The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1877-03-01
a Terrible Death by Fire.

Last Saturday morning our usually
quiet town was shocked by the inteIi-
geuee that tkat well-known, inofens:ys
citizen, John r. Bynum, had been
burned to death in the cslsboose. We
visited the scene of the sad calamity and
nothing remained to tell the story but
the smouldering ruins of the building
and the eharred bones of the ill-fated
victim. Il sppears that on Friday By
mum had been using whisky stimulants
very freely aad by nightfan was SO in
toxicated that Town Sergeant w ebb car
ried him home. Soon he appeared a gain
on the streets and seemed inclined to
provoke quarrel with one of our eiti-
zens. Seeing that it would be useless
to carry him again to his home and that
it would not do 20 permit him to wander
about in that condition, Webb carried
him to the calaboose and locked him up.
This was near nine O'Clock. About mid.
night Webb went homo, about four
squares distant, carry ing the key TO the
ealaboose.
About two o'clock Saturday n orning
the family of amberlain Anderson,
who lived near the prison, heard cries
for help, and at once sqnire Anderson
repaired thither. He, Tom Coates, Alf
Coleman and others were soon upon the
spot. Bynum ever and anon amidst the
smoke and flames within piteously cried
aloud to be saved. One of the party
hurried to find Webb, who had the key.
Having recently moved his residence to
another part of the town, he could not
be found. The men at the calaboose,
with axes in hand worked to cut and
batter down the fence end door. So
strong and secure was the building,
some time elapsed before entrance was
effected, and when the door was burs.
open the confined flames had done their
cruel work. Bynum lay wrapped in FIRE
and al efforts to rescue his body were
futile. At early morn his bones were
collected in box. No event ia the his
tory of Bolivar has ever occurred equal
to this in heart-rending details This an
fortunate nan leaves a mother, wife and
four children to mourn his untImely
death. The community at large have
extended to this family very substan
sial sympathy. In rejecting upon this
sad affair we must say that while Ser
geant Webb discharged his duty in i'm
prisonIng Bynnm, yet he should have
searched him at tt e prison door, tax
ing from him knife. matches and every.
thing of a harmful chara cter that he
had. Moreover, as in other towns, this
officer either should have rem aimed up
and about the prison or visited 1t each
hour to see that all was well. We give
below the verdict of the Jury Of In
quest:
On Saturday morning last, oath inst,
as soon as the fire from the calaboose
had died out sufficiently to permit any.
thing being done, the few charred re
mains that were visible of John r
bynum were taken out of the ashes, put
IN a box and carried short distance t.
an Office lately occupied By himself
where jury of the following names, to
wit, Hugh Harkins, D. J. Newbern
James Pybass, II. D. McNeely, Leonidal
Bills, Alvin Warren AMI A ]. Swine
broad, assembled and after being sworr
proceeded to examine the following wit
nesses: Bowling Macon, J. R. Webb, C
H. Anderson, w. T. Coates, A. S. Cole
mas, John Kinney, and Tony Smith
The jury then returned the following
verdict: