Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1880-09-26
ROASTED ALIVE.
Jim Higgins Account of His Treat
ment at the Hands of this Mob
He Goes Back on His Comics
sien, and Declares that he
Knows Nothing Of the
La-Prade Murder.
To the Nashville American.


To the Nashville American.
A reporter of the American had
an interview yesterday with Jim
Higgins, who, it has been stated,
made confession concering the La
Prade murder. AS the reporter was
conducted by Jailor Maddox to the
inner door of Higgins cell, VIM.
Murphy, Cas-. Mallory, Andrew
Duffy, Lou Small and Lack Mallory
ALI confined on the charge of conn
plicity in the murder-ca me to the
grating, apparently very eager to
see what was going on.
Higgins lay wrapped up in blan-
kets on the right side of the cell
with his head toward the door.
"Can Higgins talk?'' asked the
reporter. "Oh, no, SIR said one
of the prisoners, he's unable to do
hardly anything for himself. His feet
are terribly burned and still swollen.
You just ought to see his feet.
Wen show them to you if you want
to see them.
swell, Suppose you do"
With this the other FIVE prisoners
lifted Higgins around, and two Of
them took the oiled wrapping from
his feet. The bottoms of his feet
had been burned until they were
white, while some of his toes looked
pretty much as if they had been
fried. The reporters attention hav'
ing been directed to several cuts on
his feet, asked whether the mob die
it. One of Higgins comrades stateG
that the cutsi had been made t.
let out the water which had accumu
lated in the blisters.
Higgins said that, Immediately
after the burning his feet swelled K
that of four times their usual size
He stated that, while in the lookup
at Sadlersville, at night, some men
came suddenly into the room, threw
a blandet over his head and made
him walked to horse, upon which
they tire within after having secure
| ~ tied his arms. On man got OF
the horse behind him, while other,
walked on each side and led the an
imal. He did not know where h
was taken or which way the mol
went, as he coud not see on account
of the blanket. He heard then
talking. There were a good many mel
but he did not know how many
| Having arrived at the place wher'
the mob intended to take him, they
pulled him from the horse, and fol
) time hung him to alimb, and ther
let him down again. They then toll
him that he knew all about the La
Prade murder, and if he did not cen
fess all they would burn him alive
re declared that he knew nothin,
about the crime, except on Frida,
, night Jack Bell and Jamison ha
come to him and told. them of thei
plot, saying that they were going t
I, leave the country and intend to &C
!: some money. he refused to joi
them, dismissed the matter from hi
n mind, and made preparations to g
+ with his family to Illinois, where b
E had been for some time determine
q to settle. He claimed to the report
t or that he could prove by ten wit
: neses his whereabouts both befor
: and after the murder. The mo
: then told him that if he did not cor
! TESS they would proceed to burn hin
) He insisted that he could say moth
ing more than what he had alread
: : repeated. They now sat him dow
! with his back to q tree, to Hhic
they tied him. This done, the
: drove stakes on either side Of b