The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1883-05-23
Murderer Lynched.
SWIFT RETRIBUTION METED OUT
TO 4 NOTED DESPERATE BY
AN OUTRAGED PEOPLE.

AN OUTRAGED PEOPLE.
"There ~ a Point Where FOrbear'
ance Ceases to be Il Virtue.'-
Warnings Posted on the Doors O
Others Supposed to be Implicated
Scene of the IIansins-Fnil Partic.
{ ulars, Carefully Complied, of thu
Exciting Affair-COrOner's Inquest
Over the Body, and Burial Of tho
Victim.
ISarcucpor Duty &tnndnrd.l
The murderer of young viii II. Lyon, In
Ro>Sirr parish. at the ferry landing. O,pu.itr
! this city. last Tuesday evening, ahnut dusk
by a man named ID. e.. llu!cliinS. Is still fresh
in the memory of oar citizens. The culu
bl,mhcd and nprrcClrntelly cnwardiy man
nrr in which tn" murder was committed was
calculated to chill the blood Of any man Of
/ woman who hal Il spark of real human feel
ing within them. Since The murder there has
been II seemingly organized determination
on the part of tho good citizens of BO>sicr. tC
take some stem rs Il terrible warning to evil
; doors. who have "iven them so much trouble
and nave even made ii dangerous to trave)
tho roads In their parish. This determine.
ton culminatc,l. ON Sunday morning In tho
hanging to Il tree, beside The public road. of -
&. llutrliinS. the cold bloc led murderer. II
Is uSelrS to try to disguise the fact that the
'lyncling Of this man has been expected. and
fears were entertained that the outraged citi'
ZcnS OF our nriglbnrin. parish would take
! him from our Jail, where he was placed fhr
safe Keeping. AMI mrtc out swift punishment
to him. IIuichinS himself knew this, rs he
told oae of his guards he could see from tbs
window strange movements. In the vicinity
OF the Jail, among parties he kew
MEANT no GOOD FOR HIM.
~. z.at.. t-t ,,. ...kto ~
Sheriff Wychc, OF Bossicr, Mr.. Robert Stinsor
and Mr.. James Burr. came over presented
the proper papcrs for IIutrhins to remove
him t. the Bellevue jail. IN order to carry
boat ,hnut five O'Clock Sunday morning, &C
c~onran!cl by Il well armed aud determined
posse OF citizens. consisting OF Chief of Police
Whips, +. 4. Conway. William Wlmh!sh,
william Nash and Police Officer Charles
Qnigglcs.
Il hack drivrti by Deputy sheriff Burt and al
his UintclIinS) request Mr.. Charles pewinS
rode " it'll him in the hack. The rest of tho
posse were mounted and rode around and
near the hack. During the entire trip Hutch
ms kept his right arm around Mr.. Dewing's
neck.
HE WANTED MS GUN.
After crossing the ferry Hutchins expressed
81 desire to stop at james Fetternan's md get
his double barrel shotgun. but Of course this
WAS ucnleu MIN anu NE WIS uTlVcl SWlllS up
the road. The road being rough Mr.. Dewing
suggested TO Mr.. Burt. who was driving, TO &C
slower rs the iolling Of the hack. wax ra'cu-
lated 10 irri!atp tn, wound HulchinS had re.
ccive1 on the night of the murder of Lyons.
liutchinS remarked, "Oh.n no: let the horses
20 In a lOpp if they want to: | know I'm go
Ing to he mOhbed on the road. but they wont
get mnch.'. Dcwing replied to him that hc
IIutchins Insisted there was, and odd Dew
Ing he wanted his pistol when amy attack
was made. Along the road Hutchins kept a
careful watch on every person he saw.
THE HACK SURROUNDED.
When about four miles from town undc
the shed road. on the Bellevue road, r short
distance beyond Cockleburr bridge, n large
number of masked men jthc number being
estimated from - to lND) mas their appear.
ance from the woods. They were first no
ticed by HutrhinS who said. "D-n EN- there
they come now: give me your, pistol. quick
Dewing. and let me commence killing them
and he commenced reaching for Drwing's pls.
tol. D"wing held him back and succeeded In
getting his pistol ont. and held 1t on the oppo-
site side Of him. outside the hack. In the
meantime the hack had been stopped. and the
crowd had their pistols Il d guns level ed.
Chief Austin. who had dism"unted. quickly
stepped to the door Of the hack hetwcen it
and the crowd and told them to lower their
guns. HutchinS quickly passed a book con-
tanning some papers to Dewings und told
him TO
GIVE 1T TO HIS WIFE.
Hutchins then told the crowd to shoot him.
we are going to hang you. and here's the
rope; you have tried to kill several OF us "
AS quick as thought Hutrhins drew q spring
back dirk KNIFE. with q four inch blade; from
his pocket and commenced stthhing himself
rapidly In the left breast with his left hand.
the light being still around Dewing's neck.
