Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-10-16

+ -llail nTlT- sfl,iff
I've Negroes Commit eutrages ON
women I'm Bedford County, for which
they are Hanged by q Body of Un-
known aFeu-The GulIt Of the Doomed
Men Clearly Established. ii re, s
Reliable citizens of Bedford county Tenn
give us the details of two shocking outrsges
lately committed by negroes upon the per-
sons of two respectable white ladies in that
county, and the summary execution, by
party of unknown men, OF the
fiends in human shape, whose guilt
was established beyond all room
for reasonable doubt. The circumstances
of these terrible occI rrences, both as to
crimes committed and the mode of punish
ment visited upon the guilty men, are sub
stantially as detailed below: Early last
week negro man named Sam Gallighan,
well known at Shelbyville as an omnibus
driver, went in the day time to the house OF
widow lady about five miles distant from
the town, and finding her alone, at once be-
gan the fiendish work of Outragng her per-
son. With dirk knife he threatened to
kill the defenceless woman if she made any
outery or resisted his attempts to do as he
pleased. After choking his helpless victim
until life and sensibility were almost
extinct, the vile monster went to the front
door of the house and after looking up and
| down the road as if to assure himself that
nobody was coming, returned and by
| threats and blows, rendering the unfortu-
nate woman incapable of resistance, re-
| peated the other and still more fiendish
| outrage upon her person. Then, as If sud
denly alarmed by some noise outside the
house, be fed precipitately FROM the place.
| The alarm was almost instantly given, and
party of men started in pursuit Of tie
| guilty wretch. He was caught before
| night, and being taken into the
| presence of his victim, was fully aud
| positively identified as the perpetrator Of
! this terrible deed. In addtiontO this iden-
| LITIGATION, other circumstances so clearly es-
tablished his guilt, that he himself made no
denial of it. Sam Gallighan was thereupon
| taken to Shelbyv;lle, and lodged in jail to
await committing trial.
Still another outrage, almost as revolving
as that Just recited seemed in reserve for
another lady, living in the same neighbor
hood. but across the river from the scene
| of the other occurrence. Last Thurs
day afternoon, while an unmarried
| lady was walking on a public lane
| ~ a hOuOO, a
named Henry Williams, well known about
Shelbyville for the past two years, suddenly
made furious and violent assault upon her
person, and was attempting to drag her over
| fence, when, attracted by her screams for
help, a large and faithful dog belonging to
! the house she was intending to visit, came
to her aid. The faithful animal, whose
coming seemed matter of providential in
| 10 of foo II
the black monster, decorating his legs and
tearing out piece of his pants, which was
left at the place as if to testify against the
guilty wretch, who finally succeeded in
escaping from the desperate struggle with
the dog. The lady then at once proceeded
to the house of her neighbor, and immedi-
ately pursuit was made in search of Henry
| Williams. In three hours afterwards, he
was found concealed in a stable, and suffer
ing considerably by the bites inflicted by
the dog. He was positively identified
by the lady he had assaulted, and
the piece of cloth torn from his
pants, and the bites of the dog left
not a great deal of room for speculation as
to the guilt Of the man or doubt as to his
identity Williams was also taken to Shelby
vile and lodged in jail, where he and Sam
Gallighan remained until noon Saturday,
at which time, the deputy Sheriff of Bed
ford county accompanied by posse Of
ten citizens, took charge of the two prison.
ers mentioned and conveyed them to the
scene of their guilty exploits, in order that
a committing trial might take place before
the Justice of the Peace of that district.
Stopping at the house of the Justice, the
Sheriff and his posse were informed that
the officer had gone TO mill, but would re-
turn in a short time. They had waited
but a short while, hardly an
hour. when the house was sud
denly surrounded by party of mounted
men, % or 80 in number, who wore no dis
guises, but were still unknown TO the Off
GERS and other persons present
The strangers demanded that the prisoners
be surrendered to them, which was refused
until it became evident that further oppOsi-
ton was useless, the strangers announcing
that they were determined to have them,
no matter what the cost or conse-
quences. At last obtaining possession
| of the prisoners, the party OF
armed and mounted men proceeded with
them about two miles from the Magistrates
office, where in broad daylight, and with
out resorting to any DISCUSSES whatever,
they without further ceremony, hanged the
two guilty negroes upon the same tree.
Waiting at the place until the two men
were dead, the strangers attached placard
to the fatal tree, containing the words Gun
der penalty of death, let the bodies of Sam.
Gallighan and Henry Williams remain here
until noon tomorrow, when the Coroner
can hold an inquest, if he wishes" Sunday
morning the Coroner visited the fatal scene,
and summoning a jury of inquest,
held an inquisition in regular form.
| Their verdict was that Sam. Gallighan and
Henry Williams came to their death by be-
ing hanged by men to the jury unknown.
We are informed that the terrible affairs
above recited created great deal of con-
sternation in Bedford county, and especial
" in the immediate neighbOrhood of their
occurrence. There seems 10 be among the
people no doubt as to the guilt of the men
executed, but an almost universal express
sion of the sentiment that they would rath-
ef the law had peen permitted to take its
regular course, and provided for proper pun
ishment of the guilty.