The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1871-11-28
ESNEEI 1. AW.
The Hanging Of The Negro Mar.
deFers Of the Park Family In
EAhs.s,,n

"tic NdNCu iQ'c ChS Joit auu ~ hSiiS"'
He represents the mob as well organized,
and under the command OF sea ptain"
who seemed to know all about mana
,ging men Failing to obtain the keys
of the jail rrom the Sheriff, the mob
broke open the doors. We take up the
narrative at the point where access had
been obtained to the jail
TIE JAIL Is OPEN.
they crowded in. pushing and jost-
ling each other. When all were inside,
silence supervened tor an instant. There
was not groan, not 4 sigh, not mo-
ton. but deathly stiffness prevailed,
broken only by the weird like clang Of
the boot heels on the iron floor. Time
was Aving. II was now past two o'clock
"Hurrv, boys" said the captain
daylight is approaching; where is the
iailor? bring him int and the jailor is
brought forward.
;"ShOw us which cell Squire Taylor is
in"
That" said Long, pointing to the
second cell to the left as we entered.
aWhere is the key ?"
81 have not got it."
"What do you say, boys? Shall VIC
usesthe tools p
No; open the doors with the instru-
ments," replied another.
The KEYS were again demanded, and
again refused, when the captain gave
the order to break the lock- The lock
| was on the outside, and soon fell to the
ground, when the captain gave the Or
der:
''No /, tie him.
'sNo l entered. The poor wretch was
lying on the bed in his CELL His arms
were promptly tied, the rope was twist
ed around his neck, and he was quickly
and rudely brought out of the cell. He
was speechless, showing no signs or mo-
ton except that extreme terror which
makes the victim dumb During this
time Charles Davis cell was opened with
the sledges He received the same treat
timent, and was also dumb with fright
His cell was broken open by No. 8.
"Where is johnson ?" demanded the
mobhers
"Up stairs" was the reply.
The work with the sledge was resum-
ed The entrance was made easily. The
cell in which Johnson lay was quickly
opened the ropes were put around him,
and the parties started off for the woods
with wild yell, leaving the guards be-
hind to keep the citizens back. They
were just an hour by the watch from the
time they entered until they left the Jail
with the prisoners in charge.
FOLLOWING THE MOB
The Sheriff followed the mob, which
travelled very fast. Three miles from
Charleston he came to beech forest
Upon the very first tree in the woods,
writes the reporter, "we discovered two
dark objects dangling close together
One had something white hanging below
on the ground. We approached the tree,
and as the object became distinct we
saw tha. it was
SQUIRE TAYLOR.
His feet almost touched the ground. and
| he was naked clear down to his shins
His clothing had been stripped off, turn
ed inside out, and was only kept on the
legs by the size of his shoes. The knot
caught directly under his chin, throw
ing the head back IS if he were trying
to look straight up into the sky. Upon
examining the back Of Taylor there
were visible half dozen blisters which
had been made by jsbbing him on the
back with burning brands. He was al
so burned on both sides Of the face and
on the right hand. 1t was reported that
the intention was to burn him alive, but
this may have been prevented by the
fact that the Ku Klux were delayed in
their operations. Right by his side
hung
GEORGE JOHNSON,
the negro who made the confession
His shoes were within two feet of the
ground His clothes had not been ia
ken off, and his body showed no signs
of any more violence than the hanging
The moose had caught under the left
ear; his tongue WAS protruding, and Of
fensive matter dropped from his nose
and mouth, presenting an appearance at
that still hour of the morning, in the
lonely woods, that was truly horrifying.
Very little sympathy would be express
ed for johnson, even had he been inno-
cent, for he had lied so often, in so
many different ways, that no faith what
ever could he placed in him These two
hung upon the same tree. Leaving them,
we proceeded about hundred feet down
into the hollow to another beech tree,
and
THERE HUNG OLD CHARLEY DAVIS,
a negro, sixty-six wears of age. He
was hung higher than either of the 9TH
ers, his feet not being within four feet
of the ground He faced to the west
ward. With his back fairly up against
the tree the moose on the back of his
neck, his head bowed upon his breast,
his eyes closed. clothing all on, and
little blood oozing from his right ear.
He looked much as if he was asleep
Below Davis, about another hundred
feet, were the red, glowing embers of a
burning log. around which the masked
lynchers hsd gathered in circle to set
in prompt and terrible judgment upon
the miserable wretches who had thus
dearly paid the costly forfeits Of their
lives,
THE ORDER OF EXECUTION.
George Johnson was first hauled up
and left for a short time to struggle with
parting life Davis quickly followed,
bnt old Squire Taylor was stripped at
the fire, and his struggling and dying
comrades were presented to him as an
awfll illustration OF his own fate. STAN
ding there naked, with pistols in front
and burning brands right and left and
rear, his heartless tormentors put the rcd
hot brands to his bare skin to eXtort 3
confession of the deed by the exquisite
punishment they were infiict!np Par