Those who were standing around thought he
intended to plunge the knife into Dcwiny.
Finally Z hinf t1.fin md naWinp SuprpnHpl
In getting the knie away from him. and he
(IIutchins. fell UPON Dcwing's lap. bleeding
profuscly.. saying, ~ am done for or words
10 that effect.
The crowd then closed in and tool; Hutch
ms bodily from the carriage and carried him
to a locust tOr thorn) tree some sixty yards
from the road, and laying iiim upon the
ground proceeded to tie his hnnds behind
him, he asking them not to tic them too tight
as he was nearly gon" anyhow. The end Oi
the rope was thrown over n crotch In the Tree
some twenty fe' liigh and the noos" adjusted
to his neck: Just b"fnre being drawn up
HutchIns called t. William Wimbish AM
told him TO go and tell his wife 10 ONE and
GIT his boly. and not to srierc over his death.
lie said she WAS n conu woman. He then
asked him to come ana shake hands with
him gopd-bye. which. WlmbiSh says. he dill,
at the request of several bystandcrs. Tho
body was then drawn up, The end OF the rope
being made fast to q tree near by, and after a
few ShrugS of the shoulder and legs. life was
soon extinct. The legs OF the unfortunate
man were not tied. and the fact that he did
not make much movement with thom led
stabs Hutchins had inflicted upon himself
! hal very nearly caused death. In answer 10
q question about what part the Fettermans
took in the murder Hutchinss said, II will not
give those Two men way, or words to that
effect. On the way over he intimated to Mr..
Dewing he would tell him all, but he failed 70
do so. and the secret Is buried with HIM.
rDG AND HIS
| The masked men uheir masks being OF
white and blark cambrlc with eye and mouth
holcs) stood around and adopted unanimous
~ Il series of resolutions which were reau to
them. nnt the following notices which will
explain themselves were ordered 10 De posted
upon the doors of the stores of James Fetter-
! man. The notices were posted upon the
doors named yesterday morning and were
copied verbatim by our reporter:
Warning.
The man whose body was found hanging up
the road yesterday morning violated the aw
In the commission OF an atrUcious murder.
Behold his fate -!
Take warning ye evil doers!!!
We believe he was NOT ALONE guilty!!!
There are reasons for believing that Bill
Fettrrmnn insti:atedo Or encourt grl 1t.
We know too, that both the Fettermans
have secretly. and villainnusl' engaged In
Illicit traffic. such az buying stolen cotton,
cotton seed. corn and cuttlc, from irresponsi.
Ole parties.
This Thing must stop!!!
A solemn warning IL given y!
Remember yondcr mans fate!!!
If ever this store IL opened again by either
of the Fettcrmnns. their clerk or any OF that
crowd. woe unto them.
That crowd had better leave the country
for the country's and their own good.
Clear out within twenty-four hours, or take
the consequences.
NEMESIS
There was also n short notice on the store
door OF Messrs. Belcher q Belcher. headed
Caution ! otitying them not to permit any
! more drunkenness or gambling about their
store. and not buy cotton, cotton seed, corn OF
cattle from irresponsihlr parties.
AS far as We know the Messes. Belchcrs
have always borne II reputable character In
this community, but we suppose the fact thai
| the murder Wa. committed ut their store led
to the imputatlon conveyed In the notice re-
furred TO and posted upon their door.
We are also aware, In our investigation OF
the murder. that Mr.. James Fctterman hns
been absent from his home som" time before
an since the affair. We give these stale.
ments in simple justice 10 the parties referred
but to give facts and details, as VIC learn,
them.
AFTER THE HANGING.
After the hanging, and adoption OF the reso
%lutinns, the maSk"rs mounted their horses
which were tied in the surrounding woods
and departed, leaving the deputy sheriffs and
posse masters of the field. The latter soon
left and came hack 10 the city, Mr.. Winbish
stopping ut james Fetterman sand delivering
the message OF the unfortunate man 10 Mr.,
I hristian, in charge of the stone, to BIZ deliy.
cred To his wife. As SION rs they arrived In
town the news Of the hanging spread like
wild fire, and hundreds visited the scene. Oi
course q Standard r"porler went over to learn
The facts. We found the hody hung us stated
abnve, the left portion Of the shirt beilig Gov
cred with blood from the slabs intiictt d. The
roIe used was Il t~hree-quarier Inch and the
moose WAS adjusted with II regular l'angilanh
knot. rhe body had been drawn up about
three feet from the ground and the rope Sc
curely tied 10 another tree u short distance
off. Pinned upon the breast WAS a white
piece OF paper upon which we read, written
In lead pencil. In Roman letters:
"rhere is Il point where lorb-arance ceases
70 be q virtue. CITIZENS"
On the right breast was pinned another
white piece of paper similarly l%ettered, read
Ing:
Fet1ermans, both or you, never return.
II you do GU will follow this desperate and
theft.
C%oRONER'S INQUEST.