Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-03-26
Gov. Brown Makes an Appeal In Be-
half Of Law and Order.

GOV. Brown Makes an Appeal I'm Be-
half Of Law and order.
About half past I o'clock last night Cher
ry street in front of the Maxwell House
was filed by large
CROWD OF PEOPLE,
and it was whispered about that an effort
would be made
TO MOB THE NEGRO MURDERER
who killed citizen named Murray, and Of
which mention has been made elsewhere
in this paper. The crowd increased, and
vet there seemed to be no
GREAT EXCITEMENT.
After fifteen minutes the crowd seemed
to decrease and it was thought
THE AsSEMBLAGE
was merely one expressive of the high
esteem in which Mr.. Murray was held by
the large number of his friends. For we
do not exaggerate his virtues when we say
that Mr.. Murray, who was an old citizen of
this place, had won by bis integrity and gen.
erous disposition, his quiet and unof-
fensiye life as many bosom friends
and warm acquaintance as any man in
Nashville. A close observer might have
noticed that the crowd was going in small
numbers down Cherry and round towards
the Square, and down Church towards Col
lege and Market. From these movements
it became evident that the crowd had some
object in view, for
THE POLICE
began to fear some violence was intended,
and were dreading
AN ATTACK ON THE JAIL.
Various measures were devised to pre-
vent any unlawful demonstration, and the
Mayor was notified that there was some
thing wrong. The Jailor, John Shelton,
fearing an attack upon the jail, sent one of
his assistants for the sheriff. By this time
demonstrative, and were collected several
hundred strong
IN FRONT OF THE JAIL.
Before the Mayor could arrive, and ere
the assistant jailor had time to summon the
necessary force to prevent
THE ATTACK,
the mob had made sly movement upon
the jail. John Shelton, the jailor, was sit
ting with MCGOWAN, one of the jail watch
men, and Bonie Atkins, also an attache of
the jail, in the reception room, when some
one ratified at the door which was barred.
MCGOWAN went to the door and asked
"who was there" An unknown party on
the outside said 'sit is a friend who wants to
come in-open the door," Hearing the
noise and Suspecting it to be the mob, John
Shelton, followed by Atkins, ran out into the
hall but it was now
TOO LATE
for MCGOWAN who is an old colored man,
thought the person asking admittance was
a policeman, sent with others TO prevent
THE MOB ENTERING THE JAIL.
he had opened the door, and no sooner did
so than fifty or more men made
RUSH IN THE HALL.
The TAILOR and his two attendants, Meow
an and Akin, were Immediately seized and
presenting pistols
THE JAIL KEY
was demanded from MCGOWAN who said
John, the Jailor, had the key. The crowd
then told John to
GIVE UP THE KEY,
John stated che did not have the key" but
some one now caught hold of his pocket
and feeling the keys jerked them out.
Taking the jailor and his two attendants
the crowd went through the hall, taking
care to extinguish the lights to the
OUTER JAIL DOOR,
which they had no difficulty in opening.
Going behind the curtain, they tried in vain
to unlock the curtain door, and commenced
breaking it, when the jailor asked them to
desist, that he would open it. AS soon as
they gained an entrance they wanted to
know where Jones was. This the TAILOR re-
fused to tell, and as they rushed through
the dark passage, some prisoner, for fear of
being taken for Jones, followed out, saying
he was in the cell
DOWN STAIRS.
The Infatuated crowd now hurried down
stairs, going to
CELL NO. Z,
in which Jones was confined with seven
other prisoners, among whom was one of
his brothers. This cell is the last on the
south side of the building, and is secured
by means of two doors, connected by an
iron bar. After trying to unlock these
doors, they cursed the jailor and told him to
show them the right key. This the jailor
refused at first to do, demonstrating with
the mob, and telling them they were doing
wrong. Six pistols were placed in front of
the iailor's head, and some one followed
out 'shoot him-shoot him." He was told
to unlock the door Immediately or he would
be killed. Seeing no alternative the jailor
did as he was commanded on pain of death.
THE CELL DOOR WAS OPENED,
and several entered the dark cell where it
was almost impossible to tell Jones from
the other prisoners. A candle was lighted,
and through fear of being killed, one of the
prisoners pointed out
THE GUILTY WRETCH
irving to hide himself in the far end of the
gloomy cell. He was seized by the men,
who endeavored to drag him out. Jones
made
A DESPERATE RESISTANCE,
and when the mob found they could not
drag him out he was showed up against the
corner wall and
SHOT TWICE.
When the pistol shots were heard their
sound seemed to be only the harbinger of
the dreadful madness pervading the crowd,
for Immediately
A TERRIFIC YELL
was uttered by the crowd both in and out
side the prison. Jones was dragged out and
a halter being placed around his neck was
taken up Front street 10
THE SQUARE.
Here a large number were congregating
from every direction, and the excitement
was intense. Amid yells the victim was
dragged to the gas post in front of the
POLICE STATION
and hung from it to die. As soon as he
was
SWUNG UP
a terrible shout was heard as if to proclaim
the work was done. The police were pow
erless and could offer no resistance. The
crowd seemed to grow more rabid and
GENERAL RUSH
of those who had been attracted there by
curiosity was made and Deaderick street,
and the whole Square in front Of the station
house, from College to Front were filed with
people.
TEE HANGING
had been done so quietly that few was aware
that even the prisoner had been removed
from the jail until they approached
THE SCENE,
which it is most fearful to think of. Under
the bright light of the gas the CHASTITY face
of Jones was viewed by near two thousand
r a