LYNCH LAW 



3544 



LYNN 



peake & Ohio and Southern railways. It is 

 situated southwest of the geographical center 

 of the state, on the south bank of the James 

 River and on the James River Canal. Rich- 

 mond is. 125 miles east and north and Washing- 

 ton, D. C., is 174 miles northeast. In 1910 the 

 population, almost entirely American, was 29,- 

 494; it had increased to 32,940 in 1916 (Federal 

 estimate). The area is four and one-half 

 square miles. 



Lynchburg has a picturesque location. The 

 steep ascent from the river is broken into ter- 

 raced hills, ornamented with fine trees and 

 handsome residences, with Blue Ridge Hills 

 and the Peaks of Otter in the background. 

 About ninety acres of the city are assigned to 

 its parks. Lynchburg has a number of fine 

 educational buildings; its high school was 

 erected at a cost of $125,000. One of the 

 Randolph-Macon system of colleges is located 

 here and occupies one of the most beautiful 

 sites of the vicinity. Virginia Christian Col- 

 lege, two business colleges and Jones Library 

 furnish additional advantages for education. 

 The Federal building was completed in 1914; 

 this, and fine bank buildings, the Auditorium, 

 Y. M. C. A. building and Masonic Home and 

 Retreat are the conspicuous structures of the 

 city. 



Two dams constructed in the James River 

 furnish water power for manufacturing pur- 

 poses. The largest single industry is that of 

 making shoes, though it was established here as 

 recently as 1900. Next in importance is the 

 tobacco industry, a superior grade of leaf being 

 grown in this locality; coal, iron ore and gran- 

 ite are also found in this region. Among the 

 other shipments are iron and brass products, 

 cotton goods, plows, wagons, dyes, hardware, 

 flour and lumber. The city has the largest 

 bark extract wells in the United States, and the 

 second largest flour mill in the South. 



The first settlement was made in 1786, the 

 town was incorporated in 1805, and it became a 

 city in 1852. It was named for John Lynch, 

 who inherited land here and in 1757 established 

 a ferry across the James River. During the 

 War of Secession Lynchburg was a base of sup- 

 plies of some consequence for the Confederate 

 army. 



LYNCH LAW, a term originating in the 

 United States and used to characterize capital 

 punishment administered by mob violence 

 without waiting upon the due processes of law. 

 The origin of the phrase is said to be derived 

 from the name of one Charles Lynch, a Vir- 



. I 



in 



ginia planter, who exceeded the limit of his 

 power in punishing offenders, but this method 

 of dealing with lawbreakers achieved greatest 

 notoriety in the West during the pioneer days 

 when civilization was years ahead of govern- 

 ment. In California, particularly, following the 

 discovery of gold, law-abiding citizens were 

 forced to form vigilance committees to deal 

 promptly with daring offenders against the 

 peace of a community. The hanging of a man 

 convicted by a group of citizens was called 

 lynching. To-day the quick and orderly proc- 

 esses of the courts have deprived enraged citi- 

 zens of all possible excuse for "lynch law," and 

 public sentiment is sternly opposed to this 

 method of ''punishment. In spite of this fact, 

 however, an average of twenty-five lynchings 

 occur every year; the victims are principally 

 negroes. It is often difficult to secure the ar- 

 rest and conviction of those involved in execut- 

 ing mob law, owing to local feeling against the 

 victims. 



LYNN, MASS., a leading center of sh 

 manufacture and an Atlantic seaport, located in 

 Essex County, on Massachusetts Bay, ten miles 

 northeast of Boston. It is served by the Bos- 

 ton & Maine and the Boston, Revere Beach & 

 Lynn railroads, and by electric interurban lines. 

 In 1910 the population was 89,336; in 1916 it 

 was 102,425 (Federal estimate). Lynn has an 

 area of eleven square miles, and extends for 

 three miles along a splendid beach. The busi- 

 ness section is on the lower ground about the 

 harbor, the residence section occupying higher 

 areas overlooking the bay. Interesting features 

 of the city are an ocean boulevard, a state bath- 

 house, Lynn Woods (a beautiful park of 2,000 

 acres), Forest Park, Floating Bridge, a soldiers' 

 monument, a handsome city hall, two hospitals 

 and a public library. 



There are large manufactories of boots and 

 shoes (in which Lynn leads the world), mo- 

 rocco and leather, shoe manufacturers' supplies, 

 electrical appliances, machinery, foundry and 

 machine-shop products, boxes and patent medi- 

 cines, their total annual production exceeding 

 $75,000,000 in value. The making of boots and 

 shoes began here in 1750. More than 20,000 

 persons are engaged in this industry, and the 

 value of its annual output exceeds $50,000,000. 



Lynn was settled in 1629 and was known as 

 Saugus until 1637, when the present name was 

 adopted from King's Lynn, England, the home 

 of Rev. Samuel Whiting, pastor at Lynn from 

 1636 until his death in 1670. Lynn was in- 

 corporated as a city in 1850. A number of vil- 



