The daily gazette., 1879-07-10
FIFTH EDITION.
SWIFT, TERRIBL Il AND DESERV-
ED. 1855 ~

Nararf
OVER TWO THOUSAND CITIZENS PUNISH
WITH DEATH THE PERPETRATOR OF
A BRUTAL OUTRAGE ON A LADY.
Coal VALLEY, w. Va, July Q, 1879.
A few days ago Clark Lee, negro
man who has figured to some extent in
certain circles Of colored society in Rich
mond and who is probably well known
to Chastine Cox, committed most afro
cious assault upon Mrs. Settle, wife of
the County Treasurer of Fayette county
w. Vas Mrs Settle had the courage to
resist him, and before Les could over
come her he had broken one Of her legs
and her collar bone and pulled out her
tonsils. The streams of the lady drew
her children to the room, and their OUT
cries frightened oK the villsin. The out
rage, Of course, accustomed great excite
ment, and dozens of men, mounted and
armed, set out in pursuit of the fugitive.
Fayette county is OH the Chesapeake and
Ohio Railroad, aud partly in the Kama
wha Valley. The county i wild and
rugged and the mountaineers do not
know the use Of the gallows. One has
not been erected in that section for year.
Whenever such an offence as this is CON-
mitted the people 'turn out" the con-
stab9lary "turn In" a sapling is selected
and lynch law in all OF its merciless
promptness and severity administered.
Lee knowing the popularity of the West
Virginians in this respect, fed for dear
life. By almost superhuman exertions
and after considerable suffering, be got
as far as Parkersburg.
~ JUST IN TIME.
There on Saturday last he was captlr-
ed and the Fayette authorities notified
just in time to save the life of another
negro, believed to be Lee, who was in
the hands Of mob down in the county,
and who would otherwise have been
hanged Monday. In fact great crowd
was already in attendance awaiting the
event. Lee was put under the custody
of an officer and sent from Parkersburg
to Huntington by an Ohio River steam
er. His movements were well known
and upon his arrival at Huntington he
was met by about two hundred men
These formed an escort for him on his
homeward trip. He was put upon the
Chesapeake and Ohio train at Hunting
ton with the ostensible purpose of being
conveyed to Fayette, but it was we'll un
derstood that no judge or jury would bt
required in his case. 1t is probable tha
if he had made no admission he nigh
have been taken to Mrs. Settle for iden
tlfication; but he got frightened out O
his senses and confessed the assault, ant
said that he desisted when the screams
Of Mrs. Settles children became so loud
This was enough. 1t was determined
that he should not live another day.
NO MERCY.
At Coal Valley, which is a coal mini.
centre, Lee wa, escorted from the tran
and met met by thousand or more mi
ners who seemed to know the design O
the escorting party aud who were read,
to cooperate In avenging their outrage
cOuntrywoman. Lee was taken by tn
mob, if SO orderly and methodical par
ty of West Virginia gentlemen cal
properly be so designated, some distanct
from the station and hanged. It is sal
on one hand that his prayers for mere,
were piteous indeed, and that he b,
sought the lynchers to do anythin
they might with him, 30 they left hil
: life. On the other hand it is represei
edthat after commencing his soul t
the Almighty he bore himself with IL
utmost Indifference. The exact trul
will probably never known to the gre
public, for the people here, while amol
+ themselves are free in their talk and jrl
/. ti6ca:ion of the affair,jare somewhat r.
ticent in the presence of newspaper me
but the long and short of the matter
the offence was most barbarous ON
the punishment was swif., terrible an
deserved, and while there are some wi
lament the necessity for the people tai
ing the law into their own hands, a
agree that ifever mob violence was pa
: donable at all it was so in this ipstanc
Lees father and mother are said to r,
side in Ricamond near the JEFF Dav
mansion.