Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1878-03-30
AN AWFUL DEATH.

"A correspondent w. NJ
Gazette telegraphing from wheeling
Sunday, gives the following shocking
ror,;cnlsrs of the death of John Wallace,
Tho murdered Mrs. George Wallace and |
..h;ld and Miss Church, near Littleton,
West Virginia:
This morning party Of fifteen reso-
,o,e men met in building on the out
slirts of the town and laid their plans
carefully to take the prisoner, John
Wsllace, from the house where he was
confined and hung him. They were all
armed with revolven and were deter
mined to fight the guards if necessary.
They marched silently through the
streets to the house in question. where
they were met by ten more men also
armed. They approached the first
guard and demanded admittance. He
refused and they drew their pistols and
fired several shots in the air, and the
man ran of. Entering the front door
noisily they began knocking off the
lamp chimneys with their pistol barrels,
and as the wind was blowing strong the
lamps were soon extinguished and the
place was in utter darkness. The mob
then began firing in the ceiling and
shouting as if they were SO many devils.
They fired about in such reckless man
ner tlat several Of their party were
slightly wounded. When Wallace heard
the uproar ne began sobbing and pray,
ing, and as the door of his room opened
aud the first of the lynchers made his
appearance he sprang behind one OF
the guards and screamed, "My God,
don't kill me; save me, save mel! The
mob laughed at his cries, and after
knocking the guard down and tranpling
on him, they threw Wallace on his
back and began to tie his arms. Again
he screamed in agony, as great drops OF
perspiration rolled down his face:
don't murder, don't kill me! For God
sake give me time 10 pray. l wan, 70
see a minister" One of the men Yelled
"You murderer. Miss Church wants to
see you aud by-she SHALL! After
placing the rope firmly about his neck
they dragged him down stairs headtore-
most, and out of the house on to the
railroad track, where he uttered the
most horrible cries, cursing, praying aud
begging them to let him go. They
paid no attention to him, but began
running with him as if he were log or
barrel They took places one behind
the other aud presently began to run.
Wallace did not stop calling until he
had been dragged nearly quarter OF
mile. He vainly tried to regain his feet
aud stand up, but whenever ne did so
the mob would pull the rope suddenly
ard Jerk him off his hack. After going
nearly mile below Litueton they stop
ped and hung the body to tree. 1t Is
supposed, Of course, that Wallace was
dead b. this time. At six o'clock he
was found dangling from limb of an
apple tree, alongside of the railroad, his
feet about three feet from the ground.
When the early passenger trains on the
Baltimore and Ohio passed the place
there was great commotion among those
on board, and the trains slackeneG their
speed in order to give the people a
chance to look at the lynchers' work.
When the body vas examined, the spine
aud neck were found TO be broken, aud
the body horribly mangled and bruised
A ceroner's jury was at once summoned
and they returned verdict TO the effect
tina, he came to his death by hanging
at the hands OF unknown persons
The following letter was found III his
pocket, written TO his wife,
Mrs Mary Wallace, from husband
10 a wife. / will probably never see you
again. / am prisoner and expect 10
be hung for the murder of those who L
confessed to have killed. Dear Mary.
! can't tell the reason did it, only
through the hatred had against George
tor the way he talked about you when
we were staying at bis house, and what
tney said about you after We went back
10 your fathers. am sorry to say
that WAS persuaded by Henry Fillars,
more or less, and was drinking some. l
was committed to Jail for further ex-
animation. Dear wife, / would like to
see you. but cannot see you unless you
get well and come TO see me. Darling,
II you can come and see me, come.
Write me line or two and send to me
right away. i'll live to get TO jail l
will write to you and tell you all have
20 say. Write soon. From your hus-
band" JOHN WALLACE.
up. ST will trust in God to save
my soul Good bye, dear wife, good
bye. You once loved your husband, and
1 hope will never forget me. Let God
be your comforter. God forbid that
any shall do as | have done"
The corpse is now awaiting burial at
Barton. Hundreds of people have look
ed at il, and not one expressed any re-
gret. When some women approached
il .hey seemed to act as if il were dead
snake or wild animal and were afraid it
would come to life. The dead Wallace
accused Henry Villars OF suggesting the
murder when he was on his trial, and
he reiterated the same thing just before
he was taken from his room by the
mob. He (Villars) had quarrel with
Geo. Wallace. The story is beginning
to be believed, aud there is a strong
talk of lynching Villars. Nothing has
as yet been done toward arrestiug those
who hanged Wallace, but some action
will soon be taken by his father and by
the officers of the State.
Midnieht-1'he body of John Wal
lace has inst arrived on it's way to West