, 1873-12-28
HORRIBLE BUTCHERY,

HORRIBLE BUTCHERY.
A 1acn,illiAcel,cc Nf tbs Vlttcn Tino III
lk0ntMciAy.
" LtetngRton " IL princeton (KU.) banner.
II presenting the following narrative, havo
10 depend upon my memory Tor tho faotB detailed
woro fully informed on tho a'biosit, adel at lilo
present by two other porb0na nos; nvtng, who
wero thor very Young and inltatlnct III to their
rccollccti0na Of tl!a Htrange occurrences III nlt-
liton, the rccur1s Of Tho Livingston Circuit mud
County Courts furnish some further light.
Bomo tin.o betwcon tho yoarH u 1906 nnl 1B09
Il gentleman by tho nn1no or DR.. Cllnrlcs LowiH
with ha family moved from Virginia antl auttle,l
on lnllitnry tract Of lena on the OHIO lliySr,
land, III Livingston County. 1Iis family con-
nnd lshun, two daughters, mud some
ten or more, alayoa., 1.hot pnrt :, Of
tic county waH tlio,i q wild, and its population
sparse. Tho Doctor solicited the rlaco to build.
cleared away tho forest, a,ld electod log cabins
for tho whites ana blacks Of tho family, oronel
up farm put 1t In cultivation, and gave hiH resi-
Lilburne, wes also q murricd man, he anl Ills
wifo resitiug III Ills fnther'B family Mt Rocky
Hill. In 1877 tho Doctors Indy dloa soon aftor
hcr doath Mrs. Lilburne Lewis also died thoy
were buried at Rocky Hill tho graves were ia-
closod by poBt-and-rnil fonco. Tho whole OF tho
wito family III their intercourse with the inhab-
itants had 1nado tho impression Tint, In point Of
literary httninments, elegance Of nan,ore, And ae
complishcd demoanor, they Ind no equals in tho
county, antl had occupied ns high 1ositiom end
~ great Bocal advantages as at'y in their uative
State. It waB thought, however, that tho BinvoB
wore troated viii, cruel severity.
In 1900 Ltlbtrno was married to . young
ay !s9 ar Sf thS sS county, ~ nn ss ~ns metts na'
herself roputed fautless III foru, and bca.ty mud
Of proponsesBing accomplishments. Tho Doctor
about TINT time LOFT Rocky Hill with his dpugl-
ter, ard went to Balom, or TINT neighborhuod.
throe Hone Lilburno having takeu bis bride
thore. It was eoon reported TINT the marriago
turned out to be an unhappy one, Mrs: Lowis
from some cause becoming extremely unhappy;
trcatment Of tile slayes. IN tho yoar 1911 she
gayo birth to aon. On the 10th day Of Docem-
ber oil that year, she noticed unusual department
and private consultations between her husband
and hiB two brothers. Gcorge, llalf-grown boy,
waiter about tho house, who had repeatedly
run away when whipped. that oyo1'ing was wait
ing OIL the table ut supper, and let some nrt-
clio Of furniture fall and break. 1Hham Lewis
looked ut the other two brothers across the
table with significant nod und snid, .'That will
diRtely after tho moal WIS over, it being dark,
tho brothers left tho house. repaired to ono Of
the negro cabins, had q lnrgo hickory log-nre
made, aud summoned nm; George and all tho reHt Of
object WIS explained to them by Liiburno LowiB
10 tlo effect that their disobedlent conduct had
been auch that 1t had become necessary to kill
one Of them that tue icst might know their fate
unlees they acted better III tho future told
what George had done, and that they were gong
to kill aud burn him up. an ak was brought in
George tiod and l0id OH the floor, and one of the
negro mon directed and forced to chop OF each
hund and oach foot, tlen each arm and leg half-
way to tho elbow and lncc, and so On, until the
body WAS reached. The brothors stood around
with pistols in hand to shoot tho negro with tho
AK if he failod to obey. The horror commenced
when tho first blow severed hand, and tho
slrieks Of tho victim reachcl the cars Of Mrs.
until ler cries woro heard by all In the house
where tho murlercrouB butchery was going on.
Tho amputation proceeded as di,ectod; each
piece as severed was caught up aud thrown OIL
tho iiro. Before life WAS oxtinguisllod tho lend
WIS chopped from tho body; then it aud body
committed to tho Hamca. All remained III tho
cabin until the entire masa appeared to bo con-
sumed effectually. The door was then opened,
them should ever whisper what Ind taken place
thcy would be Rorved n tho Bame way.
About o'clools the three brothers left tho
cabin and started to tho dwelling. On their way
be the heavy Bound OF dstant thunder. In an
instant the earth beneath their feet heayed and
aweiled, aul shook with such yioloncc TINT tho
parties could with difficulty keep from falling.
CuATlEa Ef1GQ Uut> Ou% DlULuGEH& ku0 Judgment
OF God ia upon us!" This was tho FIRST shock Of
tho great earthquakes Of 1871 md 1912 in tho
Valley OF tho MissiAsippi They hurried to tho
houoo, and found Airs. LOWS lying on tho floor
stupctled with terror.
George, being u house boy, was Boou missed
by persons III tho habit Of visiting tho family.
Answers to inquiries about him were rot satia-
factory, Tho Other servants when interrogated
expressed by looks that woro interpreted to
noun that they know something tint thoy would
mn fntl Ernrf,Inp n n month after. q
dog was found gnuwing d llalf CONSUMED hs!mnn
foot noar tho l,rea!!soa.. a gentleman by the
namo OF Josiah Hibbs, with others Of Tho lleigh-
nsarcled the cabin where the tragedy was COM
mittod mud found tho burnt homes Of 4 hut
mRn frame. Tho Lcwlsos were arrested a,,d
gayo bail for their appearance ut the ensuing
term Of the Masch Circuit Court, ut which Lii
Of George. Tn tho noantiMe the relations Of
Mrs. Lewis, learning she WIS living In great faar
for her safety, wont after her, and TOOK her aud
her child to ler father. Tho two Lowises III
seems shortly after Lilburne and Charles agreed
to commit suicide within the incloeure sur
rounding tho graves Of their mother and Lii
bnrno's tlrst wife. On tho 9th Of April follow
Ing Lilburno made Ills will, and, after disposing
of his property, he made at the end OF 1t tho
lsooKr HILL, April 0, 1872.
Letitio. die In the hope ct being united with my
other wlfe in leayen Take Of thls will and
g. u. l. T.. l.,
Within this inclosure myself my brother request
to be inferred 1n tho same coffin.
ROCKY HILL, April 10, 1811.
MY BELOVED but CRUEL LET1T1A Receive this III a
pledge Of my forgiveness tn your connection. Tho
duy 0f judgment IL to como. owo you no nallco;
son Jun,ea. Aateu, my love. Lt1BunxE LEWIS.
A. servant WIS Immediately dispatched with
this will to Smithlaul, md delivered 1t to squiro
dccanly, who, on its reception and reading tho
friends, to the place dosgiatcd, and found Lii
burro dead within tho inclosure, shot through
the heart, surrounded BY Il pool of blood, mid
Charles OIL the outside with two rifles he stated
Lilbnrne had accidentally shot himself willie
making preparations for the fllnll1nent OF their
nrpogo for both to die ut tho Ban.e time. That |
to sight Of his brother struggling in doath Ind
laterred him from hin purpose. I.lburno was
I1~3 H. I'm ii