Moore and his guard a little beyond "Chincapin Trestle" on the Air-Line Road about a mile from the Depot. The Sheriff had taken the train near the Depot. He induced the Conductor to stop at the point to which Moore had been sent, so that he might take him on and proceed with him to Columbia, but when he got off the train Moore and the guard could not be found. A party found him about ten minutes before the arrival of the train.

The Sheriff did all he could to protect the prisoner and save him from the hands of Judge Lynch. He, according to all reports, did every thing he could do as a public officer. No one blames him for remissness of duty.

Moore was taken through the town, and that is the last heard of him up to the time of going to press. The crowd behaved well while in town, and seemed to have only one object in view. That being accomplished, they left in peace. Before this paper reaches our readers J.J. Moore will be out of the reach of law and officers, charged with the most terrible crime of which a man can be guilty.