The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1880-08-04
Lynch Law in Maryland.


Diggs, the negro, who brutally out
ragged Mrs. James Tschiflely last
Saturday night, near Jamestown,
Md, was captured last night at Me-
chanicsville, and carried to Rockville
and lodged in Jail. Shortly before 4
o'clock this morning about fifty men
appeared at the Jail and one of them
demanded admission on the plea of
identification. Sheriff kelchner re
fused admittance to any one while
the crowd remained, and they fell
backward a few feet
Another formal demand being
made, slight demur was made by
the Deputy Sheriff at the door, but
this was only the signal for an as
sault. The door was then broken in,
despite the resistance of the Sheriff.
While the door was being forced,
quite melee occurred with the of
ficers, and even after the negro had
been brought out into the open air
Mr.. Kelchner made another attempt
TO rescue his prisoner. He was I'M
mediately caught and held by two
or three of the party. In his strug-
giles he received a cut on his arm.
The crowd hurried Diggs off, his
ankle irons clanking as he was
forced down the road at aquick trot
He was taken up the road leading
to Jamestown, a man guarding him
on each side. While being taken to
the scene of his execution he SEEM
ed quite calm, and said he was will
ing to die. The indifference he
showed is said to have awakened
suspicion even among the party who
thus took the law in their own
hands. An effort was made to force
him to relate the details of his as
sault upon Mrs. Tschiffely, but be-
yond acknowledging the fact that he
committed the crime he would make
no confession.
Arriving at point on the road
some distance from town the party
met a horse. This had evidently
been precoucerted arrangement by
confederates of the crowd, and show
ed that they were determined that
nothing should fail. Opportunity
was given for the villain to make
his peace with his maker, although
he appeared callous to this part of
the proceedings. The necessary
ropes were within reach, and the
brute's hands and arms were pin
ioned. 1t was then found that the
idea TO place the negro on the horse
and hang him by running the ami
NAL from under him was impracti-
cable. The moose was placed around
his neck and willing hands lifted his
body from the ground. He made
but little resistance, evidently know
ing from the first that any such eff
fort would be worse than foolish
The body was left hanging. Sheriff
Kelchner stated this morning that
Diggs made full confession of the
crime to him previous to the jail be-
Ing forced
THE details Of the crime commit
ted by Diggs are that he entered the
residence of Mrs. James Tschiffely,
highly esteemed married lady,
whose husband, prominent citizen
of Montgomery, was absent in an
other county on business. The lady
was seated at a table engaged in
reading, when the negro suddenly
sprang into the room, and, seizing
her by the throat, choked her into a
condition of semi-consciousness, and
threatened if she made an appeal
for aid, to murder her and burn the
house He then dragged the terri
fled woman up the staircase and
kept her prisoner in her room dur
ing the night, repeatedly assaulting
her. He left the room early in the
morning, and thinking that he had
fled, his victim managed to leave
the house and started to the resi-
dente 'of a neighbor. The negro,
however; vas N-ing in wait, and up
on the lawn, seized BE" by the hair
Of tbs head and dragged her back to
the house, where. after sHhjeeting
her to further gross assaults, he
struck her over the head with a
chair. The blow fell with crushing
force, cutting the head and face of
the lady, forcing her eyes almost
from their sockets. She was, be-
siaes, terribly disfgured, her neck
and lace beiag hQEgiblly cut, swollen
and discolored. The iieSfG then es-
capped. Mrs. Tschiffely regained
consciousness, and under the care of
a physician is improving. She is
30 years of age and a lady of recog-
nized social position, attractive per-
sgpally and entertaining in mannerl.
- zzz-s-
DIR. Tanner, the man who has un-
dertaken to live forty days without
eaating, has completed the thirty
sixth day of his iast