Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1869-08-31

The Front Royal Outrage-Lvnch Lar

The Front Royal Outrage-Lynch Law.
Since Tuesday last the Gazette has con
tanned notices of the late outrage .perpetratet
g I near Front Royal, on the line Of the Orange
Alexandria and Manassas Railroad, and to-day
it chronicles the probable death of the twt
wretches implicated. The following is a cor
rect statement Of the whole dreadful affair.
Cn Monday last two colored men, calling
themselves respectively Chas. Brown and ia
cob Bergman, under arrest by and in charge
of VIM. Scroggin, Deputy Sheriff of Warren
county, j. l.. Jarman and other citizens, were
brought into Front Royal accused Of an out
rage upon the person Of Miss Alice Thompson,
daughter of Thos. j. Thompson, living near
Happy Greek Station, on the O., A. & NJ. r.
f., and such was the Indignation Of the crowd
in attendance upon court, upon learning that
they were charged with SO heinous an offence,
that it required the utmost exertions of the
vent summary justice being inflicted upon them.
On the succeeding day. TUESDAY, 18th inst. J
the prisoners, were brought before Justices
Lent, Houser and Painter, and had their pre-
liminary examination the Commonwealth be-
ing represented by j. r. Jackson and J. Y
| Menefee, and the prisoners BY r. RI. Turner
and Moses Walton, when the following facts
were elected, as given in the Warren Sentinel:
~ "On Monday, the 10th inst, Miss Alice
Thompson, aged about Is years, had been sent
by her parents. on foot, to Front Royal to pur-
chase coal oil, &c.. and upon her leaving there
Tor nome, about 10 O'Clock, a. M, shortly after
getting beyond the limits Of that town, she was
espied by Brown and Bergman, and pursued
tor more than mile to point where she left
the track Of the 0 A. & NJ. r. r., and took
path leading through thick woods, when
she was caught from behind by Brown, who
choked and attempted TO throw her on the
ground bat, being warned that there was as
sistance near, he desisted from his purpose, but
threatened to shoot her if she did not 60 in
the direction through the woods that he
pointed out, which she did and had not gone
more than fifty or one hundred yards, when
Bergman stepped from behind tree and en-
deavored to catch her, but she ran for her life,
and fortunately got into the open before the
villains could lay hands upon her. }e-
during the examination Miss THOMPSON
tailed to identity Bergman, as one of the par
ty making the assault upon her, yet the EVIL
dence of Jacob Kuser, Chas. B. Rust, Presley
Marshall, John T. Dove, and Others, estab
lshed beyond doubt, that he was the com
nanlon of Brown in this outrage upon Miss
Thompson, who, during her protracted exami-
nation, gained the confidence and admiration
OF all who heard her testimony, by her frank
ness. modesty and lady like bearing
The Justices unanimously sent the priso-
ners on for indictment and trial by the Circuit
Court OF the county, on the 25th instant.
Alter the examination before the Magistrates
was concluded the injured lady confessed to her
friends that the crowd pres, Mt had SO confused
and embarrassed her that she hardly knew
what she said, and that she had been ashamed
to tell fully what had happened to her. To
her intimate friends, however, she said that the
arrested men were those who had attacked her
that she had first noticed them standing by the
fence on the side Of the road about half mile
from Front Royal, and paid no attention to
them, but that after proceeding some distance
further On she observed that they we're coming
on behind her, and feeling little uneasy she
fastened her steps bat found to her great
alarm that they were gaining upoa her. When
she looked around again she observed that only
one was in sight. The other had crcled around
IN The woods. and came out again in front Of
her just as she approached deep cut in .Ae
railroad, and seizing her by the hand Ssagged
her into The woods, pointing pissol at her
head and threatening her with Instant death e
she offered any resistance. When in the woods
ne caught her by the throat and threv her to
the ground. After ;hat she recolsses no.b;nv
except that upon rising from she ground and
lettering towards the road, the same one who
NAG thrown Der down, again took hold of her
ana pushed her towards the other, who was
standing near by. aad though doing a. he IL
rectsd her, she had strength enough to shrek
before he reached her, and that the shrek at
tracted the attention of man Who was at work
In Held near by, at whose approach her as
saants fed.
As may readily be imagined, the narration of
this incident occasioned the most intense ex-
element in the minds of all who heard it, and
threats OF lynching the criminals were so cur
rent In the neighboraood that the Jail for some
days and nights, was guarded by strong force
OF armed men, Yesterday this guard was re-
moved, and ass night those they had protected
probably aset an awful late. At two O clock
a. M 2 body OF disguised men surrounded the
JAZZ, one of whom knocked at the door, which
being opened, the iailog had Colt S pistol pre-
sented at his head, and, demand made for
the keys Of the cell La which. the prisoners were
confined. The demand could not, under the
circumstances be resisted, and the key was de-
llvered. Eae jalor was then locked up in his
own roam, and knows nothing more of what
Nor can any more facts be elected,
except that the cell 10 which the prisoners were
locked un was empty this morning, aud that
the inakeaoy from Luray passed. about day,
hight haas morning on the road to Froat Royal,
aumber of strange looking mea.-sAser. Ga
sette Of Friday.
10 Cool ROOM The simplest and cheap
est way to cool room is to wet cloth Of any