“ It will be argued that the life of a Negro murderer is not worth the sacrifice, that the sheriff might easily have winked at the work of the mob, and better lives than that of the Negro wretch would have been spared. ”

“ One man was killed, two others were wounded, and the rest were so demoralized that they fled, while the sheriff telephoned to the governor for troops, which arrived in a few hours and carried the prisoner out of the county for safe keeping. A great service was thus rendered to the cause of civilization by a man who had the courage to do his duty as an official in a crisis, even when it involved shooting at his neighbors. Many a man who has gained a great reputation has shown less heroism in war than was displayed by Joseph Merrill in peace. ”