Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1855-11-03
LIFE ON THE KANSAS BORDER
Az En-li3hnan Tarfed and Feathere at Pal ks
Vile No

LIFE ON THE KANSAS BORDER.
An En- lishman Tarfed and Feathere at Pai KS
vile, No.
From the ST. Louis Democrat.l
PARKsviLI.E, Oct Is.
| arrived in Parksyillc yesterday. shortly af-
ter o'clock. | intended to stay an hour. and
then start for Leayenworih. In walking through
the town, paragraph hunting. saw crowd OF
about twenty men around the door Of COL Sum
mers office. The Colonel is Justice of the
Peace Of course drew nigh
Hullo. Mr.. R" exclaimed a voice from the
crowd. "here's an item for you'll
1t was Mr. Starns of the Southern Democrat
the Successor Of the Park svile Lumnary. At
ter the usual salutations. he informed me that
an Englishman named Joseph Atkinson,had been
arrested by His Honor Judge Lynch, charged
with attempting to ran off negro girl, and that
the crowI awaiting the arrival of II witness
before deciding how to punish the accused.
He was a fair compexioned blue-eyed firmly
knit, rather stupid looking man about % years
of age. He is "a rope maker by trade. and hai
worked near Parksylle for five or six weeks
past
1t appears that he had tried to induce negro
girl, said to be the property of Widow How, but
employed by Mr.. Dale of this place, to 60 with
him TO St. Louis. where he proposed to spend
the winter with herand then take her TO a
free State. The girl agreed to go. hut wished
him TO take a colored couple, friends of hers.
along with them. He did not seem to like the
proposition bat finally agreed to do so. The
day of flight was fixed The coored trio's cloth
es, it is said, already packed up. They in
tended to start Saturday. But the secret
came TO the ears of negro boy owned by Mr..
Hoy-to whom the colored couple also belonged
and he lged it to his boss, who Immediate
ly got committee of inve stgnion organized to
watch the white man and procure evidence a.
eanst him from the negroes implicated III the al
fair.
After private conversation between members
of the committee, the crowd went inside, and sea-
ted themselves.
Col. Summers opened the meeting. by abiding
to the circumstances that had called them tngeth-
er. There kind Of property in this com
munity, he said guaranteed to US by the consti-
tuition and laws, which must not be tempered
with by any one. Ii much property to
many dollars and eents--t was oar dol
lars and cents in fact, and recognized by the
statutes of Missouri and the Constitution of the
United States.
They each declared themselves satisfied that
he was guilty.
Mr. Starns thensaid that As this was an extra in
dicted case-not provided for in the statute book
1t dovolved on the meeting to say what punish
ment should be inflicted on tho prisoner. The
president of the meeting had suggested that he
be tarrod and feathorod and stoned out of town.
The motion was seconded. Those approving
it were requested to hold up their hands.
Every right hand in the ROOM except those of
two persons, (of whom the prisoner was one,) was
Immediately held up
A committee of execution was then appointed
and the meeting then adjourned
Some of the committee went for tar !: others
for bag of feathers the rest stood guard be-
fore the office door. Tar enough was brought to
besmear the entire population of Parkville, and
feathers sufficient for at least dozen coats.
Now" said Capt. Wallace to Atkinson, ''now
stanger, to save trouble, off with your shirt
With imperturablc GOODNESS, and without open
ing his lips, the prisoner DOTTED his linen and fan
mel. AS he wore neither vest nor coat, this cere-
mony was soon concluded.
Messrs Bird and Hughes then cut two paddles,
sticks about yard long, and broad ut one end
aud proceeded slowly (amid the laughter and iests
of the crowd. which Atkinson seemed neither to
care forlto ''lay it on at least half AN
inch deep from the crown of his head to his
waist; over his arms hands, cheeks, brow. hair,
arm pits, cars, back, breast, and neck. As he
was besmearing Atkinsons cheeks, one of the
operators jocularly observed that he was 'tonch-
ing up his whiskers, which of course produced
great merrment among the crowd. All this
while the only outward sign of mental agitation
that the prisoner exhibited was an extraordinary
activity in chewing and expectorating.
Messrs Bird, Hughes, Boydon and Samuel
johnson, then took hold each of the end of two
long poles, which they placed to form an
extemporo St Andrew Cross.
Atkinson calmly put his legs over the poles
and sat on the part whore they joined.
The four citizens named then raised him in
the air-plaong the end of the poles their
shonlders-and carried him through the street,
which was thronged with people. down to tho
wharf and back.