Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-09-06
LYNCH LAW.
How and Where the First Trial Under
the Code was Held.

How and Where the First Trial Under
the Code was Held.
In the autumn of 1889, the settlement in
Ohio, at Columbia, contained less than q
score of cabins. Most of them were near
the bank of the Ohio, a short distance be-
low the mouth of the Little Miami. The
most prominent Of the settlers were
General John s. Gano, the Rev.
Stephen GaDo, William Goforth,
John Riley, Francis Dunlevy, fter-
wards president judge,) jacob White, Eph
rian Kibby, Luke Foster, afterwards
United States Senator John Brown, James
Flynn, Thomas Hubbell, Col. Oliver Spen-
Ger, Maj. Bejsmin Styles, Hezkiah Styles,
Elijah Mills, Edmund Buxton, Peter Smith,
Jas. Seward, Thomas G. Wade, Benz Shoe
maker, Evan Shelby, Allen Woodruff, Jos.
and Benz Long.
One of the most useful men in this new
colony in the wilderness was Peter Sken
Smith. A shrewd and skiliful artisan, he
only among them all could repair and keep
in working order the only hand.mill in the
settlement, used almost constantly for grind
Ing their Indisn corn. This he did by soft
enlng the steel, fling it sharp and then bard-
ening it. A trader from Reds'one Old Fort,
(now Williamsport,) on the Monongahels,
arrived VITA a small Kentucky boat laden
with -four and other produce, OF which the
pioneers il their new settlement were
much in need. So Welcome was bis al
rival tina. they lent him willing aid to carry
I'D his dozen barrels of -four and pile them
between two trees, that they might
be safe from the peril of the river.
Next morning it was found that
one of the barrets had mysteriously disap-
peared during the night, much to the sur
Prise of the trader and indignation of thu
villagers. They speedily assembled together
| an were not long IN coming eonclu-
sion that one of their own members had
stolen the -four.
1t was immedia ely determined mem con.
| thai a general search should be made, some
of the principal citizens proposing that III 81
| own dOmiciles should be examined first.
This was speedily done, but not until
the fourteenth house was searchsd
was the lost barrel found IN the
cabin of Peter S. Smith, who proved
to be the Ach4n of the villa 0. They
unbesitatiDgly arrested him. He submit
ted ith a very bad grace. When inform
ed they would proCet d to try him for the
felony with provoking sang frO'd be de-
manded their Warraut, we'll knowing that
from want Of civil organization there cou d
be none. Havi G no leader with supreme
authority, like Joshua OF old, they formed
thems Ives mo Lynch Law
court. and after a fair trial found
him guilty OF the larceny and sentenced him
with forty stripes save one, according tC
II brew law, and that be make restitution
of the stolen -four to the owner. SIN til
now dared them to inflict so ignomin GUS a
uDishnent without authority of law.
They procured stout cord, with each END
| of which they tied his thumbs, and then
carrying the line over q heavy thorn-bUst
proceeded to execQte the sentence of their
own court with a good will, each of the
thirteen giving him their stripes with
a hickory witbe. Wi this degrading
punishment all boldness and daring for
sook him. He repaired 10 bis cabin, but
was never afterwards seen in tbs
settlement. It was supposed be found hi:
way to the falls of the ONO and there en-
listed in the United States army. Thii
statement is made On the authority of ont
of the most respectable mem0ers of tina
primitive court, the late Judge Foster. l
las been revised by The venerable Msio
Daniel Cane, native OF the very place
where 1t occurred, now in bis eightieth year
American Historical Record.