The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1883-07-07
THE MOUND CITY LYNCHING.


killed Jno. Kane on the Wabash train near
Mound City Thursday, was lynched near
the Jail yard by an unknown mob yesterday
morning at about o'clock.
A party of probably thirty men wearing
masks hanging down to their bosoms, came
to the jailor and the Spokesman demanded the
keys to the jail, Being told that the sheriff
had the keys, the man requested the jailor
to stand aside, saying, I'VE have come for
business and We won't stand any foolish
ness Mrs, Painter, the iailor's wife, start
ed to run and give the alarm, but was
caught and told that no injury was intend
ed her or her husband, but that they must
stay in the house and keep quiet. While
several men remained to keep watch over
Mr.. and Mrs. Painter, the remainder of the
party proceeded to burst the Jail door open
with sledge hammer. This was the sign
81 for vigorous yelling by the doomed
prisner who continued his cries until the
mob had beaten down the front door, bro.
ken the lock from the iron cell-door and
overpOwered the prisoner who offered DIES.
perate resistance TO the last. The school
bell was rung a few taps to arouse the PEG
Pile, but very few got up and probably no
one but the actors in the terrible affair saw
Just what occurred. But from the clrcum-
stances it is concluded that the prisoner was
first struck 10 the head with the sledge,
then shot several times through the BODY,
the shots being located IN nearly the same
portions OF the body as those that killed
Kane, then he was stripped of all his cloth
ing and dragged from the Jail yard by
means of ropes tied to his head and feet,
and hung to tree near by.
This bloody work done, the men who had
charge of Jailor Painter and his wife, re-
leased their prisoners and the mob departed
no one knew, how or where to. Reports
that the jsilor and his wife were mstreated
are not corroborated On the contrary,
they were treated with the greatest consl-
deration and no physical violence was at
tempted to either, except that the captors
held their hands over the mouths of the
prisoners when they attempted to cry out
for help. Upon leaving, the one who had
watched over Mrs Painter raised his hat pc.
litely, bowed gracefully and, with the re-
mark, "Madam, you are q brave woman"
withdrew. The work had been done
with comparatively little noise and in a
very few minutes, so that when people be
gan finally to come forth from their homes
and together about the Jail yard, the lynch
ers were all out of sight. Sheriff Crane
cut the body of the negro down as
soon as he arrived and summoned a jury
to inquire into the circumstances; but the
jury had not reached verdict last evening"
it intended to await Developments, and the
results of searches for evidence leading to
the identity of some OF the lynchers, insti-
tuted by Sheriff Crane and other officers.
Reports as to where the mob came from
conflict. One mana citizen Of Mound City,
who was not well and therefore up and
out just before the time the lynChing took
place, says that he saw three or four skiffs
land at the river bank, each containing
four to six men who cam eashore and march
ed in double file along the levee toward
the Jail yard. Another says that he saw
several hand cars loaded with men come
over the Mounds Junction branch of the
Illinois Central road, while others still pro-
TESS to have heard an engine come up the
Wabash road to a point just above the tres.
tie, stop there, and leave from there again
for Cairo after the lynChing. But however,
this may be, it is understood. that several
hand cars loaded with railroad aud river
men left here the night before, and that
yesterday the hand cars were missing from
their usual places and hidden at various
points about the round house. Kane's
work car was also found broken open and
several sledges we're missing.
Ia view of these facts the reasonable i'm
preston prevails generally among people at
Mound City, that the lynchers all came
from this end Of the road, and were rail
road laborers, and also river men with
whom he was also very popular, he having
for years been employed as ship carpenter
at different points along the river and max
Ing friends of all with whom he came in
contact.
The crime which provoked the lynching
was undoubtedly entirely uncalled for and
is believed to have been premeditated by
the negro who bore an old grudge against
Kane, which arose in this wise: About a
year ago Howard became drunk
at Grand Chain and with pistol 10 hand
and threats to kill any one who interferred