Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1875-07-22
LYNCH LAW.
A Negro, Convicted Of Rape, FOTcibIy
Taken from jail at Iuka, Eissis-
sipp1, and Hanged.

Tuesday night negro, named Lewis
Thompson, was taken from the all at
Iuka, Mississippi, by party or dis
guised men and hung to tree until life
became extinct. The following facts
concerning the cause OF the lynching
and tine circumstances OF the negro's
crime have reached US: Last May a
young white lady, who had been on a
visit to her relatives at Moscow, in this
State, returned by rail to Iuka Springs,
Mississippi. Her parents resided near
Iuka Springs, but as it was two o'clock
in the morning when she reached the
station, she intended to remain there
until daylight before starting to her
home, Lewis Thompson, a negro hack
man, seeing that she was alone and I'M
protected, made improper proposals to
the young girl, who Indignantly re-
PEELED his advances and started to run.
She was pursued and overtaken by
THE BLACK BRUTE,
who seized the terrified girl,
and, after a desperate struggle,
forced her to the ground and COM
mitted a hellish crime. Leaving
his almost unconscious victim, ThOmp-
son made haste to leave the locality, in
order to evade arrest. The girl, upon
recovering her senses, made known the
dreadful occurrence, and the sheriff soon
started in pursuit of the black brute, who
in the struggle with his victim had been
bitten on the face by her. This wound
easily led to his detection, for he was
soon arrested by the sheriff and lodged in
Jail at Iuka to await trial by the circuit
court. Last Monday Thompson was ar
raigned for trial, and the day following
the jury returned verdict of guilty, and
the court sentenced him to the peniten-
tiary for life. The prisoner was then re-
manded to jail, to await transportation
to the penitentiary, where he was to
spend
THE REMAINDER OF HIS LIFE.
in punishment of this terrible crime.
During the night the jailer was aroused
by some one knocking at the door Of his
room, and upon inqulring, thought it
was friend who had called to see him.
Hardly had he opened the door, ere he
was confronted by number of disguised
men doth white and black persons be-
ing in the croWd), who demanded the
keys OF the Jail. Although the jailer at
first refused to surrender the keys, the
disguised party compelled him to deliver
them. Upon getting the keys, the party
gave a maddened yell, and forthwith
proceeded to the cell Occu pied by Thomr-
son, who, fully realizing the object of
such visit, crouched upon the floor in
the corner Of the room, as if unable to
move. The mob seized hold of their VIC
tim, and after tying his hands behind
his back, put
A ROPE AROUND HIS NECK
and dragged him out Of the jail. After
carrying him short distance to the |
depot, near the very spot where he had |
the beastly crime, he was
swung to beam. The disguised party |
until life was extinct, and |
then mysteriously disappeared in the |
the night. Yesterday morn
ing the lifeless body Of Thompson was |
seen
DAGGLING IN THE AIR,
and, of course, attracted the presence of |
every citizen. The sheriff cut the body |
down. and during the day had it in
tered. Thus was the fate of the negro |
who committed the most terrible crime
known to society. The young lady,
though poor, is very much respected,
and those who hung the negro doubt
less thought even death too light pun
ishment for the crime he had COM
mitted.