YNCHING IN THE UNITED STATES.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVIII, Issue 210, 10 September 1897, Page 2

YNCHING IN THE UNITED STATES.

THREE NEGROES IN ONE DAY.

OXE VICTIM CHASED THROUGH

FOUi. COUNTIES

Lynching is still a common offence in some of the Southern states of \_meriea. A recent issue of the San Francisco "Chronicle" contains the following account of three such occurrences:— Atalanta (da.), July 22. — Oscar Williams, the negro who committed the assault upon the daughter of a Henry County farmer last week, was taken from a central railway train on which he was being brought to Atalanta, Lit Griffin, this morning and lynched. Williams was pursued through four counties by hundreds of armed men immediately after the commission of the crime, but he managed to escape. He was finally capaired by a farmer at Barnesville and hurried off to Macon. Excitement was supposed to have subsided until last night, when rumours reached Macon that an effort was to be made by the mob to take the negro out of gaol. The police reserve and militia were calledout to protect him, and it was decided to remove the prisoner to Atalanta. At Griffin, 40 miles from Atalanta, War the scene of Williams' crime, a mob boarded the train, took the negro from his guards, and marched him through the principal business street of the town to a point 200 yards outside the corporate limits, where they banged him to a small oak tree. His body was riddled with 500 bullets The members of the mob made no attempt at disguise, and their names are known in Griffin. Several of the men were heard to declare that if they had the Mayor of Barnesville who saved Williams from beino* lynched when first captured by calling out the militia, they would hang him by the negro's side. Williams confessed to Ins captors before they swung him .up. J ■ T l he I .sud^n revival of mob violence is believed by many to be directly traceable to the excitement following upon the sensational lynching* of Dr nSht*' in Talbot County ' Mon<W The negro's body was taken from the scene of the lynching late this aiternoon and borne away by. a crowd ostensibly for burial, but rumour is rife that it will be burned at midnight by a crowd of people from adioining counties It is not positively 'known where the body is or where it will be incinerated. A sensational editorial article in defence of free and unlimited lvnch!?K,, aPP? ared th* "Daily Commercial this_ evening. It reads in part: Georgians, continue to do your , duty by the home. Ignore what the

hypocritical Democratic press says f von Defy the spirit that expects ■votection from a Republican AdminXtration* Laugh at the imbecile .iernness of your courts Shout deiance at the glitter of bayonets m he hands of cowards that would stab -ou Pop your fingers at the puerle proclamation that puts detectives -t your heels. _ "Do your work m the broad sun-ie-ht of God's glorious daytime, and "ang yes, burn, every brute who detroys your home. And each time -ou do it get on your knees and pray * : oc j may give you renewed strength and courage. Remember, home is•iearer than law, and one innocent •hild or woman is worth more than 11 the Governors and judges in Chrisendom." __ . Madisonville (Ky.), July 22.— The ;ody of Eph Brinkley, who lived sev*ral miles from this city, was found, 'angling from a limb near his home his morning. He had been iy-.vl.ed luring the early morning by a mob A about 40 citizens. Several weeks •■o-o Thomas Croullies, a well-known ■itizen of the neighbourhood, was assassinated. Brinkley was suspected >n account of his evil reputation, but -_o evidence could be found to coniect him with the crime. It is sup-" ,osed that because of his general bad ■haracter and to prevent a recurrence >f such killings as that of Croullies, •Jrinkley was lynched. Nashville (Term.), July 22. A special from Florence, Ala., to the "Banier," says: A report from Riverton this morning says that the negro aught yesterday started for tha Jnited States prison guarded by of-, leers. At Cherokee he was met by Xmob and hanged. Another report, which is not credited, says he was .'led to a stake and burned to death, [fe has certainly been punished for his crime. His identity was thoroughly established by his victim, Mrs Vaughn. Mrs Vaughn's condition is serious.