American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1876-07-22
MANGRAM, THE MAN-DEVIL.
The Story of the New Richmond (O)
HOrrOr-MOst Unparalleled Atrocity-A
Hanging Party Composed of the Best

| Citizens.
| Correspondence Cincinnati Commercial
To those familiar with the peculiar
characteristics of New Richmond, the
late horrible sensation there viii be
most astounding thing. The citizens of
New Richmond, however, are particu-
larly anxious to have it understood that
the throng who battered down the cell
and melted out punishment to the mon
ster Mangrain was in no sense mob.
They are particularly sensitive about
the word 'smob." Those who hung
Mangram were composed of the very
best and most influential citizens in the
town and surrounding country-good
men, and many of them prominent
church members. The details of the
case were 81 monstrot's that the Metho-
dist minister of the town-Rey. Mr..
Northumberland that if his assist
ance had been needed he would gladly
have helped stretch the rope himself
The man ManSram had been guilty
of all the crimes which the law punish
es-theft, falsehood, rape and murder.
The citizens declared before the hang
ing that if any certain assurance could
be given that justice would be dealt the
criminal by the law, they would not
take his punishment into their own
hands But they had no such assurance
Murders had been committed in Cler-
mont County number of times, and
no man had ever been hung for it yet
in the county. So they might well be
doubtful:
THE TWO GIRLS
who were the victims both attended the
Centennial picnic here on the Fourth,
and danced and enjoyed themselves
thoroughly, like the good innocent girls
they were. They were pretty girls,
both, and seem to have been particu-
larly modest and worthy. One of them,
Mary Hooper, she who was so awfully
murdered and mutilated, was married
and had a little child, eighteen months
or two years old. Both had respecta-
BILE homes, but, because the times were
SO cruelty hard, these good girls
thought they could add little to their
comfort by going out to service. The
murderer was at the picnic too. He sat
all day beside the musicians stand, and
watched the girls who danced, and
selected his victims. He is said to have
stated that he had picked out five. 1t
is certain that he had engaged four
young women to do homework for his
wife, as he said, Mary Hooper on Thurs
day, Amanda Abbott on Friday, a Miss
Guttman for Saturday, and Miss Short
for Sunday.
! Thursday afternoon Mary Hooper
went away, as she supposed, to work
for the wife of George Williams, as he
called himself. He was a man of i'm
mense size and stature, e plain, farmer
looking man, with nothing suspicious
or unusual in his appearance. Mary
Hooper made ready her little bundle.
and cried as she
KISSED HER BABY GOOD-BY,
and asked her mother to take good care
of the child till she came back To me
that is one of the most touching Incl
dents 1 ever heard. Somehow l car
hardly keep from crying myself while
write it, remembering how they after
ward found the body of poor Mary
. Hooper. Strong men and brave mer
cried and turned faint then.
Mary Hooper was never seen alive al
home again. A gentleman, near whose
!. farm her body was found, saw her and
the man Mangram walking past his
place Thursday afternoon, two miles
from New Richmond. An hour or two
after that the man reappeared alone
and coolly asked for and ate his supper
at farmhouse in that vicinity, al
! though he could not have been ther
very far from the body Of his victim
, A fiendish outrage and murder did mo-
disturb his appetite.
| Friday Mangram appeared in New
Richmond, and sold Mary Hooper:
shoes and basket to woman for 81
Friday afternoon he engaged Miss Alb
bolt to go and work for him. She
, started early in the afternoon. They
walked up the river two miles, then two
| miles more back in the country, TOWARD
the village of Laurel. He was careful
to lead her through wood, out of sigh
of any body or any house. Suddenly
without word, he seized her and threw
her down. She struggled with all hel
, might, and screamed,
, "oHi FOR GODS SAKE, LET ME Col"
"Hush! or I'll kill you,' said Man
gram. "My brother and my cousin
are up here in the woods waiting fol
me, and if 1 whistle they'll come and
help me.''
Then he choked her. She was CIR
of considerable strength, and fought
him desperately, as bruises and scratch
es on his neck and face afterwarG
showed. Finally he got upon her breast
with his knees, and pressed upon hel
with all his immense weight and choket
her at the same time, and then sht
could resist no longer, and became in
sensible. When at length he left her hi
undoubtedly supposed she was dead
He tore off her breastpin, earrings ant
hat, and took them. He sold the ha
on Boat Run for quarter. Then h
walked back to New Richmond, engaged
another girl to go with him either mex
day or Sunday, and went into drink
ing-saloon and sat down to enjoy
himself.
But Amanda Abbott was not dead
How, when she came to her senses, she