The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-09-07
MASKED LYNCIIERS AT WORK
rom DEAD BODTEs FOUND DANGLING
IROM IHE BRIDGE Ar DAWN.
Hewcnstie's Midnight visitors-The Jniier md
sheriff Illuminated Getting Out the Pris-
oners-Ihe End Of the simmons Gang.


) ia simmons gang Of outlaws were committed
.,out bail to await the action Of the court in
d nuary next. There had been, after the arrest
I the men and duri = the early part OF tho
| ial. disposition on the part OF the people 10
! AXE sure work in the disposition Of the men
VINO had disgraccd their State and county. and
rendered life 80 uncertain; but the action OF
the examining Court in holding the criminals
over without bail somewhat allaycd public son
tim,nt. unl it was thus thought that the good
citllrn= would await the action OF the law.
This belief. however proved Incorrect.
The Jail il oi massive limestone block from
the native quurrics. roughly dressed. but with
their seams ot cement almost inyulncrable to
The most persistent attacks of either prisoner or
wuud-he lynohcr. II was built some two years
ago The jail proper is n squire box about
twenty feet wide. twenty feet long. and twenty
feet high. OF the heavi,s OF heavy limestone on
all sides. above and below. for the roof and floor
nrc also OF the hcuvicst slabs. lns,b' is lloor
dividing the room in first and second story.
The first or lower having been occupied by old
each Of the two stories H. a larg" iron cage.
about fifteen ir't square. ana REACHING from
two inches m H. meter. and firmly supported
bv crp~--hnre of heavy wrought iron. Inside
OF This nrr 20" li- OF thc ordinary strength Of har
IN no. iltt,d a. ~ .th comfortable bed. stool, and
other necessary furniture. In the coils NJ ia"
lower floor the whole gang were confined. InNy
wcr' ,irr nv alongside 81 each other. ANA WIN
noihin. bat the bars between. $50 that conmu-
n,'ai9u riw'on th' sonsrS was ns easy ~
upon the highway or In the businesses Of thoir
native kentucky hills. liorg they were free 70
dry- u.Gu. ior os'1p". InS mt probably
hal much :, do m urging the citizens
T. the step which They last night took.
The nov Court llous' WIS bong erected
"yr i9S a o I9r "rhr.N f GnrIsrs WIZ ,5
criminals sit'd them frequently. and like the
pri-"n" r. them -.iV~ were : lloord IN all IN"
I.N. fH4H.H B. AKA. Hoo
bars. AMI other INSTRUMENTS wus comparatively
easy. Hui in ihn bln'N - lln"~~ of night in
Mairhmcn ar, hlik" unhh"wh, u cut away even
tn two sri~ ~ ur1tN bars. AMI WITH few heavy
blows OF "a hummer to- break IN" stone grating
tI"in ~" outside windows. ana thus REGAIN llc
and liberty, Wuull have been toa lot Of con-
,l"mn"'l andd -pcrat" men comparatively easy,
III su't, of tho fact that IN" li,nry county la!
VIZ " the h.st in the stat" 81 kvnturky, sir"
What wonder Then, that the excited and
outraged cii2rns, who have seen their muir
dcr'd friends brought home from the Kentucky
river hills. or hav" -ncn their bones dug from
sink ho'~ or caves alter long years ui -uSpcnsc
when they saw tn small probability Of these
VIZ tch"s who had committed - many and
varied Grim Us ry"r coming before III" courts.
Jim Simmn ma. Sr.. WIZ about 81 years of ugn,
and the ackn owlclgcd head Il the gang. In
hnu~r The Kings Castle" lie was large W.
built with broad shoulders. and n mu~'u lnr
frun". Bob Goodrich could probably hoaSt the
most Nlllhinuus count nance ui any oi tne shiiS
He Wa a small nan; Of not more than l55
INNn4- Mff-AA doc Atfhllilfn wis somewhat
larger ina frame than his brother Bob. lis
weight Was probably 100 pounds. h"isht i've
f,ct nine. Iiit rather slight. and shoulders
STOPPING; lie wac about go Year, of g-". Bob
was perhaps nN, years younger. They Were
married TO- daughters ut cd Jim simmons.
sam H"9lli d.. tn youngest. hall brother
of the other two. WAS mn n their superior IN
npiearanrt lie M. light in ,,nturr. "nd only
not over on hundred and thirty
The mob seems 10 ha,e b,"n composed in the
nam II lcopic lI,om tn adI9iniprg counties Of
4f Il al
probably also nunihgr II parties from
MeG-gn; l9d TTg s E@ ir op sms %! d TIER
wi" probably shy NOR" of a." mob than any
one else, Say- That th" mon seem tp have br.n
lnr' un4 F"ir "i n.hiN rN, ~ man, IA IN"
county is opinion l. goo authority. Thcrr j.
Little doubt that there were present a number OF
mrn IRON IA" gast'rn Part oi ihrrolniy where
most pi the crimes were committed, hut they
and through the all Of their Disguise escape
det" ton. Ihy hanging wis don" NJ a few m IL
1t before o'tlorN this aorn ne. Tn first n-
dieatio y tnr rresenrt of u mob Wa seen at
about o'clo-k. when about twenty men ola foot
and with douac-harrrled snotsun- in their
hands We're observed moving quietly along the
main street of ia" town from the west toward
tn house occupied 10y III" lailer.
Arriving q r. door. thcy raped loudly
house; VI. calling from his ted, asked who
VA there r'.riwnS the r.uly, friend.
which be opened 10 find himself ia presence oi
body Of m0-kcl men. two or thr 90 OF whom,
Of tn" Jail lir ri lied that he hadn them. ~
Ia Wis not tn Iailer. They then ordered him
Ia call the yallcr id quick. which order he
complied Win. two men being sent with him
as a guard. tie Immediately aroused jail
er Jones who dressed and started down stairs.
Or the stairs he WAS met 10y two masked men,
WHO, Win pistols NJ MS head. informed MN
mat thcy were alter OLD Jim Summons and the
Goodrirh boys. ana that they wcr" gong To-
nav" iArni, or,'"finE nm 20 70 with them and
unlo h the lal. llu protested. saying that the
law would certainly do Justice. 10 which the re-
ply was, We mean business. and want no
ID foong on your part. UnOck the Jail.
pr youI be- killed. Taking possession of
him. they forced him To- march 10 the Jail.
leaving Il guard over the PARTIES who were
in IN" house. Ey This time the crowd had
incgcascd To- about forty men. ON the way To-
the Hil which was bio k away. they wcre met
py sh"lin Hirk'lis amt his deputies, who had
lsrn hwahrn'd AMI mi lrmed Of the pr sen',' oi
u" m"h. lie prot. -,od against violence. an in
tn nam" 81 the Commonwealth ordered the
mWhN i.-l rs,. The r'piy WIS. ms To ia" lni.. +.
W. rr'n in- n"ss. and are gong 20 hank Jim
simmons aud TIA" G"Ddrclcs. CT into your
n,W- unl h''r eilll, "ndy u lIhot !" harmed
H'' however rnliiu,d hl- pr0rstaii"n- uAill
n mop 20 KIM li'ii -h'l gum, IN "fin"ti MN
nav .tty want y .hp more al nonsense ana
thHi u ne NhN'l u me- %" ii"dh better ~" lnSlH,
ahd NOT trouble ih'm luril"r. A. THIS We and
d