The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1856-12-11
From the Msysvills (Ky.) Eagle, NOv,97
Horrible Outrage-Rape and
Hanging.

One Of the most horrible outrages OF the
kind was committed in the town of Man.
chester, Adams county, Ohio, about twelve
miles above this city, on Sunday morning
last, at 2 o'clock. A free negro named Bill,
effected his entrance into the house of Mr..
Morris, (who was at the time absent in Gin
cinnsti,) by lifting the sash Of back room
window. He CROPPED his way In the dark to
the next room, where Mrs Morris was
asleep, and reached her bedside before she
awoke.a She inquired il the intruder was
her husband; but upon the negro's replying
"yeS," she screamed and sprang out Of the
bed Bill caught at her throat, and, missing
it his thumb entered her mouth, which ehe
clutched so violently as to fracture her law
bone. He then choked her uotl she was
insensible; and, after affecting his heIlish
purpose Of ravishing her, escaped from the
house and went home and TO bed with his
own colcred wife. His wife inquiring why
he painted SO remarkably, he tried to divert
her attention by saying that he had ran oil
the way from the river, where he had been
hard at work at pumping out fiat boat.
Mrs. Morris screams having alarmed her
neighbors, they rushed in in quick success
sion, and learned of the outrage by the aps
pcarance Of things, for Mrs. Ms tongue and
throat were go swollen and she was 80 far
exhausted that she not speak until she re-.
ceyed medical assistance. She then gave
those present TO understand that she did not
know who the villain was; but that ia tho
struggle she scratched his face in such q
manner cs to certainly indentiry him.
The circumstances pointed out the negro,
and the fact that he had twice committed or
attempted rape, once in Ironton and after.
wards in Rockville, Ohio, determined tho
cxasperatcd crowd to go immediately TO his
house. They found him in bed, with his
face badly scratched and bleeding, just as
described by his victim. They took him
forthwith, before day, TO Manchester Island,
an island in the Ohio river, Just above town,
. where they hung h IN to a Tree, but tho rope
breaking, he fell and revived. He then ac-
knowledsed the internal deed, and would
, have been hung up again but for the inter-
position of some Of the less excited in tho
cro%d, whose counsel prevailed and tho ne.
gro was accordingly taken to West Union,
: lodged inI'i!, and chained to prevent his es,
l cape.
During Monday night, Norris reached
home from Cincinnati. On Tuesday morn
i ing, crowd of SO men, with John Dougher-
ty "a brother of Mrs. Morris) at their head,
left Manchester for the county seat, where
they broke open the Jail, bursting the locks
> with hammers and axes.
On reaching the room where the negro
> was, Dougherty with one blow from his ak
broke his chain, and then raised the ak to
= cleaVe the negro's skull, but the arm of the
lnluriated man was caught and the negro
saved for n different death
{ Al tho time, the Adams County Court OF
i Common Pleas was in session, attended BY
>. probably one thousand persons, who were
y deeply interested in the trial OF the lrishman
:, Miligan, who murdered old man Scnter anl
- ;. his wife, about year ago.
! The mob spirit spread SO rapidly that il
was proposed to tho Manchester crowd tc
. wait little, md ii the court should not sen
. . tence Milligan to hanging, tho mob woulc
" then hang both together. But the Manches
% ter crowd was intent upon completing tht
= work they had undertaken, and being joinct
= by several hundred men, took the negro Bill
u back to Manchester, and over to the Island
where they hung him upon the liab oi tret
some twenty-five Ieet high.
= On his way from all, and even under biz
:, galows, the negro cursed and swore terrhi,
- and vowed if he got of alive he would Kill
~ Mrs. Morris at sight. Alter hanging unit
:. he was dead, his body was cut down, anc
. with the cbun stiI fastened to him, deposit
: ed in box and buried on the Island.
~ " At West Union the jailor was abscn
- when the attack was made on the j,il. Blu
- the Sheriff OF the county rushed into the jai
VI with gun in hand and attempted to preven
1" the rescue Of the prisoner The gun wa
:, !, wrenched from him and his power defied,
=, Mrs. Morris is lying very i'll. and it is quite
!" doubtful whether sho will recover from tn,
>" brutal treatment she received at the negro
hands. The negro's own wife was SO shock
ed with the horror of his crime, and his re
&c peated vllanes of the kind that she did no
even beg the crowd to epare his life.