The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1854-10-14
Murder and Lynch Law
II CAROLINE COUNTY

On the Goth Of September VIM. II. T;utlcr
was killed ncar Burrsvile in Caroline county
by "a negro; of which the Denton Journal gives
the following account -
According TO the evidence elected lcfore
the jury Of inquest, il appears that Dave
Thomas, free negro, living in the ncighbor-
hood, went to the house of Mr.. VIM. II. But
Ter, somewhere about o'clock, on the even.
ing above named. and called for Mr. Batter.
who had retired and was asleep at the time
Thomas called repeatedly, until Mr.. j. got
up and went to the door, where some CONVEX
satlon took place between them, after which
they proceeded together to the road cate, a
short distance from the house; and having
passed through the gate into the public road
Thomas dealt Mr.. Butler mortal blow on
The head with heavy muSket, which (ellcd
him inscnSible TO the ground, and which rro-
duccd death in about three hours. Mrs But
Ter, who was standing in the door. heard the
blow, and the struggles of her husband, and
immediately ran for some of the nclghhors-
Thomas i'll the meantime making of. Two
shastly wounds were inflicted by the blow,
supposed to have been done with the lock of
the gun, one Just below the left eye, near the
nose which extended through into the nos
trll the other about one and halfinch above
the loft eye. where the skull was horribly
crushed. and the membrane Of the brain
s'igLty laccrated.
Thomas won't to the house of Mr.. William
Breeding on Thursday morning. when Mr.. b.
and others secured him and brought him to
town, and he is now safely lodged in iail
lie confcSscs that he struck Mr.. Butler, but
says he did not mean to strike so hard. His
punishment will doubtless be adequate to the
crime he has committed
CJTThe Court sat in Caroline county last
week and the negro was tried and found gull
ty. The Baltimore Sun Of Wednesday last
gives the following account Of after proceed
ings:
TIE EXCITEMENT AT DENTON Dare Thon-
rs, The -Nrdercr, Hnng hya Mob.-Wc sta
tod yesterday that pave Thomas, the negro
who murdered Mr. VIM. II. Butler, in Caro-
line county, Md, on the 9th ut, had been
tlltd at Denton and convicted Of murder in
the second degree" and that the verdict had
caused So muill dissatisfaction as TO induce
many citizens TO Threaten q resort to lynch
law on Thursday last. thc day on which the
prisoner was fovnd guilty. The prompt in
tcif renee of the law, however, prevented the
threat from being carried into execution at
the tiinc.-But. il appears, the vengeance Of
the popnlace was only temporarily stayed.
We learn from Il letter of correspondent we
received yesterday, that large and excited
ciowd assembled about twelve o'clock on
Saturday night, proceeded to the jail, broke
II open, took the prisoner out and hung him
from plank which they nailed to awndow
on the outside, in the second story of the Jail
building. lie was suspended until life was
extinct, when he was cut down and his body
conveyed back into the Jail. Nor did the
mob stop here. They then released and set
at liberty two other prisoners, one Of whom
had been sentenced TO tbs pcnitcn;iaiy.
We learn from another source hat the shcr-
i'll was sliced and tied by the mob before they
proceeded to their murdcrouS work. This is
ono OF the most daring outrages ever perpc-
tratcd in Maryland.