Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1868-05-08
Murder and Lynch Law in Niissis-
sipDi,

murder of an entire family near Vicks
burg, Miss, and the subsequent burning
of the negro murderers, by the infuriateC
citizens are as follows -
-Four negroes are supposed to have
been implicated in the matter. Two
who are yet at liberty, planned the muir
der, and the two who were burned at the
stake executed the hellish act The two
arrested were taken singly; the first one
acknowledging his guilt at once, and in
forming on his accomplice. From the
confession made by both soon after their
arrest, it would seem that Keenan,, who
sold wood to steamboats,, had been singled
out as a victim several days before the
plan was put into practical operation.
The negroes were waiting until he dis
posed of and received the money for a
lot of wood he had piled out on the river
bank and ready for sale. On the 18th of
April, passing boat landed and took the
wood. Keenan, stayed at the landing
until the boat left, and then, as he was
returning to his cabin, was shot with an
old musket in the hands Of one of the
negroes. Hastily searching him, they
discovered that he had no money with
the exception of single three-cent piece,
Concealing his body with leaves and I'M
derbrush, and Infatuated at the disap-
pointment, the demons then proceeded to
Keenan's house, intent on completing
their work of death. At the door of the
house they met Keenan's wife, and in an
insolent and threatening manner de-
manded something to eat The woman
replied that there was not much in the
house, but her husband would return in
the course of few minutes, and such as
it was they could have a portion. One
of the negroes then remarked that she
need not wait for her husband-that he
wouldn't be there-that they had fixed
nm. luz WoihdH btCdHe seriously
alarmed at this stage of the proceedings,
and feeling in imminent danger attempt
ed to seize pistol lying on the mantle
piece. She was rudely pushed aside by
one of the fiends while the other with a
blow from an axe he carried, stretched
her bleeding and half dead on the floor
at their feet. Attempting to arise, an
other blow almost severed her head from
the trunk of her body, and she fell back
a second time, her head in the fire blaz-
ing on the hearth. The oldest child,
boy some ten years of age, stepped into
the house at this time, and seeing the po-
sition of his mother, ran forward to ex-
tricate her from her apparently painful
situation, when the axe was again raised,
and the boy sank beside his mother, kill
ed at blow. The second child, a girl
some years younger than the boy, was
sleeping in bed, and being awakened
by the noise, began to cry and call for
its mother. To have treated it as they
lid the boy would have been an act of
mercy. They set the bed ON fire, and
binding the child on it burned her alive!
These are the facts of the murder. They
Are too revolving to dwell on single mo-
nent longer than is positively necessary.
The arresting party secured the prison
ers, and on the following day, the goth,
delivered them to the proper civil author
tiles of Omega Landing. Having con-
fessed their guilt, and waving an exam
nation, Judge holland committed them
for trial and placed them in the hands of
his constable, to be conveyed to the par
sh seat for Imprisonment. The consta-
Bile took them in charge and started on
his journey, but had only gotten short
distance when crowd of negroes over
took him, demanded, and then took for
chile possession of the murderers, and
huge fire, deliberately burnt
them at the stake Both met their fate
without protest or expostulation, and
we're apparently convinced that they full
y merited the terrible death which they
finally suffered. While the burning was
in progress, and thinking to prevent
of such horrible scenes. Gen.
Peck and Capt. Cavalier rode up to the
crowd and ordered them to desist, but the
negroes engaged refused to comply with
the order, saying that the murderers
should be burned then and there. 1t is
more than probable that the two negroes
who are supposed to be implicated in the
murder will be arrested in the course of
a very few days.
CLEANING HoUsE.-Clean bedsteads
thoroughly in March or April, with salt
and water; dust them with Persian pow-
der, (genuine) or apply corrosive subli-
mate with feather to every crack and
,revice, and you will not be haunted with
vermin. In cleaning closets, first remove
from them. and HANG tbc