The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-11-30
THE CRIMINAL WORLD.
Particulars Of the Recent Lynching I'm
Kentucky - Outrageous Violation of
TaU.


Law.
A correspondent of the Louisville Journal
gives the following account OF the lynchlng OF
three robbers in Lebanon, Ky.:-
At exactly HAS on Saturday, November "a,
number OF men, armed with guns and pistols
surrounded the county jail which is situated
directly in the centre of Lebanon, broke open
tt front door. and demanded of the ialor the
KEY to the dungeon part OF the jail. The moo,
which appeared to be under the control OF one
leader, made no noise, pcketed the streets, and
arrested all citizens whom thev found on the
streets. Those persons who lived on Nam
street, and were curious enough to open their
windows, were warned to keep their heads in
a warning that was quickly complied with.
Eighteen men, armed with guns, rolled large
hogshead up to the northwest corner of Main
and Republican streets, behind which they hld
themselves apparently ready to fire on any
n al who made an effort TO go to the jail The
other corners of these streets were guarded by
armed men. The various streets in town were
pick by armed men. Every preeaution was
taken by the mob TO prevent assistance reaching
the jal. When the front door OF the jail was
broken open, the jailor an up stairs and hid
himself When he was missed, parties in the
mob brought a sedge-hammer and attempted to
break down the iron door OF the jail After
han mering at it for a time they found this
mode OF entrance impracticable, and COM
menced searching for the jailor. Doors were
broken open, and he was finally found hid IN
wardrobe in a room of the upstairs of the jail.
He was Immediately seized, compelled to deliver
up the keys, and held in custody. In the mean
time the prisoners eight in number, were fully
awakened by the hammerng at the jail door,
and fully understood the danger that menaced
them. They shrieked and yelled for help, and
al med themselves with billets of wood and stones
determined to sell their lives as dearly possible
When the mob obtained the keys of the Jail
door, they opened it, as they did the inner latticed
iron door which led into the dungeon. William
Goode had armed himself with huge billet of
wood and hid behind the door, ready 10 strike
as the mob entered. After some parleying in
the passage, five men marched into the DUN
geon meeting with no opposition. They formed
a line by the wall OF the Jail, and called for
Glenn. Crowdus, William Goode, and Tom
stephens, who Immediately answered to their
names. As they delivered themselves up. the
leader of the men said:-"Cro wdus, have been
looking for you for a long time" To this speech
Crowdus answered:-"I know you have, Mr..
-" calling the man by name. The three
prisoners were Immediately marched from iai
the Jail door securely fastened, and the jailor
released. The mob, which was on foot imme-
diately left the city in the direction of Grimes
Hill, small hill situated about Il miles east of
Lebanon. Their horses were hitched and guarded
in the edge Of the city. When they left the jail
they gave one triumphant yell, which awoSe
large number of our citizens, and must have
struck terror to the hearts of their prlsoners'
Many citizens saw them as they marched out
towards Crimes Hill, and say there must have
been about seventy-hve men guarding the pri-
soners, in addition to the men who guarded the
streets, who numbered about seventy-fve more.
The mob left Lebanon at 1890 o'clock on sun
day morning, the 25th instant. What took
place at Crimes Hill prior TO the hanging, no
one, except those engaged, knows. A negro
living near the place says thSt the mob talked
TO the prisoners long time, laughed frequently,
and appeared to act in a business-like manner.
Iii not known whether the prisoners begged
Tor their lives or not No one can tell how
they suffered from, fright, nor how they suffered
while hanging. Grimes Hill is a small hill,
one and half mile east of Lebanon, and is
shaded thnly with oak trees. The DanvIlle
turnpike runs directly over it, and the Knox
vile RailtOad cuts through it, Lebanon cannot
he seen from the hill; but the summit OF the hill
is sufficiently elevated TO give good view of
! the country for several miles around. The
| place of hanging is directly on the top of the
hill, equally distant from the turnpike and the
/ rairoad-about one hundred yards from each
! The tree TO which they were hung is a black
| oak, with one large limb extending in a northern
direction, which is about twelve ieet from the
! ground. Appearances indicate that the pri-
/ soners were hung one at time, commencing
with Crowdus. He must have been placed on
horse, his hands tied behind him, the rope ad-
| justed around his neck. and the horse led from
| under him. Appearances also indicate that the
rope slipped, for his heels nearly touched O
root of the tree that ran out under his feet.
Indeed, he must have struggled to get foot
hold on this root Its declinatfOn only pre-.
/ vented his saving his life by doing this Ina
CINE a man dangling at the end of a rope, with
I his hands securely bound behind him, lust able
to touch ground, and yet not able to release
/ DImSelf nom the sunocauDg horrors and pains
OF death William Goode seems next to have
| been called on. The rope around his neck
slipped so much that he stood on his feet. His
legs were doubled up and his feet tied to mis-
lands. His knees then were not more than six
inches from the ground Thomas Stephens was
next hanged. 1t appears that the fret rope
placed around his neck was broken, for three
ropes were around mis- neck the following morn
ing. His feet were about six inches from the
ground. The limb on which they were hanged
was about seven feet long, so that Stephens
and Crowdus were within six feet O
each other. They must have suffered
intolerable pain, since they all dice
from strangulation. Crowduh face was hid b,
a handkerchief When it was removed hi
mouth was found to be open, and the ropt
with which he was hanged imbedded in hi
neck. William Goode had quite pitiful cX
preston: he and Stephens both appeared Il
have attempted 10 prevent suffocation by hold
ing their chins firmly down on their breasts
Stephens looked as we'll as when last saw him il
our courthouse, when he was being tried fol
bigamy, etc. After the death OF the prisoners
their hats were carefully placed on their heads
They looked so much like men standing on thu
ground, attempting TO hide themselves behint
tree, that an idle negro man who passe
them in the morning spoke TO them, and nur
ried on to town very much frightened becaus
they would not speak to him. After the hang
inc, the mob joined in one last shout and ei