The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-05-02
LYNCH LAW IN NEW YORK.
THE ATTEMPT TO H1NG A FARM HAND
IN LYDIG'S WOODS.
The Scene OF n Murder for which Three Ne
Eroes were HHnHed-No One Making an II
fore to Punish the Farm Hands AssniInnts.

The scene OF Murder for which Three Ne
Eroes were IGnnged-No One Making If
fore to Punish the Farm Hands AssniInnts.
John Smith, prisoner in the City Prison,
says. and others corroborate his story. that he
narrowly escaped lynching on Sunday morning
last. He was employed as a mixer by Mr.. Pat
rick Green, who keeps n dairy farm in the town
OF West Farms. Mr. Green rents the farm from
Mr.. David Lydig who is the brother-in-law Of
Judge Charles Z. DAILY and Judge Brady. The
attempt to hang him has been tho talk Of Fre-
mont and West Farms for the past five days.
Smiths version Of the ynching is follows
" was ut work last Sunday morning clean
ing out tho stables for Mr.. Green. l finished at
about IL O'Clock. and started for n walk through
the woods on the place to look after the cows.
] was smoking pipe went in the direction
OF the Southern Boulevard. and had got about
through tho woods to an open field beyond
there l saw three little girls ahead Of me.
When they caught sight of me they were
frightened. and began to run. shouting for
help. | continued my walk. and few minutes
afterward. rs | got near the edge Of the wood.
number Of young men rushed up to me. There
were about fifteen in the party. One OF them
seized me- and said: " You are my prisoner;
you have got to go with me; Ion as;
ssqp9ted q little girh' i sald. No. /
away and some Of them shouted Hang
himl hang him. They began to drag me into
tho field toward the road. and pitched on to me
with clubs and stones They hit me all over the
body While they were striking mo they kept
IN the cry. Hang himl" Ono of them hit mo
here lpointing To- small mark on his forehead
with n stone, and Knocked me to the ground in
sensible. When came to found them stand
ing over me. One, of them was kicking me m
around my mock. and thought that they were
going to hang me. The rope choked me, AMI
comes the polcel The rope was then Slipped
the. police station. and then TO court,
and aiterw9rd sent bore | got bad
ono Of the men who beat me was called Nc
Carthy. lie was helped by u man uf about my
sile., He was thin and wore soft black hat.
The name Of the little. girl who Smith is &C.
cused Of assaultingi Is Maggie Diamond. she
ton OF the southern Boulevard aud 1.-The Kings
bridg" road. near, West Farms. The place Is
called Belmont. Michael Mccarthy the son %
Mrs Mccarthy. keeps tavern there called the
Belmont House. Maggie Is 2 pupil in the pubic
school in West Farms. and is 10 years Of age.
VIII Rosie G and Lizzic MccSSr'Ry. ' 3 Tgnd
neighbor. After they had been gone few min
utes Mrs. Mccarthy happened TO 80 10 front
IN field a few hundred foot from the house.
They were crying ont. Mrs. Mccarthy. Maggie
is getting killed" Mrs. Mccarthy immediately
gave the alarm to her son Michael. and be and
three friends at once started on run for the
field.
Mrs Mccarthy saws that Smith fought hard 20
escape. and that he was roughly handled by his
cautors. One Of them ran TO her house 20 gct %
rope with which to hang the prisoner, aud she
gave him a stout clothes line.
The attempt AZ lynching was made just rs the
chur 'hgQrrs were coming out II tho churches
IN West Farms. Two young men. Myers and
Messon by name, who were eyewitnrsses of
the attempt. thought that the intention was %
hang Smith. Miesson saw the rope around his
neck and ran 10 the Boulevard for q police
officer He found Oficer Barclay who res 'ued
Smith and handed him over 20 the on 'cr in
charge in the fremont station. The pr -nner
was taken before Judge Wheeler in the Ford
ham Police Court ON Monday morning. Maggie
appeared and made an affidavit emhodyinE the
particulars Of the attack upon her. Smith WAS
committed To- the CITY Prison. Nothing was
said in court about the attempt ut lynculns.
Lydig's Woods. the scene Of tho attempt at
lynching. is where PACK peddler was muir
dered a few years ago by three negroes. who
were aftorward hanged IN the City Prison yard.