Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1878-06-13
THE MITCHELL OUTRAGE.
The Horrible Details rs Related by the
Victim or the Observation-Disclosures
OF the People. and How Lynch
ing was Averted.
Occasional Correspondence of the Appeal. !

Occasional Correspondence OF the Appeal
NASHVILLE, June 10.-The outrage upon
Mrs. John Groves, near Mitchell, Robert
son county, as the testimony elected before
court OF magistrates shows, was of the most
heartless and brutal character. 1t is hardly
to be wondered at, therefore, that the perpe
traitors of the diabolical deed should have had
themselves closely guarded at all hours to
prevent the execution of summary Justice.
When Mrs. Groves told her straightforward
but horrible story, the indignation of the FIVE
hundred spectators In attendance rose to
boundless nights. The prisoners seemed to
feel the throbbing of this pulse and trembled
| at its beating. Mrs. Groves had gone to the
spring to fetch water. There awaiting her
coming, with brutal lusts. were the
miscreants, Pearson and Sadler. She
was accosted as soon as she reached
not want to ''go bird hunting" No." said
| she, looking up at them with great astonish
ment. "What business have | to go bird
| hunting?" 1T matters not, D." said Sadler, in
a rufhanly tone; you must 60" With this
he seized her with Tightening grasp by the
arm, and pointing his gun at her head, told
| her if she made noise he would kill her.
| Pearson followed on behind with his gun
| aimed at the trembling woman. She was
| taken a mile into dense wood, where but
few persons entered, and there outraged. Her
| testimony was so positive In its character and
i 50 SUIOuRly UQdl Tue dSscI1OldSc
| had but one belief-that the prisoners were
| guilty. A general murmur of Indignation
| ran through the throng when the Justices
| said, after two minutes consultation, that
they had concluded to send the prisoners to
| Jail In default of bond of two thousand dol
lars. The feeling against them so steadily
| augmented that twenty-five men, armed with
double barreled shot-guns, were necessary to
| escort them with safety to the Mitchell
| depot. 1t was understood that they were to
be taken ria Edge6eld junction to Spring
| field, but, instead, they were brought to
| Nashville for safe keeping. The officers state
| that in order to secure the prisoners from the
mob, Thursday and Friday night, they
were forced to take them out distances
| of five and seven miles, torbidding any
one to follow. They rambled about from
place to place during Friday, that they should
not be traced, discovered or surprised, and
the prisoners wrested from them. Parties of
| fifty and seventy-five men stationed them
| selves on the road to Springfield Thursday
| night, and there awaited, but in vain, the
coming of the officers, it having been given
| out that they were to be taken to the SPRING
| field jail when arrested. Pearson and Sadler
| were asleep In the house of the latter father,
| ten miles north of Russellville, Kentucky.
| 1t was at the dawn of day. Sadler reached
out for his gun standing by his bedside, but
| it was too late for him TO defend himself. 1t
| is stated that while on the return to Mitch
| ell, Sader continued to make the most
| obnoxious and obscene remarks about both
white and colored women whom they CHANGED
to meet on the highway. 1t is also stated
| that while on their way to Sadler's fathers
| house, before their arrest, they attempted to
| outrage a colored woman; that they stole a
horse and mule, and divers little articles
| from various persons; that they attempted to
| purchase a ticket to Galveston, Texas, ria
| Memphis, but Tiled for want of money; that
| Sadler had been indicted at Russellville, Ken
lucky, for robbing a negro, and that Pearson
had been indicted for having robbed store
at Mitchell.