Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1875-06-22
LYNCH Law IN MARYLAND.
IFrom tho baltimore Sun. june Isl

IL TONI tD0 6RlElmOfo sum- juno l6.l {
Sunday night. al about nine O clock, band
of men, numbering at least one hundred and
fifty, with blackened faces, masked and other
wise disguised. met by preconeerted plan in
the neighborhood of odsnton, fifteen miles
from Annapolis, and speedily organized them
selves for the purpose of proceeding to that
city to capture and lynch the negro john
Sims. charged with committing an outrage
upon Miss Addie jackson, on Saturday, the
9th instant.
The larger portion Of the lynchers were on
horseback, armed with guns and pistols, but
some fifteen or twenty of the party, uusble to
obtain horses, secured hand>cars Of the Balti-
more and Potomac railroad. The horsemen
started from 0denton at half past ten, and the
party in hand.esrs left about an hour and a
half afterward. The whole party reached An-
napolis at two o'clock yesterday morning and
proceeded Immediately to the jail, on the
western side of the town.
Reaching the jail they surrounded il, and
attempted TO secure an entrance thereto by
strategy A single individual of the party,
with. man apparently under arrest, app
proached the door of the Jail aud rang the
bell. The jailor appeared at a;wiudow and
asked who was there. The reply made was.
"Cairues with prisoner" Gairnes is pc
liceman Of Annapolis.l The Tailor replied
CHATS not Cairnes and you have no prisoner"
The man then replied that as the jsilor had
dicovered their purpose, they would tell him
that they had not brought q prisoner but had
come for one, and that they were determined
to have him if they had TO force the Jail to
~,
their. leader, proceeded to batter down the
pied about two minutes. Atterthe woodwork
Of the door was battered in the lynchers
craWIed through openings made between the
iron bars and fastenings, which they were un-
able to force. and covering the jsilor with pis-
tolls. proceeded to the cell of Sims.
The jsilor fought brayely and desperately
for his prisoner, but was soon overpowered.-
He refused however, to give mp the keys Of
Sims's cell, or to tell which of the three me-
groes in Jail was the man. But the lynchers
knew from the accounts given that he was the
only one chained to the floor, and thus they
discovered him.
The iron fastenings were broken from the
floor, and Sims was carried out on . hand car
some two miles ON the road leading towards
Baltimore. An effort was made to gag Sims,
which he resisted and bit ono of the lynchers
on the hand. On leaving the Jail the lynch>
ers formed in squads, one conveying the pris.
oner to the hand car, which was two or three
hundred yards distant; another squad, fully
armed, bringing up the rear to resist capture
of the prisoner by the United States marines
who, it was apprehended. might give chase
while still another squad guarded the way to
the hand car, manned its levers, and made all
necessary preparations for the hanging He
talked freely with his captors while he was
being carried to the place of execution, al
though pistol was held at his head to pre-
vent his making any cutlery.
Arriving ut point where private road
crosses the railroad. at Mr.. N E. Berry's farm.
q large white oak tree was reached, which had
been selected beforehand a. suitable place
for the tragedy, Sims was placed on horse,
with the fatal moose around his neck, one end
of which was fastened to limb of the tree
The horse was led from under the doomed
man, and in ten minutes, without = struggle
or scarcely sign of pain. ne was dead man
The body was left hanging to the tree after
his lynchers became satisfied that they had
accomplished their work successfully, the
party of masked men dispensing in various
directions.
On his way to the place of execution Sims
made full confession of his foul deed. and
said that oil the circumstances az stated by
Miss jackson were true, and that the account
he had given of himself to Squire jackson was
also correcs-that this was his first crime and
he hoped all would take warning by his fate
He was asked if he wanted to pray, and re-
piled that "he did not wish TO pray. that he
knew he was going to that dreadful hell"-
He sang at intervals sort of weird chant
a tumble of hymns and corn>husking songs,
but ceased whenever ordered to do so. He
asked that that they would give him as much
'fdrop as they could, because he did not want
to suffer much"
Slime was not roughly treated by his cap
tors. and no iudignity to his person offered
nor tantalizine questions asked. The party
were grave. sober and calm, but in dreadful
earnest. The whole affair WAS conducted
quietly and orderly