The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-06-01
Execution Of Three Negro
Murderers Yesterday.
TRAGEDIES IN CoLoRED LIFE.
The Fence Around the ScaffOld
Torn Down by Mob.
SOLDIERS AND POLICE HELPLESS.
[Bx TELEGRAPH TO THE HERALD. ]

MANSFIELD, Ohio, May 81, 1878.
Edward Webb, the negro who m ordered William ).
Finney, seventy years OF age, Mansfield,
the 9th OF December was executed this morn.
ing. Webb spent his last night earth
more comfortably than tho same space Of time
passed by Sheriff James Ritchie Of Richand county.
The doomed man sept soundly in his cell from nine
O'CLOCK to four Tho officer Of the law could scarcely
rest minute satisfactorily, his mind beng filled
with forebodings. There had been threats uttered ny
the oughs tearing down the enclosure and doing
violence 10 tho prisoner, and he feared that there
might DO mob that would execute tho death sen
tcnce and destroy the county properly and
perhaps injure The county officials no Sherif had
good grounds Tor Apprehension. webb's Grst act on
rising was smoke q cigar. Then he attired himself
In black and pantaloons and white vest that
had been purchased Tor the occasion. Ho laughed
talked wnle eating his breakfast OF cake and tea
Until the hour set for the execution he was occu-
pred bidding his wife and some other women ''good
byn He exhibited no emotion wniie they were pres
en ana gave utterance language after they
had departed Later he requested that q pin
be furnished HIM Tor his shirt as he wanted
TO 60 tmeanng the scadold) looking like
preacher and big as any OF thcm About hal-past
ten clock, tho death having been read, the
Rev. Bray (colorod) and Rev. Frank Russell (white
had conversation with the prisoner. He laughed as
they entered his cell, but soon aterward cried Tow
eleven O'Clock ne began to pray loudly that tho
sound was watsd 10 tho Of people without.
Wh,n the cergymen entered his cell Sheriff Richie
led the way tor those wnom he had PROVIDED with
cards oil admission, through a narrow passage from
tho jail the enclosure This enclosure COM
posed OF hign rough boards. hastily put togetner,
shaded from the sun oy roof Including
sneriifs from q dozen neishhoring counties,
| physicians ana newspaper men. there were
ADO iorty persons within the confined precinct A
GORDON OF Mansfield Blues armed with loaded and
bayonetcd guns extended arouni the jail ana the en-
in nd hare "a sun cIA mo on
OF them were very effective, as u aierward proved.
Many strange people arrived IN town on Thursday even
ing The rising OF the sun this morning signal
coming oil hundreds more, and soon innumerable
vehicles and loaded special trains began 10 oring
people IN by thousands There women anu
little chiidren in the tnrong. all intent reaching
The OF execution. AT nine O'Clock There seemed
treo aad every window within seeing radius
OF the enclosure was occupied with human
forms, while sea OF heads shielded tho ground
! from view far could discern anything
A NOISY CROWD.
First usscmblage ItseIt heard by shouts of
rather humorous character These soon gave way
threats against the military, and were in turn fol.
lowed by osths. aoS.s ana Jeers, rns praying Of
alive silence prevailed, amused some Tor awhile, but
il grew mono.onous A. length TOUR venturesome
open the door q the lnclosure Others climbed
| over the bayoaets OF tho soldiers ON The
| .sLct's SEQ him swing ~ &c. militiaman cooked
his revolver threatened 10 blow out the
the intruders IN the Sherifs domain II was we'll no
aid not fire, for there would been much shedding
| OF blood. And now the crowd became mob OF
utterly uncomfortable character with yolls that
aed ,1o Dand within tue enclosure and should nave
| frozen the heart OF the praying Webb.
| TEARING DOWN THE PENCE.
