The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1873-08-14
LYNCH LAW IN ruscARAwAs COUNTY
Notorious Character Receives Seven
Bullets in His Body and is Afterwards
Hung to Tree,
Frora the TuscaraMas pemocrat

Hung to - Tree,
FroIa the TuscaraWas Democrat.
On Sunday, July 10Th, a notoriously
reckless character, named JEFF. Davis,
alias John Miller, who has frequently
figured in our courts of Justice, made
villainous attempt, as is reported, on
Miss Humerickhouse, who was in
company with another girl, on the
public highway, in the vicinity of
RagersYiIle. He also made an assault
on little girl named Flora Lehn, in
the neighborhood of their house, on
Stonecreek, on the same day. Upon
being apprised of the matter. Esq.
/ Lehn went to Ragersville and filed an
| affidavit of the facts, and a warrant
was issued by Levi Travis, a Justice
of the Peace, in the TOW of RACERS
vile. The warrant was placed in the
hands of constable ID. Neff, who made
diligent search for him, but did not at
first succeed i'll arresting him. On
Friday evening John Shank went up
from BakersVille to RagersYille and
| informed the constable that Davis
was in Bakersville. ID. Neff, eonsta-
BILE, and John Blair, an assistant, start
ed again in pursuit of him on Satur-
/ day. They succeeded in arresting
/
comeYstown, in Coshocton county, at
the house of widow woman. They
arrived at Ragersville with the pIis-
oner, about sundown Saturday eve
ming July 26. While Davis was in
the Justices Office, in the custodyhOf
the officers, and waiting for the wit
nesses to arrive, crowd of unknown
men from the country, seized the pris-
| oner with great violence, first blow
ing out the lights, then knocking him
down with poker; then, after firing
seven pistol shots into his body, drag
ged him from the Office by a rope at
tached to his heels, some distance
through the town to tree, and there
hung him up by the meck until dead.
The officers in charge of the prisoner
endeavored to protect him from the
infnriated mob, but without success.
John Blair, assistant constable, was
struck in the eye in the discharge of
his duty. The mob engaged in the
transaction is estimated at between
twenty and thirty persons. The OFF,
GERS present endeaVoFed to preserve
the peace, but the mob were inexora-
BILE, and with drawn pistols ordered
back those persons who attempted to
follow them to the place of execution
Il
on the night of execution, and has
since been found in the vicinity of
Shanesville and an inquest held upon
it. Our informant says that no citi-
zens of Ragersville took any part in
the affair, and many good citizens adj
vised against it when found that ViO-
lence was intended to the prisoner
1t is said in justification of the pro-
ceeding, that, in addition to his
beastly conduct to several little girls,
and grown women, and frequent Vul-
gar exposures of his person to females
on the public road, he had also threat
eEed certain parties to shoot them,
using vulgar and abusive language:
and also made threats that he would
burn their property. It would seem
from all accounts, that he was regard
ed as desperado, and feared by the
whole neighborhood-part the
female portion thereof. 1t may be
added that j eff Davis is an old Offend
er, who was sent to the penitentiary
from GAINESVILLE about twenty years
ago, and had but recently finished a
four years term in the penitentiary to
which he was sentenced in our Conrt
for the same offense for which he has
now paid the forfeit of his life
from the Justices office new butcher
knife fell from his pocket.
But, notwithstanding the decidedly
reckless character of the man and his
many crimes, we cannot justify this
awless act of violence, conceived and
executed, as it was, in such hot haste,
and notably wanting in the order, reg
1larity, deliberation, and even per-
;isiOn, that frequently charactePiZes
such proceedings. The State is, no
1oubt, well'rid of dangerous char
acter, but it would have been much
better for all concerned, could he have
been disposed of according to tine
'orms of law. ta Haz
We have merely given the facts as
We have hastily gathered them, pre-
'erring to defer any further comment
until we are more fully advised in the
premises.