River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1878-09-12
A LEcHERoUs FrEND.


He "a Found Hung "a, Maryland The VIC
tim Of Hts lust 4renJed.
baltimore Special (Sept. q to Cincinnati En-
quirer.
Intelligence was received here to-day of
the lynching last night, at Upper Marlhor-
ough. Prince George county, of Michael
Green, colored, for the brutal outrage of an
attractive and estimable young lady, Miss
Alice Sweeny, aged nineteen. The atrocious
crime was perpetrated on Monday last, the
particulars being too revolving for publica
ton, and leaving the victim in critical
condition. Green was arrested on Tuesday,
the day after the preparation of the outrage,
and brought to Marlborough. The citizens
were greatly excited, and it was with diff
Guilty that Sheriff Wilson and his constables
could prevail upon them to desist at the time
from putting into execution the threat of
lynching the criminal. Justice Harris, the
presiding magistrate, at hearing, remand
ed Green to jail for trial. On Friday evening
a band of men was organized, who went to
the jail and attempted to force an entrance,
but were repulsed by Sheriff Wilson and
posse of constables, whom he had present to
use in the event of an emergency.
The excitement apparently abated after
the unsuccessful trial, but about half-past
Z o'clock last night forty men, armed and
masked, again went to tue Jail, and after
breaking open the doors, overpowered the
guard and secured the prisoner. The wild
est excitement then prevailed, and the vigil
lence committee were scarcely able to save
Green from the fury of the crowd of people
who followed them from the jail to the ont
skirts of the town. Green was dragged
along the road something over a mile from
I'll 10 e
Anne road and Hills lane where a large
cherry-tree stands. Here the party came to
a halt, and consultation was held, and
decision arrived at to hang the negro to a
bough of the cherry tree which overhung
the road.
Green was accordingly bound, and the
moose placed about his reck. Being q ma
of powerful build his struggles were fearful
to witness, as he endeavored to force himself
from his executioners, but his efforts were
to no purpose. Finding his great strength |
of little use on the occasion, he resorted to |
supplication, and begged piteously for mer |
cy, but none was accorded him. He con- |
fessed his heinous crime. and, having |
eased his conscience, became compare
lively calm. The rope was then thrown over !
the bough of the tree and Green was placed |
in position beneath it. His courage again |
gave way, and he resumed his struggles, |
cursing his captors and begging
them for his life. Toward the last moments
terror seemed to have seized him, and his
cries could have been heard for miles around. |
At given signal from the leader of the
band, who had holt of the rope, they ran the |
criminal nearly to the bough, about fifteen |
feet from the ground, where, after being sat |
istied that life was extinct, they left him |
hanging, and the committee returned to the |
city.
No effort has been made to arrest the |
lynchers. At o'clock this morning the |
body was still hanging to the cherry-tree, a |
revolving spectacle, with open mouth, and |
the tongue and eyes projecting from the
head. The authorities cut down the body, |
and an inquest was held, the jury returning |
q verdict of "Found hung" The lynching |
was generally approved by citizens in the
in view of the alarming |
frequency of such horrible outrages by |
negroes on helpless females,