The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1880-12-18

Charleston, IS. O., Dec: filth,
News and Courier has received tn,
details of the murder of Mrs. Ken
nedy, in Clarendon county, and of thu
subsequent lynching of the murderers
Last Sunday Mr.. Thos. Kennedy
living near Salem, intending to wish
Charleston, went over to his father
house, short distance from his own
to ask his mother to stay with his wife
during his absence. Kennedy's wife
was formerly Miss Ada Wright, Of
Darlington, and had only been married
about year. She was young lady
of nineteen or twenty years of age,
intelligent, refined and highly re-
spected. When her husband left she
shut the door and sat by the window
to write letter to her mother. As
she sat there she saw in the yard Joe
Barnes, colored boy, about sixteen
years old, who had been employed by
Kennedy the previous week. This
boy had been induced by two negroes
living near by, Vance Brandt, and his
sister Julia, aged respectively eighteen
and fifteen, to hang around the
premises, and when Mr.. Kennedy leftthe
place give signal to Vance and Julia,
who kept themselves concealed in
thicket. This couple had heard Of
Mr.. Kennedy's intention to visit
Charleston, and thinking that he would
have good deal of money in the
house, determined to break in and get
it. When Joe gave the signal, Vance
went Immediately to the window and
three times tried to get in, and each
time he was showed out by Mrs. Ken
needy. Finding that he was determined
to get in, she opened the front door, ran
through the yard and was just going
through the gate, when Vance snatched |
up a hoe lying in the yard, overlook
her at the gate and knocked her down.
She implored mercy and told him she
would give him all the money she had
if he would only spare her life. He
cursed her and said I've been
waiting to kill you long time," and
at that struck her two more blows, in
attempting to avert which, it is sup
posed, her hand was broken. Just
then Julia came up with another hoe
and severed her head. When Ken
nedy returned about three hours after
wards, he found his wife lying outside
the front gate, mutilated, cold and stiff,
her head almost severed. The entire
Uranium was cut off from ear to ear,
leaving the brains scattered around
the ground. A jury of inquest being
held, returned verdict of murder in
he highest degree by unknown hands.
On Tuesday the colored boy, Joe
Barnes, was arrested. He showed SO
much confusion on being questioned
as to his whereabouts on Sunday, that
only a few questions served to bring
out his confession from which the
above account is taken. On examina-
ion Vance and Julia ELECTED evidence
showing that they were the murderers,
marks of blood and brains being found
upon their clothing. The horrible
of the murder awakened in
tense Indignation in the neighborhood, i
and crowd of $50 white men and SO
;olored men assembled to finish the
nurderers. The negroes begged the
whites to permit them to take the
prisoners and burn them alive. This
was refused, but a vote was taken
whether they should be jailed and
await the verdict or be lypched. Only
.hrty-two voted to wait for the law,
and it was determined to hang them
e. trees nearest to the crime. Halters
we're obtained and fastened to the limb
Of tree. "A cart was placed under
.he limb, and handkercliefs were tied
over their faces. The cart was pushed,
md the trio were soon dangling in
he air. Their victim, at the time of
The murder, was enciente with twins,
md near her confinement.
Southern Military Companies
Anvited 10 Esnrticipate im the
AnasagRraafOn nj GARFIELD.
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