Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-06-28
HORSE STEALING.
A Horse Thief Lynched i'm Shelby
COunfy-FOrbearanc at am End-A
Terrible Warming.

Terrible Warming.
From the Memphis Avalanche, &c.
We learn from a gentleman who resides
a short distance from Raleigh, our county
seat, that yesterday morning early the body
of man was found hung TO tree situated
between the town and railroad. A pair OF
saddle-bags belonging to the unfortunate
being who had been so suddenly swung into
eternity, lay across fence near by, upon
the outside of which piece of paper had
been fastened, bearing the written informa-
ton that the deed had been committed in
consequence of the horse thieving crimes
which the deceased had been guilty of, and
to protect that community in future from
the heavy losses in stock they have suffered
so frequently Of late. The lynching was
evidently done in the hours Of right, and
there is no clue as to who the actors in the
tragedy are. What provocation the people
of that vicinity have had which impelIed
them to this deed, we know not but we
cannot but think that, under almost any
circumstances, recourse to the law would
have been much better. Summary exeeu-
tions by lynch law always shock those who
are moi participants, and in but few instan-
ces have we ever known them tc be justi-
ces. This case, though, may be an excep-
ton.
Since writing the above we have learned
by letter, from a very respectable citizen
who resides near the scene of the lynching,
some additional particulars He says:
Your correspondent went with others to
look sc the sight, which / must say Gre
ated considerable horror in my feelings,
and found the individual hanging to the
limb of white oak tree, few feet from the
road, his feet about twenty inches from
the ground, his hands tied behind with
handkerchief, and a slip of paper pinned
to his coat, Nth the following written in
pencil mark thereon: Jeremiah Hale.
hung by an outraged community for horse
stealing" The act was no doubt done
during the night, as the corpse was cold
when found. Hale came to this vicinity
about eighteen months ago from Lafayette
county, Mississippi, and as many of our
citizens have lost mules and horses during
the past winter and spring, suspicion had
very naturally fixed upon Hale, as he was
not accused Of very good character where
he came from. 1t appears that he was i'm
plicated in stealing horse and mule from
Mr.. w. H. Neal, worthy citizen of this
county, on Sunday. night, May 9Th, 1857,
and put Mr.. Neal to considerable trouble
and expense searching the country for his
stock-also depriving him of his means to
cultivate his growing crop. He was traced
to Holly Springs where he sold the mule,
and from there Mr. Neal could not get on
his track. Mr. Neal offered a reward of
one hundred dollars FOR Hale through the
Audldncke, and as the deceased knew that
the parties were in quest Of him he did not
show himself in the vicinity until yesterday
morning, when two men cutting wood in
| Wolf River bottom, near the Macon road,
came up with him. and as / learn, arrested
him. Hale, had no doubt been to see his
wife, as he had in the saddle bags, found
where he was hung, clothing just washed
and fixed up ready for wearing He leaves
a wife and one or two children Who the
parties were that hung him is not known
and probably never will be. 1t will be a
terror to Others who have been engaged in
the occupation of horse stealing in this sec
tion. Horse stealing has become of toe
frequent occurrence hereabouts, and al
though it is punishable with death by the
statutes of the State, we never hear of 8
horse thief being hung, unless done pri
vately without the sanction of law.