The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1880-05-20
Two Murderers Lynched.


derers, Henry Mitchell, "Dick" Yancey
and Alfred Caseon, were incarcerated,
and demanded of the three officers who
were keeping guard that the prisoners
be delivered over to them. The officers
denied having the keys, but when drawn
revolvers were pointed at them, the keys
were quickly produced. The three ne
groes were taken outside the Jail and
ropes were placed around their necks
The mob then proceeded little way,
where horses were awaiting them,
mounted, and with their prisoners rode
off VIGOROUSLY. An alarm was speed
lily given about town, and soon crowds of
men flocked about the streets, excitedly,
but the mob had too much the start, and
besides, the night was too dark to en-
able them to rescue the prisoners. At
an early hour the bodies OF Henry
Mitchell and "Dick" Yancey were found
hanging from the slsepers Of railroad
trestle, one and half miles from this
city. The other prisoner, Caseon, WAS
released after he had been swung up
several times and made to tell all he
knew. An inquest was held over the
bodies of the dead negroes, but develop
ed nothing.
The crime for which these men were
lynched was peculiarly atrocious. The
murdered man was an old negro, living
three miles east of Moberly, named
George Mathews. The night OF the
murder Mathews WAS sitting in his
house with his children, two Of whom
were in bed asleep, and his Oldest
daughter was lying on the bed reading.
About s o'clock Henry Mitchell and
"Dick" Yancey came to see Mathews,
and spent two hours in conversation.
During this time the daughter who had
been reading fell asleep. Suddenly
Mitchell got up from his chair, drew a
pistol and fired at Mathews, the ball en-
tering the left side of the head.
Mathews fell ON the floor, on his face.
Yancey then drew club and struck tho
wounded man twice, back of the head.
Mitchell took the club and struck the
old man once. 'Yancey left the house,
but soon returned. The two murderers
held consultation as to what disposal
they should make of the body. 1t was
decided that they would carry the body
to q creek and throw it in. They car
ried the body a short distance from the
house, and returned and sent the chill
dren, who had been awakened by the
noise, to 50 and stay the remainder Of
the night at u neighbor's house The
two villains then conveyed the body to
the creek, where they disposed of it.
This done they went to the house Of
Alfred Caseon, where they staid for the
night. The next morning they told
Caseon Of their devilish work of the
previous night, and he, in a few days,
communicated it to some one else. The
mysterious disappearance of Mathews
excited suspicion and inquiries were
made about him of the marshal of this
city. The marshal asked his questioners
if there had been any trouble between
the missing man and any other person.
They said there had been some trouble
between him and Henry Mitchell
TIE marshal advised the persons to
make diligent inquiries among the ne
groes of the nsighborhood. They did
so. One Barney Vrooman (white) sail
he dreamed three nights in succession
that Mathews body was lying in a GER
tain hole in the creek. For the sake of
humoring Barney the constable of the
township in which the murder took
place, and several persons, accompanied
Barney to three different places on the
creek. The last place visited Vrooman
thought was the place he saw in his
dream, so the designated spot in the
creek was searched, and the body OF
George Mathews was found lying face
downward. While the party was Wis
ting the creek, another took one of the
dead mans children and threatened to
hang him if he did not tell about his
father. The little fellow told Of his
father being carried out of the house
by Henry Mitchell and "Dick" Yancey.
This discovery happened in the after
noon, and Yancey and Mitchell were
Immediately arrested. After the coro-
ner and the jury had visited the body,
the two prisoners, by direction of an oili
Ger, took and buried it. The prisoners
acknowledged having killed Mathews,
and said they had been persuaded to
III so hv a negro named Alfred CaseOn.