The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1882-08-19
LYNCH LAW.

Aht men Iheir
Declarations of Innocence, and are Re-
turned to Jail.
Taylorvile dll.) special to the Chicago
Herald Of the 18th gives the following particu-
lars OF the recent attempted lynching at that
place OF the parties charged with the terrible
outrage perpetrated upon the person of Miss
Bond in June last:
Mr. Bond, alone, to-day is credited with hav-
ing saved the men. 1t is openly stated that no
attention would have been paid to the appeals
of States Attorney Brennan but for him. The
prisoners were cheerful this morning In jail,
and talked with several about the affair Pet
tbs maintained his usual taciturnity, and could
not be encouraged to conversation. Mont
gomery said he felt when up in the air that it
was easy to die, and that he felt just as If in
dream. To-day he complained of soreness in
his neck, which was somewhat scratched, but
otherwise he was all right. All three are conf
dent they will clear themselves on the trial. No
further violence is apprehended.
The action of the mob last night was a sur
prise to many, for up to nine O'Clock the
streets were more deserted than they had
been during any night since the investigation
began. There was an uneasy feeling among
those who realized the full significance of tho
mutterngs of the attendants at court that
trouble was in store, and when, about nine
o'clock, mob began to gather in front of the
Jail 1t was evident that the hour had arrived
for putting the threats into execution.
AS time went on the mob became
impatient, and some of them cried:
Break the door in and fetch them out" A
few of the men who were pretty well intoxi-
Gated moved around urging general attack,
and finally succeeded in getting the crowd so
worked up that they walked up to the door of
the Jail and boldly asked for the prisoners.
l,.aA .x.N.. kszt.l 4
was closed in their faces, and they fell back.
In ort time they rallied sufficiently to
make the attempt again, and after many eff
forts they succeeded in making their way to
the jail They then pushed up stairs to where
the cells were. The Sheriff had abandoned the
jail to the mob, who now went to work to get
the prisoners out. After half hours work
Pettis and John Montgomery were pulled out
through an opening in top of the cell and
handed over to the mob. brand-new rope
was suddenly produced and thrown around
the necks of the men. Then ensued the most
horrible language on the part of the mob.
They endeavored by blows, threats and every
means known to them to induce the wretches
to confess. am innocent, gentlemen" cried
Pettis, in an agonized voice. Hang me IL
you will, but l am innocent" "You' lie,
curse you, you know you did it," IL
know L am going to die, but as God
Is my judge 1 am innocent" Then there
was surge of the crowd in the small apart
ment, and cry of Take them out and hang
them" John Montgomery in the meantime
was whining: Il am innocent; don't know
anything" The workers of the mob were
searching for Clement, who could not be
found. The cells were all opened by the use
OF crowbar, and then it was discovered that
Clement was not in the Jail. Then Potts and
into the Jail yard, the crowd looking as they
progressed for a good tree. The trees were all
saplings, and halt was made during which a
confession was sought to be extracted from
Montgomery. The man still protested Ills
innocence. To the courthouse yard!"
some one cried, and other voices took it up.
To the courthouse yard then proceeded the
mob, threatening and bullying the prisoners
ON their way. Lee Pettis repeated every min
ute: II am innocent. am innocent"
The courthouse yard was soon reached ana
the crowd halted under tall tree. Some MIN
BILE fellow climbed the tree and threw the end
of the rope into forked branch. A dozen
hands caught the loose end, and John Mont
gomery was jerked off his feet just for trial.
The poor wretch still pleaded innocence, and
he was called upon by a hundred voices to
speak out and tell his story. ID. ..iTlI
. have no story to tell. / am innocent
know no more about this matter, gentlemen.
than you" .I i# 'HF
His voice was as weak as a woman's and as
pathetic as child's pleading for mercy The
Infatuated crowd hooted snd yelled at him,
saying :" he was dead man anyway, and he
might as well confess" ID
" am innocent" reiterated Montgomery.
"Uphe goes, then" or ed those at the other
end of the rope, and up he did go. The body
was pulled up about four feet from the ground
and kept there for full minute. The hanging
man never struggled but, being exhausted
and weak with fear, the men who held the
rope let him Gown then, and he was called on
to tell his guilt. The man could not speak at
first but laid limp on the grass
After he recovered bis breath he finally said.
" Gentlemen, know am dying and tell you
am as innocent as you are" ..
A cry for A. ID. Bond, the father OF the
VICTIM was then given by the crowd, and biS
burly man pushed his way in. He stood be-
side their prisoner and asked him to tell If he
was not in the school-house the afternoon Of
the outrage, but through all the man main
tanned his ignorance of the guilty parties
cowardly crowd stood on the fence and
Of people yens for the S Immediate mass
ecution of the man, and with him the othera
FOR an hour those about the man talked
builied, stormed and threatened, but the poor
abject wretch repeatedly reiterated his in.
nocence.
Prosecuting Attorney Brennan made a weak
down.
In the meantime Clement had been found
and was held by the mob on the other side of
the yard. Covering down with his head on his
breast, his neck drawn in like a turtles he
shook and shivered, and, when goaded, chat
tered out his innocence.
Lee Pettis was held with q rope around his
neck and tortured also. He loudly and boldly
proclaimed his innocence, and told the mob to
go on and hang him
Montgomery was about to be swung mp
again when Mr.. Bond cut the rope, and the
prisoner was taken to one side of the yard and
submitted to another series of question: It
was all in vain. The men who held the rope
declarations, and gradually their
softened.
A cry of "Tllrn them lonaa, uas uellad