The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-02-02

OF FIVE CoLcRED Men IN HUNTINGDoN.-
The telegraph furnished an account some
days ago of the murder of Colonel Coleman,
m old and estimable citizen Of Carroll
county, Tenn, and the subsequent capture
and lynching of fiye negroes for the offence.
Before the negroes were shot by the lynch
ers they confessed the deed, and further
stated that, disguised as Kuklux, they had
beaten IN old man named Bryant to death,
attempted to ravish the daughter of a Mr..
McLain, murdered a young man named
Hurt, and committed many other outrages,
including robbery and incendiarism, in the
same county. The following account of the
affair is from the Nashville Union and
american, January 2Sth:
We have several accounts and quite full
particulars of the taking out of Jail and
killing of the five negroes in Huntingdon,
Carroll county, on last Tuesday night. The
immediate cause Of the drama of blood was
the killing of Coleman ON the Saturday
night previous. From the information re-
ceived we give the following, which is no
doubt substantially correct:
After killing Coleman the negroes went to
neighbor and burned his fodder-stacks,
man fired into them and run them off and
got their horses. The horses were taken to
Huntingdon. This alarmed the murderers,
and negro named Mat Brown went to an
other old negro and told him if the inquiry
was made, lie ian old Fayette negro must
swear that Mat staid with him the night of
the killing of Coleman. The old negro told
this to the authorities, whereupon Mat was
arrested. After his arrest, and being told
what could he proved on him by Fayette, he
confessed that he was there, and told the
names of the others present, one Of whom
was named Allen Robinson. They were
then arrested, FIVE in all. They confessed
to the killingof Coleman, and also confessed
going some time ago to old man Bryant'5
and whipping him 80 severely that he died.
They also went to Mr.. McLain's, pulled
his daughter out of bed, and treated them
cruelty, attempting to rape her-alwsys in
disguise.
They say they know nothing Of the ex-
rress Iobberies which have been committed
there.
They were put in prison, after an exami-
nation before magistrate, and guards were
placed around the Jail.
About half-past 9 o'clock the firing be-
gan-supposed to be by the guards on per-
sons advancing. Twelve or fifteen shots
were fired in rapid succession. Then vol
ley of fifty guns, and then an order to
charge. Then there was silence for half
an hour. The next heard was Into line y
the voices being those Of young men. From
fifty to seventy five shots were then heard
all at once at the word of command.
Fifteen or twenty more shots were then
fired at irregular intervals, and then the
party was off. 1t was ascertained that one
of the negroes was missing, who about II
o'clock returned, and, being discovered,
was shot and killed. The negro Brown,
who was wounded in the thigh and had his
ankle broken in the first shooting, was also
finally killed. The party of men, unknown
but undissuised, went to the jail in the quiet
hours of the night, and overcame the
guards, and forced the Jail. They then
took the negroes, five in number, from the
custody of the jailor, and taking them a
short distance from the town of Hunting
don, shot them dead, the body of each
being riddled with bullets. As the doom
Of the negroes was made known, they freely
and fully confessed to the murder OF
Colonel Coleman on last Saturday night.
Colonel Coleman was an old and estima
BILE citizen, and the atrocity of his murder
had exasperated the citizens to the highest
pitch of excitement. They not only con-
fessed to the murder of Coleman, but they
confessed to being the same party who in
disguise murdered young Mr.. Hurt some
weeks since. They also confessed that,
disguised as Kuklux," they had COM
mitted many other aggravated offences, in
volying terror and the loss of property in
the same locality, such MS stealing, pillag-
ing, burning, and plundering, etc. Under
knowledge of these facts, the feelings OF
the people were intensified to evaporation
by the murder of Mr.. Coleman, and the
community called loudly for vengeance.
Without presuming to endorse or condemn
this summary method of punishment for
crimes so atrocious and fiendish, from what
we can learn the verdict of public opinion
exculpates the parties from blame in the
premises.