The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1878-04-02
lynching cf John Wallace.
The Jail Broken and the Con-
demned Man Hanged.
Horrible Brutality of a Nj oh.
Dragged Nearly a Mile Over the
Ground.

AoErADAc BRUTALITY OF u MOD
ffoas Il 3Es 3-------- tb q E9HEYt4g 9tl
Dragged Nearly a Mile Over the
Ground.
Hanging, DreadtuHy Mangled, by
the Roadside.
als $ dIH ID q II --liT3- l97g Il s. ysnI
WHEELING, W Va, March "a This
morning a party of fifteen resolote men
met.in . bailding on the outskirts of The
town and laid their plans carefully to
take the prisoner John Wallace from the
house wherein was confined and hang
him. They we're all armed with revol-
vers aud were determined to fight the
guards if necessary, They marched ST.
lcntly through the streets to the house
in question, where they were joined by
ten more men, ALSO armed They ap.
preached the first guard and demanded
admission; he refused and they drew
their pistols and fired several shots in
the air and the men ran off Entering
the front door noisily they began knock.
ing off the lamp chimneys with their
pistol barrels, and as the wind was blow
ing strong the lamps were soon extin-
guished and the place was in utter dark.
ness. nThen the mob begsn firing into
the ceiling and shooting as if theylwere
80 many devils They fred about in
such a reckless manner that several OF
their party were slightly wounded sf
Na "a rlr -
IN THE CONDEMNED CELL '''''
When Wallace heard the uproar he
began sobbing ana praying, and as the
door of his room opened and the first
of the lynchers made his appearance nhe
sprang behind one of the guards and
screamed: y I'S $40 s,+s7 'i'
4"My God! Don't kill me! Save me ~
The mob laughed AT his fears, and af
ter knocking the guard down and tramp
ling on him, they threw Wallace on bis
back and began to tie his arms. Again
be screamed in agony as great drops ot
perspiration rolled down his face t9fia
g"Dnn'tmurde me! Don't kill me
For God s'sake, give me time to pray
want to see minister"
One Of the men yelled, "You murder
er, Miss Church wants to see you, and
by God, she shall" w = i, 81
After placing the rope firmly abou
his neck they dragged him down stair!
head foremost and out OF the house OF
to the railroad track, where he uttered
the most horrible cries, cursing. praying
and beggingithe to let him go.
1a6 l6 HORRIBLE BARBARIrY., b. s;aa'
They paid no attention to him, bu
began running with him as if he were {
log or barrel They took places -ea,
behind the other, and presently begal
toirun Wallace did not stop calm.
until he had been dragged nearly quar-
ter OF mile. He vainly tried to regal
his feet and stand up, but whenever b
did so the mob would pull the rope sud
denly ani jerk him on his back. Afte
going nearly mile below Littleton, the
stopped and hung him to tree 1t i
supposed, of course, that Wallace wa
dead by this time.
! FOUND HANGING
| Atsix o'clock he was found danglin
from a limb Of an apple tree alongsid
of the railroad, his feet about three fee
from the ground. When the early pas
senger train on the Baltimore and Obi
Railroad passed the place there was gres
commotion among those on board, an
i the train Stacked speed in order to Civ
4 the people a chance to look at the lynch
ers' work When the body was exam
j ined the neck and spine were horribl
mangled and bruised @@i'''''f -
s. f'9 The coRoNER's VERDICT. s'''''
A coroner's jury was at once sum
mohed, audIthey returned q verdict t
the effect that he came9to his death b
4 banging at the hands OF unknown PEI
.Isons.
wALLAcE's LETTER TO HIS WIFE.
n The following letter was found in h
!, pocket written to bis wife !: aosiea 81
Mrs MARY WALLACE: sbacA si7o,
FROM A HUSBAND TO HIS WIFE
I / will probably never see you agail
am q prisoner and expect,to be hun
for the murder Of those. who | confesse
!, to have killed, Dear Mary, l cannot tie
; the reason I did it, only through the h'
tired that had against George for I'll
way he talked about you when we wei
staying at his house; and what they sal
/, about you after we went back to yor
! fathers, That is what Mary Thom.
said that they said about you. / a
sorry to. say that ! was persuaded
Henry Yillars, more or less, and wi
drinking some. / was committed to ia
for further examination. Dear wife,
. would like TO- see you, but cannot, 81
you unless you get well and come to al
me Darling, if you can come and st
ME, come Write me line or two, ar
), send to me right away. II live to g
] TO jail ! will write to you and tell .yt
. all ! hope to say, Write soon. Fro
your husband, q JOHN WALLACE.
! P 81 will trtist in God to save n
!, soul. Goodby, dear wife /, goodby, Yo
! once loved husband, and / hope, as yt
will never forget me. let God be yo
CON fort God forbid that any shall
$ as have done, - az. !,
The corpse is now awaiting burial
Hundreds of people have looked at
and not one expressed any regret. VIII
some women approached it they seem
IS to act as though it was dead snake
Iel wild animal and were afraid it wou
,tl come to life, ,ap 49,. I-5.,,a. 80.
n TALK OF LYNcHING vILLkRs.
r The dead Wallace accused Henry v
y lars Of suggesting The murder when
If was on his. trial and he repeated I
,e same thing just before he was TAX
4 from his room by the mob. As Villa
in had had d quarrel with George Waila
r the story is beginning TO be believed al
% there is strong talk Of lynching Villal
ut Nothing has as yet been done towa
le arresting those who hung Wallace, b
IN some action will soon be taken by I
? father and by the officers Of the Sta
4 IGg Ks sI.s saqit. LATER ,n.,4i, boe,f
! The body of John Wallace has il
Ks arrived on its way to West Alexand
ut Pa, Wallace's father telegraphed for
ce this afternoon, The poor old man, W
,e is greatly beloved by, his neighbors,
a l olmoot ;poana NTH rriof