Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1876-01-28
Lynch Law in West Virginia..


THE ROPE AROUND THE NECK OF
FAITHLEss wIFE-sCENEs IN THE
STREETS,
&C., &C., &C.
Between Saturday and Tuesday last, four
persons were hung in the adjoining state
of West Virginia. 1t will be remembered
that mob assembled at Charleston few
days ago to hang Dawson and Estep, TWO
of the men now executed, but the authorl-
ties quietly took the prisoners away. we
give the partic ulars, OF the tragedies below:
At Barboursville, W. Va, on Saturday,
Chas. F. Meeting, a well known young
man was found murdered and buried in
his stable. Ed. Williams who had been
for some time intimate with Meetings.
wife, and the woman herself were arrested
on suspicion and put in Jail. A telegram
to the Richmond Dispatch dated the
next day says:
Last night large crowd assembled in
this place and organized a mob OF about
seventy-tive or one hundred men. At 8
O'Clock they surrounded the Jail and de-
manded the doors to be opened, at which
time Rev. G.. w. Young appeared from an
| upper window and insisted that the men
should go away OIL keep quiet until he could
| finish praying for the prisoners, Williams
and Mrs. Meetings. who were to be put to
death in a few moments by the mob. The
mob then gave him thirty minutes to per-
form his duties, as requested by the prison.
els. AS soon as the preacher retired from
the jail, where he had most seriously ex-
planned to both the mob and prisoners their
situation for two or more hours, the mob
at once demanded the outer door to be
opened, which was done. In they rushed
and demanded the keys of the jailor. and
told him to conduct them to the prisoners
cell. They unlocked the cell-door and
went in, when the prisoners called pitlful-
! " for the minister to offer another prayer
| for them, which he did, the mob giving
him ten minutes to do so. Then they tied
Edmond Williams hands behind him and
| led him down stairs into the courthouse
yard, and placed him upon stand which
they had prepared for them. The minister
| again offered prayer, which lasted fully
| fifteen minutes, after which the rope was
| tied.
| They placed him under tree in the
court house yard, where, with a rope
around his neck, and standing on a barrel,
he made confession. He expressed the
hope chat the crowd might obtain Gods
forgiveness for their crime, as he had for
his. and declared he was happily starting
on his journey home tn heaven. He died
after fifteen minutes of terrible agony.
Mrs. Meeting was then brought out, and
placing her in front of the dead murderer
the crowd called for her confession. She
said Williams had been her paramour for
three years; that she had been trying for
the past three months to poison her hus-
band without success; that Williams
struck Meeting on the head with an axe
while he was sleep Wednesday night, at
terw ard cutting his throat. She assisted
in destroying the evidences of the murder
and i'll burying meeting. She accused her
self of being the cause of the murder, but
begged pitifully for her life. Though the
feeling was very strong against her, and
the crowd voted unani mously for her exc
cution, no man could be found who would
put the rope around woman's neck. and
she was returned to Jail. Williams body
was left hanging until cut down by the au-
thorities this morning.
THREE MEN HUNG.
On Tuesday afternoon, while the trial OF
Dawson and Estep, for the murder of a.
miner at Campbell Creek, was about COM.
mencing at Charleston, Kanawha, an in,
offensive colored shoemaker, named Dool-
ey, had his throat cut by white tailor,
named Hines, and died in twenty minutes
Hines had been too intimate with Dooley's
wife, and Dooley had ordered him from the
premises. This startled the town, for a.
number of miners were already waiting
there to hang Dawson and Estep. The
West Virginia Journal" of Wednesday
morning, says:
After the killing of Dooley by Hines, as.
reported above, it was evident from the in.
tense excitement, especially among the COL
ored people, that something would be done.
with Hines Immediately. The enraged
populace were addressed at various times.
and places by r. HI. F'reer, q. w. Atkin--
son, and other, who begged them to desist
from taking the law in their own hands.
and they finally said they did not intend.
to do any thing; but it was settled that the
Maiden mob would be down and would
most likely take all the murderers out Of
Jail and lynch them in row before m orn-
ing.
ARRIVAL OF THE LYNCHERs.
About half past nine o'clock the steamer
Judge Baker came down, bringing about
$50 armed men, who got ashore at Mrs
Fry's landing, and marked direct course
for the jail. They were orderly and deter
mined, and not meeting with any resistance
every street, they marched directly to the
Jail.
Ever since dark the Jail had been guard
ed by fully so men, members of the NAL
den and Campbell;s Creek mob, who arrest
ed every person who came in the vicinity
of the jail, whom they had any reason to,
suspect of being opposed to their designs.
l. TAKIG THE PRISONERS OUT.
| The crowd entered the gate in front IF
the Court House, went back to the Jail, al I'd
called for Morgan and Perry. Mr.. Per ~
| went out but took no keys. He could do
| nothing with the exasrerated mob. Jai Lor
| Morgan then came out, and the keys h. av-
| ing been forced from him were taken by
| one man, who said he would take the re-
sponsibility upon himself to go in and
bring the prisoners out. He entered and
| the two young men, Rufus Estep and J ohm
Hudson Dawson, were brought out by him,
and in a loud and excited manner he ex-
claimed, II have taken the responsibility,
and now turn the prisoners over to yOu!''
A number of shots were fired in the air,
| from pistols, and the air was filled with
| shouts and yells most terrific, as the prison.
I ers were forced along by the mob, who
took them UP Kanawha street. .
| The fact was now made known that
| Hines, the murderer of DOOlev, had not
\ been taken out of prison, and loud yells
went up Of Bring the Irishman! the Irish
man! bring the lrishman! we want the
Irishman, too" &c. A crowd, made up
mostly of colored men, was formed in the
street, in front of the Court House; num-
bering about twenty or twenty-five able
bodied men, marched back to the Jail and
demanded Thomas Hines, who, after few
minutes delay caused by the Sheriffs, who.
expected re-lnforcements, was turned over
to them, and they started with him up
Kanawha street, in pursuit of the party
who had Dawson and Estep in their pos
session, which had halted in front of Dr.
Cotton residence, apparently waiting for
thh other party to overtake them. Whem
they canre upall three of the prisoners were