Martinsburgh gazette. [volume] (Martinsburgh, Va. [W. Va.]) 1810-1825, 1812-08-07


the area before the prison entirely free from
the rabble
At five o'clock in the afternoon of Tuesday.
gen. Stricken and the mayor visited their vic
tlms In the Jail. The prisoners pointed at
the rabble assembled in view of the windows,
told Stricken and the mayor, that unless
military guard was stationed at the Jail, their
destruction was inevitable--and demanded the
performance of their promise of protection
There is no danger" was the reply-the
most solemn promises of protection were re
newed. The mayor and the general departed
The prisoners, seeing that destruction star
ed them in the face, as last effort, sent a
list OF their names to Judge Scott, and de-
manded that they should be admitted to bail.
The application was fruitless Now, when it
was too late, they repented their imprudence
| IN trusting to the assurances of the perfdous
scoundrels who had lured them from place
OF safety, in order to abandon them to the
fury Of a blood-thirsty mob
] During the afternoon the mayor ordered
company of militia to assemble, at the court
house, they did assemble, and remained there
until nine o'clock p NJ when they were
| dismissed, with orders to hold themselves in
readiness for service. AT the close of the dav
the mob began to assemble before the prison.
A little after dark signalgun was fired, and
instantly the rabbe was seen running from e.
very quarter toward the jail armed with clubs.
The croud increased continually, but no at
tempt was made to enter the jail until nine
o'clock, when intelligence arrived that the
company of militia which had been assembled
at the court house was dismissed
/ This was the signal for the commencement
of their helish work. The jailor was com
PEELED to surrender the keys the doors were
opened, and the internal miscreants rushed
into the room in which the prisoners were con.
fined. The ruffian who entered first held a
lanthorn in his hand Mr.. Hanson with that
courage and presence of mind for which he is
| so eminently distinguished, instantly sprung
at this fellow, dashed the lanthorn from his
hand, and extinguished it. The total dark.
ness which ensued enabled some eight or ten
OF the prisoners to escape-some by fighting
their way throttle greater number BY arti-
tice The scene which ensued in the room
battles description. The imagination may con-
ceive but language would in vain attempt to
pourtray it. Suffice it to say, that when light
was brought from without by one of the rutfia ms.
it showed heap OF mangled carcases The
horrible scene was witnessed by Mr.. Sprigg.
one OF the prisoners, who had by dexterous
artifice made his way into the criminals apart
ment when the jailor visited them at noon
/ Thro an aperture in the door of that apart.
ment he saw all that could be seen. He heard
Gen. Lingan, man of uncommon worth, and
most amiable character-one who served with
distinction throughout the war which gave in
dependence to our country-yes-he heard
this brave old revolutionary soldier ask his
life of the remorseless ruffians, and ask in vain.
| His brains were dashed out by the stroke of a
club. The internal miscreants reserved one
of the prisoners, Mr.. Thompson, for more
protracted torments. After they had beat
en- and mangled all the rest until they SUD-
posed them dead, they carried Mr.. Thompson
away--tarred and feathered him-beat him
stuck knives into him-but wearied of cruelty
they, after many hours, gave him up, still
alive.
After the departure of the ruffians who car
ried Thompson away, fresh crowds entered
the prison. They trampled on the hapless
victims of their cruelty, threw their bodies
about, stuck knife thro' the hand of Mr..
| Hanson-thrust stick into his eye--chopped
| the hand of Mr.. Nelson almost thro' with
butchers cleaver--put dirt into his mouth and
thrust it down his throat with stick-all this
they did, and more, and the thunder of Hea-
ven did not light upon and blast them. But the
vengeance of Heaven tho slow is sure
II is almost miraculous that all these vic
tins of treachery and diaboical cruelty snr-
vived this night of horrors, except the unfor-
tunate-the ever to be lamented Lingan Just
before day break, four physicians, the minis
tiers of Heavens mercy-forever praised and
blest be their names-Hal, Alexander, Bur
| kett and Smith-went to the prison with car
riages, bearing an order from the Mayor for
the surrender of the bodies. They were com
PEELED to resort to the horrible pretence that
they wanted them for dissection. The demons, |
who still amused themselves with committing
outrages on their bodies. surrendered them