Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1868-08-01

u &uO licensed 70 carry on ROBBERY bI
Is plumber IS q business. Bot there L.
end to all things, and the patience 81
forbearance Of the most law abiding pc
pie can at last be worn out by consta
e disregard OF, or violation OF their RICH
\ and privileges.
y The neighborhood of Raleigh, and Il
people living on the roads leading ther
e 10, have suffered most severely from Il
: iepredations OF these marSudeTs, VT
/. seemed to have formed themselves in
}, a regularly organized band, and carrie
things with high hand. Many Of thei
men were well known, and proof slmo
: positive could be brought against then
! but so great was their power, on aecouI
Of their number and family connection
that individuals were afraid to prescott
L them. Similar causes produce simils
results the world over, and as In othe
places q like condition OF society ha
driven the people into forming vigilsnc
committees, or bands Of rangers an
,, regulators" the citizens Of this neigh
; oorhood, when forbesrsnce ceased to b
q virtue, determined to take the law Il
their own hands; and the first knowl
; edge of the practical workings Of thei
, rude justice were yesterday made know
, to the community.
, Early yesterday morning We heard OIL
! the street that couple OF men, vel
known In the community, had beer
found hanging to limb Of tree by thi
vayside, Oh the Raleigh road. On ma
king inquiries in the proper direction WI
learned that sueh was really the case, anC
that parties had been sent out to investi
gate the matter. Meanwhile, Constable
William Day, OF Raleigh, had come into
the city and made the following state.
ment to the proper authorities:
On Thursday morning a horse was
stolen from a farmer living in the Cor
ner," named VIM. Ready, who discov-
cred his loss in the course of half hour or
so, and calling in posse, he made chase
in the direction which be supposed had
/ been taken by the thief, or thieves. AT
ter short pursuit the party overlook the
/ animal, which was being ridden by two
men, who proved to be 3 couple OF
/ youths named Chris. Bender and John,
/ alias Bud Whitfield.
They marched their captives back to
Rsleigh and carried them before Squire
Stewart, who, after brief examination,
put them under two thousand dolsr
( bonds each, to answer to the Criminal
Court. They we're not able 70 furnish
the requisite bonds and were &C.
z .g,r1frvfrr -
William Day, Esq, to be conveyed To
the county Jail. Dir. Day, with a couple
Of gdsrds, placed the prisoners in 3
wagon, and, toward the cool Of the even
ing, started into the city with them.
They proceeded IN perfect safety until
within about four miles of the city,
when, just as they neared a clump OF
trees, in front of the house Of Mr.. Mott,
preacher, they found themselves sur
rounded by troop of horsenen, num-
bering from fifty to sixty, hesvily
armed, mzssSd and fsntssticalIy attired,
with high, eonical hats. The leader of
the band approached the wagon and
asked who was in charge OF the priso-
ners, and on being told, demanded them
llOLA A4A- LAY VIM AANAb6 EQ a1LEEud-
tive, gave them up. Mr.. Day and the
two guards were then ordered to depart,
or net to follow, and the prisoners, pin
Toned, were placed upon two led HOSES.
and the cavaIcade turned ard went ran
idly back on the road, bearing the prise.
ners with them.
At the corner of Psrson Motifs field, a
road runs into the old Raleigh road at
right angles, and leads scroes the rsiI-
road to the new Raleigh road good
portion Of the wsy through a dense
wood. Through this path or road the
horemen took their way and were soon
lost to sight and hearing.
Yesterday morning, Ia the esrly dawn,
some negroes coming into market. saw
swinging from the limb Of tree, on the
roadside, about = mile and quart ter from
the bridge over Wolf river, two lifeIess
bodies. Too much alarmed to stop or
stay, they made their way as rapidly as
possible to Ratchmsn's, near the Fair
Grounds, the nearest house that they
could find open at that hour of the
morning, and told what they had seen.
ICSoney Rutcamsn mounted his
horse and made bis way to the spot
described by the negroes, and there
found the liieless bodies Of the two unfor. |
tuusts men who bad been so mysterl. |
ously taken away from Censta-
bile Day the evening before. The
scsDe selected by their terrible ex. |
scutioners was Immediately on the |
new Raleigh road, on the left side, |
onposite to the center Of large cornfeld,
about one mile and q quarter bevond !
Wolf river bridge, going toward Raleigh. |
The tree selected was weet-gum, about |
tweIye inches in diameter, With large |
I;u,b. running out from the BODY at |
rIyht angles, shout ten feet from the |
Ground. To this limb they were hung by |
a small grass line, u quarter of an inch In |
diameter, which wss fastened with a |
aiding knot around the throats of the
two bodies that OF Whitfield swung
clear. his feet some six inches from the !
Ground. while the toes Of Bender rested |
no6-. the earth. Both had evidently
died OF strsngulation, simply, and pre-
ssnted when We saw them later In tbs
day), q most hidsous and frightful sight,
the horrors Of which we will not attempt
to portray. TO each ofthem was pinned
q card with these words written thereon!
@ Horse thief" "By an outraged COM
R1nlty.p
Intelligence was conveyed as soon as
possible to the relatives or both parties,
and they Immediately started out and
took the necessary steps towards remoy-
ing the bodies. Squire Smith, Of Raj.
eigh, being the nearest Magistrate, was
sSnt for ana acted as Coroner. The
Jury, we understand, rendered a verdict
IN accordance with the above facts. The !
bodies were cut down, placed In a wagon
and removed 70 their homes-thst Of
Bender 70 TIE corner Of the old Raleigh
road cad Aosby sVsaS', opposite Rgtsh'