Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1874-08-27
LYNCH Law.
z'a7tta'yo Hsng By a Disguised
o,'osolat Hi1ajgM.

John Iallicrro, who was convicted
of the murder of Annie Bntlcr. Is no
more. AS we write these lines. (Fn.
day morning,) his lileless body is still
dangling from q tree near where the
Cumberland Valley Railroad crosses
the " illiamsport pike, north Of town
He was taken out of jail about mid
night Of Thursday b. party OF mona
ted men, partially Disguised, and NUN
herring from Is to 1o). The whole af--
fair was conducted very quietly, and
although there has of late been MANI
runners that Oh this or that night Tall
ferro would be taken ont and hung, yet
but few, if any persons, not directly in
the secret, knew or believed it would
be done Oh Thursday night, although
there may have been rnmo.s to that
effect. At the time the lynchers began
to assemble, the town was compare
lively quiet, and the streets almost en~
tirely deserted. About half past eleven
o'clock a pistol was discharged on the
street near the post office, which being
unusual, aroused number of persons,
and cahsed a small gathering Of foot
men in the vicinity OF the Jail. There
was considerable accommodating prior
to the general and final movement on
the Jail. At about a quarter past y
O'Clock, a company Of mounted men,
some Of them fully and others partly
disguised, charged down several of the
streets conyerging at the Jail, and
formed in column, with the right rest
ing on west King street. They mum
hered about seventv-five or one huns
dred, under command Of 4 Colonel"
who seemed to hold them pretty well
in hand. Various orders were given
and obeyed with military precision.
After the company had been properly
stationed, a one horse wagon, for the
purpose Of hauling the prisoner, was
driven up the alley in front Of the jail
door, and the 'Colonei,' with several
aids, knocked at tie Jail door and
aroused lTr Blonc'el He put his head
ont Of the window and inquired what
they wanted The spokesman said
they had prisoner, and asked him to
come down and take him ill., He said
all right, and disappeared from the
window, aud appeared at The door ia
few minutes after. AS soon as ne
opened the outside door, several men
reached in AMI seized him. He WAS
soon overpowered and the keys taken
from him. With these, the entrance to
Taliferro cell was easy, and but a few
minutes elapsed until he was brought
forth and placed in the wagon, which
was heavily guarded. The wagon,
containing Taliferro, then moved eat
to King street and the men took posi-
ton according to commands, and The
column moved of down east King
street the party giving three loud
cheers as they moved of. They went
down King st, TO the foot OF the bill,
turned to the left and crossing under
the railroad bridge over Burke street,
and went out High street around to
the Williamsport pike, and thence to a
point where the Warm Spring road
crosses the c. V. r. f., and here the
prisoner was hung to the limb of a
small tree He was given fifteen min
Htes in which to pray, and he improved
every moment Of the time most earn
estly. lie asserted his Innocence to
the last, and died declaring he was not
guilty.
The affair seemed to have been sys-
tematically arranged, and was we'll Or
ganized. Being, perhaps, the first in
stance of Lynch law which ever occur
red in this community, it was the gen
eral topic Of CONVERSATION among ali
classes when it became generally known
next morning. Hundreds of people
went TO the scene of the tragedy. and
took look at the liftless body dang
ing in the air.
A guard was put around the body,
and a Coroners jury summoned to meet
at 8 o'clock. After full examination
of all the facts which could be elected
in the case a verdict was rendered that
John Talferro came to bis death at the
hands Of an organized band Of men I'm
known to the jury.
We have not room for comment at
present, but unhesitatingly and empha~
tically declare onr disapprobation Of
mob law or Lynch law in a community
where civil law is in full force, We
do not condone the heinous crime of
Taliferro, but the law although its de :
lays are sometimes grievious should
always be respected and enforced
Taliferro had been declared guilty by
an honest and impartial jury Of his own
choosing, and should have suffered the
full penalty Of his crime against outrag
ed law-but he should have paid the
aull penalty nnder the law and accord
ing to its provisions. iorti,ss6urg In
aeDendent Auq. IS.