Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1873-07-11

A southern Iudiana mob last Sunday
morning, added to the records Of lynch law,
for which that country has become somewhat
notorious, one of the most terrible acts Of ven.
geance ever recorded. The victim was De.
los Hefren, of Salem, Washington county,
Indiana who on the goth ultimo, shot De-
Halstead. The following particulars of the
affair are given by the Louisville Courier.
Journal"
cat about half-psst l o'clock Sunday
morning body OF masked men rode quiet.
ly into Salem, and immediate threw out
sentinels and took into custody all persons
who were out on the streets. The captain
Of the gang was powerfully-built man,
dressed in common country clothing, and is.
sued his orders in low but firm tone, dis
tinctly heard by the citizens who were held
prisoners. After the invaders hal made
themselves safe from any outside Interrupt
ton they surrounded the Jail. Deputy
Sheriff Caycraft Was aroused, and demand
was made upon him for the keys of the
prison. He refused to give up the keys,
positively and determipedly. Or to tell where
he had secreted them, and was Immediately
seized and confined in one of the rooms OF
the Jail residence.
1.-THE work OF demolisbing the doors
leading to the murderer's cell was then be.
gan, requiring more than an hours hard la
Dor. The heavy blows Of the poudereus
sledge hammer. welded by powerful
arms of the.regulators. resounded through
the town, and doubtless each blow fell as if
upon the heart of the doomed man, who
waited in his cell like Gagged tiger for the
avengers of blood. At last the bolts that
held the last door were beaten off, aud De.
los Heffren stood before the mob He was
standing by the side Of his cell door With
piece of his bedstead grasped in his hands
and he glared like a tiger upon his assail
ants The desperation and bravery of the
man was too well known by the vigilants
for them to advance upon him recklessly,
for they knew he would deal blows of death
all around him
"At this juncture the mob hit upon the
plan of lighting up his cell with frebrands,
giving them an opportunity Of fully seeing
their man, and, if necessary, shooting him
down where he stood This was done
balls were prepared and saturated with tur.
pentine and oil, and were placed on sticks
and held up on poles in front Of the cell
windows. The lurid glare cast upon the
desperate man who stood at bay before the
excited crowd lit up scene never to be for
gotten. AS soon as the light appeared
the prisoner was fred upon dozen times.
"Several shots took effect, one in the
breast and one full in the loft arm, the arm
being broken by the bullet and rendered
useless, the piece of bedstead falling from
his hand. A stone was thrown which struck
him on the head. He staggered from the
blow but did not fall He knew that it was
death before him either way, and preferred
to die in the Jail while defending himself
rather than die by the rope. Another mis-.
sile struck him on the temple and stunned
him. Several of the mob here sprang for
ward and grappled with him. He strug.
gled with desrer tie and superhuman
strength once Or twi .e freeing himself from
the hands Of the vigilants. He was finally
overpowered, and, still struggling, was
bound hand and foor
"He was then dragged from his cell out
into the Jail, and from thence out into the
street. About two squares from the jail
stands railroad bridge built over creek.
The bridge is perhaps about twenty five
feet above the water 1t hes no frame
work above the track. He was taken to
this bridge, and while on his way there
asked
What are you going to do with me"
"The mob replied
"We are going to hang you =
"Hefren answered quietly, as if it was
matter Of no great moment to him:
Il will go along with you
"When they arrived at the bridge rope
was placed around his neck. He then
seemed to realize his fearful position, and
begged for time to pray All of his cour-
age here left him, and with tears in his ewes
he pleaded for time to offer up prayer to
Him whose laws be had so often viola.
ted. He did not then remember that he gave
his two victims, johnson and De Halstead. |
no time to pray. The mob answered his
appeals for time to pray by telling him that
'he should have thought Of that before; that
they had no time t. wait, and he had to
co.