The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1881-03-03
The Lynching In Tennessee.

Of the lynching of the seven negroes in
Tennessee on Friday, the following &C.
count is given IN adispatch dated Satur-
day: "The sherti'started with his men but
when he reached the door leading to the
street he was met by an armed mob OF
about two hundred men, who rushed
upon him, presented pistols to his head,
and seized the colored prisoners. The
sheriff was utterly powerless 10 protect
them, and the trembling wretchcs were
surrounded and seized almost before they
reached the door. The lights in, the
court housed were all extinguisbed by
order of the lynchers, and then they
marched the negroes up the stairs to the
second story, in the front of which there
is balcony overlooking the street. The
court room during this time was packed
with people who had been present at the
trial, ond in order to ;ntimidate them the
lynchers fired their pistols in the air,
making n report rs loud as though n
regiment of infantry had shot off their
rifles.
The mob hurried the colorcd men up
the stairs and out or the balcony. Not
word was spoken Except to give the
necessary orders by the leader Of the
gang. When the balcony was reached
fopes with nooses were produced. and the
nooses were quickly thrown over the
heads of the doomed men and drawn
tight enough to prevent any chance Of
their slipping and releasing the victims.
All the negroes except Elder seem to have
been paralyzed by tho first attack of their
enemies, and they submitted quietly and
without struggle to the inhuman treat.
ment of the lynchers. James Elder
fought hard for his life, but he was over.
powered in moment. A dozen strong
and determined men pressed him down
to the floor. bound his hands and his feet
with ropes, and then secured the moose
around his neck. The five men were
swung over the balcony almost at the
same time, and left to hang until life was
extinct. The lynchers guarded the
bodice until they were Satisfied that ev-
cry man was dead, when the leader gave
the order, "Disperse men," ard then,
descending the stairway in sold column
they passed into the street, made their
way to their horses. and galloped out of
town in three different directions.
When the iynchers left Springfield
they divided into three sections going in
different directions. It WIS surmised
that the work of the night had not been
completed, and that Murphy and Duffy
were to be added to the five corpsos
which were swinging from the balcony of
tho court house. This surmise was justi-
fed by. the revelations of to-day One Of
the parties rode off in tho direction Of tho
house where Lapradc was killed near
which 1t was known that Murphy and
Duff were roaming. This morning Duffy
was found hanging to tree on the
road to Laprnde's house. A detachment
ofmilitia we're supposed to be on duty to
guard the lives OF the five men on trial,
and this detachment gave q parade in
front OF the courts house just before dark
last night. At sunset heavy thunder
storm set in, and the .vaient troops, as
suming that the lynchers were Ms delicate
as themselves, and would not risk wet.
ting, deserted their post and left the pris-
Oners to their fate.
The crime, the sequel Of which they
furnished, was one of the most bntal ever
perpetrated in this State, snd had its au-
thors met their death mt the hands Of
law no sympathy would have been was
ted on them. L. 8. Laprhdc was wor-
thy bachelor farmer, living ON his farm
near Saddlersville, about seventeen miles
from Springfield, and the impression
was general throughout the neighburhood
that he was very wealthy, anil that he
kept great deal Of money cohcealed in
his house. He led sort Of hermit life.
and the report was current just before
the murder that he and his brother had
fallen heir to $4,000, his share of which
he had secured and kept with him 10 his
house. This rumor wns tho temptation
to the brutal murder which has just been
expiated. On tho eight Of September 6,
1880, nine negroes prowled around La
prade's house until they felt sure that
nobody but himself was at home, and
then approaching the door cautiously
knocked, To Laprade's question rs to
who wanted him one of the negroes, imi-
tating the voice of Laprnde's brother,
succeeded In inducing the farmer to open
his door. No sooner had he done 30 than
q rope was thrown around his neck and
he was dragged out into the yard, where
Z tho nine men set upon him and kicked
and pounded him without mercy, de-
mandins his money. He gave them $5,
protesting that it was all the money
which he had, but they refused 70 take
his word. .and hanged him to tres until
nearly dead, when they took him down
and again demanded money. Upon his
giving the same answer they hanged him
again until l!fa4as nearly gone, and then
falling. to;gain their purpose, they mutt
lated This body In ashockingA manner
with knives, and dragged him about the
yard by the rope, which was still fastened
to his neck. Finally (one of the brutes
seized on an axe in q fit Of rage and
crushed the skull of Laprade, thus mer.
r'fully putting sn end to his misery,
:. body war chen hidden in thiclet,
but two days after the butchers removed
it and threw it into sink-hole twenty
feet deep.