Wilmington journal., 1876-02-04

| paSG buI00 years, UScu
mate with Mrs. Milner, and on Sunday
quarrel occurred between the husband
went into the yard, and since that
time Miner has been missing.
TIE CHILD's story.
After Mrs. Miner and Williams had
| been locked up i'll the county Jail, and
| which is connected with the court
house at Barboursville, little son of
| Mrs Miner stated to the law officer
| that he witnessed the killing of his
| father, and gave the following facts:
After his father aud mother had re-
paired to the yard the quarrel was re-
newed, and while thus engaged. Will
liams armed with an axe, stole up be-
hind. and striking the doomed man
two blows upon the head with the
axe, felled him to the ground. Wll>
liams then cooily cut the throat of his
victim, after which the wife seizing
hold of the legs aud Williams the
arms of the slain man, bore the body
to the barn and concealed it i'll a dung
heap. The murderers then returned
to the house. and after washing the
blood from their hands and clothing,
stated to the little boy that if he even
whispered what he had witnessed they
would kill and bury him beside his
father. Thus threatened the child re-
mained silent upon the snbiect until
the murderers had been lodged
he unbo-omei himself When 1t
made public the above facts. search
IL E. l., g i
it WAS found rs described by the child.
crushed, and bis neck cut almost III
twain. The finding Of the body caused
Intense excitement among the people
for miles around, and before dusk
Saturday, a meeting WAS publicly held
at Barb 'ursville, at which 1t was re-
solved that Williams should be hanged
Immediately. Every particular rela
tive to the hanging of the murderer
wa, discussed without gutse or con-
cealment from the officers of the law,
and when the meeting adjourned, it
was understood that Williams should |
be hanged that night. A minister of
the Gospel Was dispatched to the jail
for the purpose of praying with the
prisoner, but the latter treated the
subject in q fippant manner, avoW-
ing that he knew nothing about the |
of Miner.
THE LYNCHING.
A few moments thereafter fully one |
hundred unmasked men mar ched into |
The court house yard, surrounded the
j all and organized committees to carry |
into effect the hanging of William-.
A vote as to the place was taken, and |
~, ba
wild "aye" was the response. This |
shout was heard by the miserable man,
aud, when informed of it's pnrport,
confes, ,ed to having killed Millner, / ut
declared that Mrs. NJ lner was not
accessory to the crime Mrs. Miner,
however. by repeated admissions, con-
vii ced the Iynchers that she was q
party to the murder, but they resolved
TO leave her Ill the hnnds of the law. |
In less than ten minutes after Williams
b ad made his confession the jaiIor was
to produce his prisoner, and
amid IA awful slence, broken only 10y
the falling rain, Williams em"rg. d
from the Jail, followed by Mrs. Miner, |
whom the lynchers determined should
witness the execution. Within thirty
feet of the Jail stood the gibbet tree,
aud d ngling from stout limb was
The rope and restless moose. At
signal, fully fifty pairs of arms tug
ged at the slack end of the rope,
and tho next instant Williams was
dangling in space. A guard was plac"d
over the body, and seven hours elapsed
before the co pAe was taken down aud
aid upou the ground, to await snch
action as friends or officers of she lew
might take in the premises. The body,
however, during the morning was taken
n charge by the Sheriff. Mrs. Miner,
after beiug compelled to witness the
execution of her accompiice, was
to Jail, but the Exc tement
,o- day is at such heat that it is not at
Ill improbable that she too will be
taken from the jail and hanged by the
ynchers. To prevent this double dis
grace a strong body of order-loviug
Of Barbour>viile have declared
sAat the law in the case of the wife
sh all be respected, and if the lynchers
attempt a second execution bloody
work will follow.
After tue mob had collected in the
court house yerd the States Attorney
attempted to dissuade them from Their
unlawful intentions, but his words
we're met with derision. Parties who
took an active part in the lynching of
Williams openly boast of their partlcl-
patton in the matter. and defy the au-
thorities to attempt their arrest.