Tho frenzed thrOng then attacked the high fence OF
| boards Nearly every one inside rushed along the
narrow passage toward tho jail fearful OF losing their
lives from falling timbors An Instant served to
| accomplish what tho moo desired; within that OK
ceedingiy bpcf space OF time The entire enclosure,
with exception Of small part upnolding the scat.
| told, had vanished. NO could discover the tim
| psrs that had been arranged with so much
The confined gallows house that sheriff Richie bad
| built was moro pale laced oific Il made way
through the tlHopg to the scanoa and besourht the
mob 10 leave It untouched Assent was slguiHed by
| loud whoops aud shrieks. Then there quiet Tor
a lew m in consequence OF the sudden crash-
ing TO eartn OF largo barn, the root OF
| which had been swarming with humanity. There
were bloody faces aud many bruises, but nothing
serious. soon after another similarly loaded barn
were numerous broken lImba Inc angry r
OF one OF these wrecked buildings vainiy shook his
nst and CRASHED his teeth standing At the edge OF
| the galiows "Richland county Is good for
| this" said one or the Sherins. The response was,
| ~ Will make these people pay.
| THE sHERIFY rELEoRAPHs.
As soon as Snerin Richie abie after the tear
Ing down OF the fence, ns wrote tho following tee
| gram
MANSFIELD. May 81, 1873.
To GOVERNOR BrsHoP. columsus:
mob OF 5000 people have torn down the enclosure,
dont hAas Webb people will tear down the j,i What
| count OF tho bowling OF tho mob, although II was
answered in a comparatively short period The reply
read
| COLUMBUS May 81.
Execute law by carrying sentence Of tho court on
the criminal without reference to enclosure, v,,
ruE rmRoSa AT THE scAproLD
"Bring on your Anger, /" Fetch him out" ''Givs
him chance to swinr," wore Few oillhe many senti.
sn Gs Many Of the Msnsa.Ia Blues and and
SPECIAL police had reappsarea near the scat.
account ana mono OF them attempted TO handle my
one In the crowd seriously. A. httccn minutes past
win the cscor, OF wcDo the jail he response
IN the form vi loud cries soon the prison door
done by the mob TO iDjure MIN. What the multitude
wanted was 10 see HIM hanged
| WEBB EXECUTED.
Webb stepped the trap without trembling and
there was not aquIvcr Of muscle when the black
cap put on, tue moose adjusted ana his arms and
legs pinioned. Inc sheriff, IN tremDe, asked II he
had anything to say. Webb made no answer simply
rolling his tongue about. The tongue and his ups
we're very white. There were tue usual rclgious
exercises, and at precisely thirty-two minutes past
twelve o'clock WeoU's life was extinct. The rope
six ana onc.hali incucs from the flooring beneath.
rne pulse at the end OF one minute beat twenty 1--we
ana after me apss o. ten pusA Ss nsd ceased en-
not nave occurred easier, The NECK having been
brokon in Two places Immediately at'er tho falling
OF the body The hungry mob again broke loose and
nearly bore away the scanod ny their pressure.
Many persons wero rudeIy Jcs,led against the dang
could be down and paced IN The coffin. Tho mill
tary guarded sne csnia into the JAN
There was groat concourse OF people al the cemc-
terry wnefs the body vas inerrod In the afternoon,
and there doubt that u will BIO brought TO THIS
surface again tonight Efforts were made TO carry
on gaows aud the rope by tor relics, and
would be out OF character Tor part OF the mob
to break up the coffin Tor the same purpose. The
body will PROBABLY DO dssectcd by tho physicians.
80 exciting time at an execution has not occurred
before IN Ohio Tor many years.
MURDER.
The crime Tor which Webb was executed was The
most strocious It's nature OF any muricr commit
icl this section Of OHIO for many years. In tact,
Ia not WebDs isult that he has several horrible
muruers 10 make reparation for and he has only tho
enlightenment OF the people TO thank Tor MS not
being immediately compelled TO journey into eternity
by Judge Lynchs rope. The history OF what ia
known as "Wcb0's butchery," with the concluding
cnapter, IL as ioIlows:-
William s. Finney, aged seventy years, residing
with his wife, ageu nftyegnt; HIS son, the Rev. James
Finney, aged thirty-ninc; tho attets VIE and i've
children aud hired man, two miles southwest Of
This village on Thursday, December o. 1871 received
La 81 hmm LIZ inIla n q