The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-02-17
LYNCH LAW.
A Terrible Tragedy in Tennessee.

We clip the following particulars Of midnight
murders perpetrated in Dyersburg, Tennessee,
on the night of the 5th, from Meals State Ga
zette, published in that place
In our last issue we stated that three men,
james Evans, Giles Moody and Bud Evans,
were being tried in this place, charged with
horse-stealng, and that it was supposed they
belonged to well-organized band of outlaws
that have for some time been terror to
thus SECTION Of country, Up to Friday
and they were remanded to jail until the next
molnlng,- being in tho custody OF Sheriff
Shaw and guard Of seven men: At about
one o'clock the next morning Saturday the
Jail was quietly surrounded by about ono hun
dred and fifty armed men, disguised, and COM
manded by three officers. One-half the mys-
terious visitors were dismounted, the remain
der on horseback, all uniformed in black, trim
med with white, each man having O WIDE white
band around his hat. Their appearance at the
jail was sudden, and the sheriff saw at glance
to resist was madness. He and his guards
surrendered, were relieved OF their arms, and,
together with the jaler, placed under guard III
font Of the midnight cavalcade. The jail keys
were secured and the prisoners taken out one
at time, each having his arms tied behind
his back with q long white rope, which was al
lowed to drag on The ground.
After the prisoners were placed near the
sheriff and his guards, the mon who had taken
upon themselves the fearful responsibility OF
booming three human beings to instant death
took up their silent march, not an unnecessary
word being spoken by either party. At the
wooden bridge which spans the Forked Deer at
this place they halted. A few minutes was
given the pr1soners-Bud Evans, Giles Moody
and James Evans-for prayer, after which de-
tail of eight men was allotted to each as execu-
tioners. Each Of the prisoners were then sta
toned ut o different point, several yards apart,
when the fatal signal was given and the details
fred their dreadful volley, and Moody and
James Evans fell dead in their tracks. pierced
with dozen balls. Bud Evans was only wound
ed, and he ran a hundred yards. utterin,g such
yels as can only come from the doomed
and despairing. He was pursued and
shot, dying in front OF Mr.. Alfred Stevens
residence. The sheriff and his guard were
now released, and in ten minutes the masked
horsemen, who had executed their horrible
work with stillness, GOODNESS and military
precision that was truly surprising, had en-
tirely disappeared in different directions. After
they had LETT, the sheriff, together with such
citizens as had been aroused by the firing,
went for Squire Sampson, when an inquest
was held over the hodies os the slaughtered
men, and a verdict rendered in accordance
with the above facts. The dead bodies were
then taken to the courthouse, where large
crowd of excited and wondering men feasted
| their eyes upon the CHASTITY spectacle until the
remains were conveyed to their homes, about
ten miles from Dyersburg. And thus ended
the most fIighttul tragedy that stains the his
tory Of Dyer County, the perpetrators of which
are supposed to be non-residents ofthis country.