Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1870-08-12
THE FAvORIrE ISLAND HORROR.
Another Chapter Of B~Ioed-Chas. Back,
the murderor. Lynchsd by Un-
known Men.
Dramatic FlnaIe-He Is Hung Over Mrs.
Goodies Grave.

We have several times recently alluded
TO the capture of Charles Back, the muir
derer of the Goode family on Favorite
Island a few months ago, and one day last
week we announced the fact that he had
passed through the city in charge of the
Sheriff of Tunica county, en- route to the
scene of his crimes.
He was carried down the river on the
steamer General Anderson, and lodged in
Jail at Austin, where il was intended to
keep him until his trial, which was to
have been at the next Criminal Assizes
in Tunica county.
The county has, however, boon spared
the heavy eX pense of keeping him so long
and of his trial by the regular course OF
the law. Judge Lynch convened his court
day before yesterday morning, "a little be-
fore day, in the neighbOr1Ood of the Jail,
and quietly took the business off the hands
of the courts OF justice, $50 called" The
steamer Geo. w. Cheek, which arrived
from Friar's Point yesterday morning,
brought the only particulars OF the affair
that we have been able to CLEAN. The story
told us by a passenger on her is briefly as
follows:
Shortly before daylight on Wednesday
morning, say 3 O'Clock, a squad of men
presented themselves at the Jail at Aus
tin and demanded that the jailer should
admit them, stating that they had some
horse-thieves, caught in the n~eighborhood
of PeytOn (some few miles below AUSTIN,
&hom they wished to deliver to him. The
%jailer, thus informed, opened the dOor and
was instantly seized and pinioned, by
men in black masks and dOminoes. The
bunch of keys was quietly taken posses
sion of by two men, who went to the cell
where Back was confined, opened the
door and ordered him to follow them.
But few words ~passed-the unhappy nan
recognized in the hideously disguised
strangers the avengers of blood, and
tremblingly obeyed their mandate. He
was bound, on leaving his cell, and
quickly carried to the river, where he was
put in a skif, which, along with a half
dozen more, was moored in waiting near
by. The balance of the party, number
ing in all some twenty-five or thirty, got
in the other skiffs, and the whole hotills
rowed swiftly and silently over TO Favor
tie Island. The prisoner was taken out,
IN reaching the island, and carried to a
tree which shelters the grave of one OF his
victims-oid Mrs. GoOde-where he was
hung.
Our informant states that he was told
that b unhappy man made a full con-
fession. This must be mere conjecture,
however, as it is not likely that any OF
those who heard his confession, if he
Hldu6 OHS. HOulO Do apr 70 tell ABOUT IL.
This ends the FavOrite Island horror,
we hope.
ANOTHER VERSION.
Sincs the above was put in type we
have heard another version of the above
affair, which coupled with the reasons as
signed for it will make our readers blood
run cold and mantle their faces with
shame-shsme for the degradation and
brutality of the murderer, who expiated
all so fearfully. We learn that the pris-
oner was neither hung nor shot, but
buried alive in the sand of Favorite Is
lond. This horrible death was meted
to him because he confessed
that after killing the old man he raped the
old woman, then killed her, and after
death, and before her remains were cold,
violated them most brutality. If this be
true, we can appreciate the awful death
melted to so iendishly depraved a villain.
We recall in a life of forty years but one
instance of such total depravity, and that
occurred in California in 1850. The wretch
in hat case had no trial, but was dis
patched by his companions in view of the
corpse his lust had fed upon. The pun
ishment in either case were hardly severe
enough,