The Cadiz Democratic sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1854-1864, 1856-12-17
From The adams County o. Democrat.
FIENDISzJ OUTRAGE!

y
cation According to tie lynch Code.
Since our last, our county has been the scene
of crime, as fendish and brutal as human rec
ord can present, accompanied by punishment,
as sudden and terrible-such punishns' as for
the last few years, is paralleled only in Calfor-
MIA and Kansas The particulars of this terrible
affair, according to our information in the pre-
misses, are as follows:
On Friday night, 2lst inst, the house of Mr..
Israel Morris, in Manchester in this, county, was
forced, by breaking open an outside window, the
house entered, and the person Of Mrs NJ. (who
was alone in the house with tarO infant children
violated, in a most horrible and brutal manner.
Shortly before daylight, on Saturday 22d, the
neighbors were aroused by shrieks and sounds o
distress and danger in Morrs's house. So soon
as possible, the neighbors rushed in and found
the little children in perfect terror of FRIGHT
Mrs. NJ SpeechlesS-her jan diSi0cdted, and hang
ina doa0n-terror and anguish depicted in every
hneament of her countenance. DEATH itsel
could not present more hightinl and distressed
looking object than she was, as we were inform.
ed by those who were witness to the terrible and
melancholy spectacle. Her husband was, at
the time, absent from home, on the river.
The town was speedily aroused and the peo-
pie gathered in and around the house by hun
dreds Mrs. M.'s jaw was soon set by the ply
sicans Of the place, when she told'her horIify-
ing tale. The particulars are too revolving for
publication Suffice it TO say, her person was
most grossly abused; her throat was black, and
her shoulders bore marks ofviolence, and hurts
and bruises were all overhcr person. She sta
ted that she was aroused from sleep by pres
sure upon the face; evidently the hand Of the
.miscreant intended to prevent her from scream
ing and arotsing the neighbors.) She resisted
to the utmost Of her power consequently the
great injuries to her person. We have no dispo-
sition, nor are sufficiently applised Of the par
ticuars of her story to pursue the horrible reci-
tall She informed the spectators that in heI
struggles she had scratched or tO17l the lip 5he,
aSSauHer. '+ 10
A burly negro in the town, named Bill Ter
ry was suspected A number of persons, intlain-
ed and excited by view Of the person, and
moved by the tale Of the sufferer, instantly hun
ted him up. On examination, his lip was found
to be scratched and marked in the manner desc19b-
ed by the sufferer. So soon as this. was commen-
ted on by his captors and before he had been
informed of the object of their visit, he remark
.edr-"she did not 10 that" Other declarations
made by him, aud proofs obtained, satisfied the
whole town that,h he was the vile wretch who
;perpetrated the atrocious deed.
The people thereupon seized him, carried him
over to the Island in the Ohio River, Just east Of
the town, and stra1g linn upJyhe neck. When
nearly gone, he was let down, when he confess
ed to the preparation the deed
He was brought back, legal steps were taken,
and he was incarcerated in the jail of the county.
Here he remained until Tuesday last. On the
morning of that day Mr. NJ arrived home. On
Lon tbo lop,.l to Vbch biC ,.,ifn hol
heen subjected, he was ofeoaTse fe -ribly moved.
Inuited by him, as we learn, numbers of the cit
izens of Manchester and vicinity, deeming legal
punishment inadequate to heenormity of the
offence, determined that he should expate the
crime with his life.
On the same day, Tuesday, 25th, about IL
o'clock, NJ, a large number ofmen, fully fifty in
number, we would say, some in the Manchester
Band wagon, some in other wagons, and some on
horse back, marched through the Main street Of
our town, directly to the Jail. The Sheriff, as
Eeon as possible, was among them, and command
ed them to desist, and called upon the bystand-
ers to assist him. The trial Of Miligan for the
murder Of Senter, had called great multitude to
town, and we presume some 500 or more persons
at this time surrounded the jail. No person
obeyed the Sherifs command. 1t was very ev-
ident that the symlathies Of a large number of
the crowd was with the n105 regulators" or
whatever the reader may please to call them
This crowd seized from the Sheriff q gun, with
which he had armed himself demanded the key
ofthe room in which the negro was incarcerated,
and on his refusal to furnish it, deliberately pro-
ceeded to obtain sledges, crowbars, &C., forced
open the door, seized the negro, placed him in
the wagon, and with shouts Of triumph, kept up
as long as they were in hearing, left the towns
As was very evident, a considerable portion Of
the crowd sympathized with the rescuers.
The subsequent disposition of the negro, we
learn from the story OF an eyewitness, as fol-
lows:
A large crowd had assembled at Manchester
and were awaiting the arrival Of the party with
the negro Upon the arrival of the party with
the prisoner, shout of triumph went up from
both parties. The negro while passing the
crowd on the street, raised himself up in the
wagon and with q .demoh-like expression of
countenance gave loud huzza Arriving at the
river, the prisoner was taken from the wagon
when he coolly asked 'if they were not going to
let him ride over to the Island" (the spot fixed
upon. Tor hanging him.) Lie was told that he
must walk over Hc then asked to see his wife,
which privilege was allowed him. When his
wife approached him, he remarked to her, II
reckon I'll have to hang" She told him that
he should not have none as he had and he would
not have been in ''such fix, . to which he made
no reply. He then asked her if she was going
to stay in town--she said no. He then told her
to take good care of the children. They then
shook hands and kissed each other when she
left him apparently unconcerned lie then tur-
ned to the crowd and told them TO ''come on"
The crowd proceeded with him to the Island
above town. Arriving there, rope was thrown
over the Eub Of a tree about twenty feet from
the ground, the rope was then placed around the
negro's neck, his arms and legs being tied. He
was then told to say what lie had to say. Look
ing around over the crowd ho said good bye to
several ~who stood near him, and calling to
several boys to "git down out Of that tree" said
he was ready. Several questions were then
asked him, to which he made no answer but
said-'if you are going to hang me, do it quick,
and don't ask me so many questions" The
rope was then gradually pulled until he was rails
ed about fifteen feet from the ground, where he
was kept suspended. half an hour, when he was
taken down and buried. lie was hung at three
o'clockP M. ~
dc manifested the most perfect indifference
throughout the whole proceeding, and showed
the most determined tortitude ever witnessed
perhaps on such an occasion. He died without
q struggle, scarcely moving muscle So ended
the tragedy.
We regret this manifestation of Lynch Law
ism, in our urcommuniiy, which we know to be as
law abiding asany in the State; but at the same
time, we cannot diyest ourselves of the feeling
entertained by every man whom we have heard
speak of it, that nothing but the death of the
perpetrator would be on adequate punishment
for crime of that~damn,ng and atrocous nature,
which has met with this sudden and terrible