Vicksburg Herald clipping
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The Jim Lynch Scandal.
Our Jackson correspondent has advised the reader of the scandal in colored high life at the Capital, in which that wayward divine, Rev. Jim Lynch, Secretary of State and candidate for Congress, is made to appear a great monster. The prosecution failed most signally in making out a case against the sable expounder of the Bible, and he goes forth now among his brethren with a wounded reputation, which he thinks can be healed by nominating him for Congress. We hope our friends of the Clarion will let us know who put up this bungling piece of work for, or on, the Congressional aspirant. The Clarion gives the following account of the examination:
On yesterday the gossip mongers of the city were excited over the statement that the Rev. James Lynch, Secretary of State, had been arrested on a charge of rape. Upon hearing it we went to the Mayor's office and procured a copy of the affidavit, made by Georgiana Morman, a colored girl, which was in substance as follows: "That one James Lynch, on or about the 17th day of July, 1872, in the county of Hinds and State of Mississippi, did design and endeavor to forcibly ravish her, the said Georgiana Morman." Lynch was arrested and bonded, and the case set for today. It is now going on at this writing before his honor, Mayor Smith. The court room is crowded. The prosecution has failed so far as we have been able to judge in making out a case though they have been able to prove that Lynch's conduct was not just what might have been expected from a Doctor of Divinity. Lynch's voluntary statement was to this effect:
On Monday, two weeks ago, Georgiana's mother asked Mrs. Lynch to take care of her daughter while she was at Tugaloo - which she consented to do; he gave up his bed and slept in his study room; Georgiana slept in the room with Mrs. Lynch, in the bed with his children. On Tuesday morning he went into the room and woke her and the children up. Then went out and came back to shave; Georgiana was sitting on the floor; he took her by the shoulders and told her to straighten up, that she looked like a consumptive. She dressed, went out of the room, went downstairs, played upon the piano, and continued to play while he was saying a blessing at breakfast. He told her to stop and come to breakfast. She left her home soon after, in a pet, he thought, because he had told her to stop playing on the piano. He did not touch her with lustful thought or intent.
GEORGIANA MORMAN, CALLED
Witness is a young girl nearly white and well developed; being sworn, said:
"Mr. Lynch came into the room, told them to get up, layed across her and played with his little boy. She said she wouldn't get up until he went out, which he did; he returned in three, four or five minutes, she was on the floor in her night gown putting on her shoes; he said she looked like she had the consumption, and put his hands on her shoulders and let them slip down on her breast; she pushed them off. She went downstairs; she was not playing on the piano when he said the blessing, it was before that; she was not mad because he told her to stop playing, but because of what he did upstairs. She went home. Had been to Lynch's to practice on the piano, since - did not meet him, saw him coming and went back home one day; she told her father when she went home first. Told her mother when she went to Tugaloo today week ago. Told all the scholars at the Tugaloo University.
"Lynch ran his oldest son out of the room with a switch before he put his hands on her breasts."
Our Jackson correspondent has advised the reader of the scandal in colored high life at the Capital, in which that wayward divine, Rev. Jim Lynch, Secretary of State and candidate for Congress, is made to appear a great monster. The prosecution failed most signally in making out a case against the sable expounder of the Bible, and he goes forth now among his brethren with a wounded reputation, which he thinks can be healed by nominating him for Congress. We hope our friends of the Clarion will let us know who put up this bungling piece of work for, or on, the Congressional aspirant. The Clarion gives the following account of the examination:
On yesterday the gossip mongers of the city were excited over the statement that the Rev. James Lynch, Secretary of State, had been arrested on a charge of rape. Upon hearing it we went to the Mayor's office and procured a copy of the affidavit, made by Georgiana Morman, a colored girl, which was in substance as follows: "That one James Lynch, on or about the 17th day of July, 1872, in the county of Hinds and State of Mississippi, did design and endeavor to forcibly ravish her, the said Georgiana Morman." Lynch was arrested and bonded, and the case set for today. It is now going on at this writing before his honor, Mayor Smith. The court room is crowded. The prosecution has failed so far as we have been able to judge in making out a case though they have been able to prove that Lynch's conduct was not just what might have been expected from a Doctor of Divinity. Lynch's voluntary statement was to this effect:
On Monday, two weeks ago, Georgiana's mother asked Mrs. Lynch to take care of her daughter while she was at Tugaloo - which she consented to do; he gave up his bed and slept in his study room; Georgiana slept in the room with Mrs. Lynch, in the bed with his children. On Tuesday morning he went into the room and woke her and the children up. Then went out and came back to shave; Georgiana was sitting on the floor; he took her by the shoulders and told her to straighten up, that she looked like a consumptive. She dressed, went out of the room, went downstairs, played upon the piano, and continued to play while he was saying a blessing at breakfast. He told her to stop and come to breakfast. She left her home soon after, in a pet, he thought, because he had told her to stop playing on the piano. He did not touch her with lustful thought or intent.
GEORGIANA MORMAN, CALLED
Witness is a young girl nearly white and well developed; being sworn, said:
"Mr. Lynch came into the room, told them to get up, layed across her and played with his little boy. She said she wouldn't get up until he went out, which he did; he returned in three, four or five minutes, she was on the floor in her night gown putting on her shoes; he said she looked like she had the consumption, and put his hands on her shoulders and let them slip down on her breast; she pushed them off. She went downstairs; she was not playing on the piano when he said the blessing, it was before that; she was not mad because he told her to stop playing, but because of what he did upstairs. She went home. Had been to Lynch's to practice on the piano, since - did not meet him, saw him coming and went back home one day; she told her father when she went home first. Told her mother when she went to Tugaloo today week ago. Told all the scholars at the Tugaloo University.
"Lynch ran his oldest son out of the room with a switch before he put his hands on her breasts."
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Vicksburg Herald, “Vicksburg Herald clipping,” Mississippi State University Libraries, accessed December 22, 2024, https://msstate-exhibits.libraryhost.com/items/show/2133.
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