Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1880-09-17
THE LAPRADE MURDER.
Details Of the Horrible Crime Which
Caused the Lynching of the Tennessee
Negroes.

Causeu tne byncnlns OF the tennessee
Negroes
NASHVILLE, Tenn, September 10
For brutal cruelty the Laprade murder
at Sadlersville, for completely in which
the three negroes were lynched, yester-
day, surpasses anything that has ever
happened in Tennessee. Seven negroes
went to his house and called him to his
door. When he opened it they threw a
rope over his neck and choked him SC
that he was unable to give any alarm
They then hung him twice, demanding
his money all the time. He only had
five dollars, and this he gave them. Al
ter they found hanging
Would Not Accomplish Their Purpose
they took knives and mutilated his
person. Then they caught hold of the
rope and dragged him about in his yard
After this they took an AK and brok,
his skull, and threw him into a sink
hole twenty feet deep, where he was
found two weeks later, in fearfully de-
composed condition. The way they
found his body was through a negrO'i
dream He dreamed that he was hung
robbed, his person mutilated with a
knife, and thrown into a sink-h0le. BY
this means Laprade's body was found
A negro
Confessed TO the Murder
and gave a terrible account OF the tor
lures to which he and eight others sub.
ectcd him. I.aprade lived half
mile away from any other
habitation, in small, unpretentious
cabin, was bachelor, eccentric In his
habits, and mixed very little with the
outside world. lie was in fact hermit
outside Of his own people. He never
looked upon human being Tor weeks
at a time. lie owned his farm, and by
his singular manner OF Jife he was sup
posed to have large amount OF money.
1t was currently reported two days be-
fore the murder that Laprade and two
brothers had fallen heir to $4,000. La.
prade did not believe in taking the life
OF man or animal, and therefore never
kept hogs or poultry upon his premises.
After the arrest and incarceration Ol
jim Higgins, an old negro, it became
evident that he knew allabout the crime
He was taken out OF the insecure prison
by unknown persons
Who Applied Fire to His Feet
to make him confess the crime. The
fire produced such acute agony that Hig
gins confessed all. He said himself and
eight others went to Laprade's house
and woke him up, when one OF the ne
groes, initiating his brothers voice tc
perfection, asked him to open his door
which he did. The black de-
mons then rushed in upon him, threw
him violently to the floor and told hin
to give up his money die. He declared
he had only s., which he gave them
Then followed
A Series of Diabolical Tortures.
They first singed the hair off his head
aud body, when they again demanded
his money. He declared he had spokei
the truth. They then hung him unit
| he was almost unconscious, when they
dropped him to the earth and agair
asked him for money, but with all thi'
| he still told the same story. lie wal
| then repeatedly hanged and let dowr
| and the same question propounded
| with the same answer.
While this was being done the ne
groes uttered the foulest and blacklist o
oaths, in keeping with their inquisitior
OF Laprade. Numberess tortures, to-
| shameful for print succeeded each other
Disappointed and furious, they at las
hacked him with knives, and cut on
the tendons of his legs from the knees
down. and then killed him. They thcr
hid his body away under some bushes
Subject of More Lynchlng Discussed.
Two hundred men met at Guthrie
Ky, last night, and discussed the ques
ton whether they would visit Spring
field and lynch the remaining negroes
connected with the Lagrade murder
but afterward dispersed. The six priIs'
oners were brought here tonight by the
sheriff OF Robertson county, and placed
in jail for safe keeping, by order OF Gov
| ernOr Marks