Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1876-06-06
A WOuld.be RaVisher and Murderer
Arrested IN this City.
Is Taken Back 10 Mississippi and
swings I'm a Negro Chureh.Yard.

miles southeast of Memphis. The elder
Vaughn and son were absent on a trip
to Memphis, leaving Mrs. Vaughn and
daughter alone on the premises. The
negro Anderson, living on a farm near
By, knowing the state of affairs went TO
the house and assaulted one OF the ladies'.
They retreated within and barred the
doors. he was about to break 10 when
q young man happened to come in
sight, when the black fend took to the
woods.
A warrant was taken out for his arrest,
but he could not be found. His father
continued to work on the Vaughn place,
being hired temporarily. Last Monday
week Constable Mason and posse came
to his place in search Of Sam Anderson
without finding any trace. After they
left there young Vaughn noticed that the
old negro in the field was in communica-
tios with some one in an adjacent thickei.
Slipping around in the rear, he suddenly
found himself face to face with Sam An
derson, who exclaimed, with a fierce
oath; Now have you and | am going
to kill you" Vaughn was unarmed and
tried to escape, but was caught by the
two negroes and, while the elder one
held him, the younger one cut his throat
with a pocket.knife in a horrible manner
and then left him for dead.
Vaughn dragged himself out to the
road where he was found by q neighbor
bleeding to death. They removed him
to the house, aud, contrary to all expec.
t%stions, there are yet chances Of his re-
covery, though he lies in a very precs.
rious condition,
Sam Anderson's wife had to come 10
Memphis four weeks previous to attend
to a little domestic duty at her fathers.
he reached here last Saturday about II
o'clock. On his way met an old darby in
the road, zeal Olive Branch, and de-
manded bis money; old darby had none
Then he called for tobacco, with like re
suit, and wound up by saying he had
just cut a white mans throat, giving the
innocent old man an awful thrashing fol
his poverty. Anderson was arrested a
one o'clock Sunday morning by Office
Pryde and Mr., W. B Roberts, at th,
house ofAnderson's father.in.law, Henri,
Davis, who lives on the bayou between
Bull Run and Alabama streets. At hi
own request he was taken back to Mis-
sissippi.
Roberts and Mr.. Stewart, Of DeSotl
county, started back with the p%risone
Sunday morning by private conveyance
reaching Pleasant Hill at 6 o'clock in tn,
evening. There they met Deputy Sheriff
Bridgeforth and others. After resting
they proceeded six miles further to thu
house of Constable Mason, who had tht
warrant. There Roberts and Stewar
turned him over, and they all went tt
bed ia the same room.
At three o'clock yesterday morning
Roberts was suddenly awakened by hear
ing Sam Anderson say, "0h, Lord" H,
reached for his pistol, but in a momen
found himself covered by a double-bar
relied shotgun, aud discovered that tn
room was full Of armed men. Anderson
was relieved Of his irons aud quiet.
taken away. When daylight came a ne
gro preacher in the neighborhood foun,
his lifeless body swinging 10 limb in
negro churchyard, four hundred yard
from the constable's house.
The wretch who thus expiated BIZ
crimes had a bad character. He was
black, burly, insOlent rascal, the terro
Of the neighborhood. He leaves a wifi
aud one child. The negroes in the neigh
borhoed had so little respect for him tina
they refused to bury him. An inques
was held, with DR.. Hob Gray, Of Pleas
ant Hill, as foreman Of the jury. A vel
dict was rendered to the effect that b
came to his death at the hands Of un
known persons, The old negro Ander
SOD, who held Vaughn while his son di.
the cutting, was arrested the next da.
aud taken to fernando, twelve miles dii
tsnt, where he is in Jail, He made
narrow escape, it is said, from the hand
Of the lynchers, as he was an acoomplic
to both the attempted crimes.
II is useless to morslize or theoriz
about mob law, however much it is to b
deplored. There are occasions like thi
when whole communities rise up as on
man to execute summary justice. Thel
is a law in every mans heart whiC
leaps over judicial processes and the d
lays of the law when the chastity Of pul
womanhood has thus been assailed by lus
full brutes, A less heinous crime has bee
punishable by instant death at the hand
of a husband, brother or father in a
days and countries, aud so it will be a
long as time lasts and men are worth
Of the name, This wretch swiftly me
his just fate at the hands Of an outrage
community, and every man who e'
presses his honest sentiments will sa
/. amen.
Central HOtel.-Board reduce
E to IS per week; rooms and board, Sc, I
u - no -. ~ az