Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1871-05-04
KukIux i'm West Tennessee.

MEMPHIS April 25-The A~valanche,
saws that about ten days since, the Office of
David Shaeffers, cx-Sheriff of Weekley
county, and Dresden, in this State, was
broken into and valuable papers contained
in the desk distracted, and others burned
on the floor. Suspicion attached to Will
liam and Ed. johnson colored. The lat
ter was arrested and confined in Jail, while
his brother Bill made his escape, and sent
word back from Paducah. KY, that he
had a list of Kuklux in the county, which
he had found in the desk, and would send
a regiment of colored troops there to
squelch them. A few days since, Mr..
ShaeGers, accompanied by, Sheriff Vim
cent. proceeded to Paducah' and, with a
requisition, arrested Bill and started for
Dresden with the prisoner.
Nothing occurred until they arrived at
Ralston, a small station six miles from
Dresden, where the train stopped a moment
to allow a passenger to get off, The train
had hardly halted before it was boarded
by about forty men, all in disguise and
thoroughly armed, who presented pistols
at the heads of the engineer and conductor
of the train, as we'll as to Shaeffer's and
Vincent's, threatening to blow their brains
out if they made any noise or attempted
any resistance to the carrying out of their
plans. Under the circumstances, those
gentlemen naturally remained mute, and
waited for further developments, which
soon came in the shape of two of them
taking Bill from the seat, where he was
living asleep, and marching him offthe train
As soon as he was out the men also left,
first threatening to shoot any man who
would have the temerity to follow them to
find out what was to become of the negro.
After the men had left, the train, with
Shaeffers and Vincent on board, proceeded
on its wav, arriving at Dresden a few
minutes afterward, when it was found
that the Jail had been broken open by a
mob-supposed to be the same that had
taken Ed, Bills brother, who was impli-
Gated with him in the robbery, and mar
ched off with him in custody.
Nothing more was heard of the men or
negroes until the next yesterday morn
ing, when the dead bodies of the latter
we're found suspended bg the necks to a
tree near the roadside, about a mile from
Dresden.
When the train was boarded both
Shaeffers and Vincent begged the masked
men not to take the negro away from them
as he was certain to be sent to the peniten-
tiary for a number of years for the robbery
which he had committed. No attention
was paid to their entreaties or wishes be-
yond a gruff order for them to 'shut up"
or it would be worse for them. The whole
affair occupied only a few minutes. and
many of the passengers knew nothing of 1t
until it was all over and the train again on
its way. The hanging of these men made
the third negro that has stepped off unex-
pectedly to his friends near Dresden with
in the past eleven months, the other negro
being mobbed for committing a rape on a
white girl. The affair caused great excite
ment in the vicinity of Dresden, and is
greately deplored by all the respectable
and law-abiding citizens OF that town and
surrounding country. Our informant was
a passenger on the train and ar eye witness
to the whole affair.