Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-10-20
THE VENGEANCE OF A MOB.
Disturbances in a Southern Town
Caused BY = Circus.
A Negro Who Defends Himself
Lynehed BY Friends of tiis
Victim.


] CHARLOTTE, N. o., October IT,
Monday last was a bloody and memoir
able day in Statewide. Sells Broth
ers circus exhibited on that day and
an immense crowd of people came to
town (many from Alexander and
Wilkes counties) 10 see the circus.
II is estimated that the crowd mum
bered fully eight Thousand during the
early part Of the day. They began to
liquor up early, but the order was
generally good until late in the after
noon, when the bloodshed began One
man was shot and killed outright and
man aud child wounded during
the fight In the middle Of the night
the chapter was ended with the lynch
ing Of the negro who did the shooting.
IL was a terrible day for Statesyille,
aud during the excitement Of the
afternoon the circus folded its tent
and left the town and the crowd with
out giving a night p lrformance.
THE FIRST APFRAY.
The trouble began last Saturday
night. The town was then full Of
people, and a good deal OF drink
ing was going on. suddenly a fight
arose between a white man named
Rhyne, from Newton, aud an unknown
negro, in which the negro struck the
white man a terrible blow, crushing IN
his forehead and face Rhyme was
still living yesterday when the Char.
lotteville train left Statesville. but
was then lying in hotel in dying
condition.
A WHITE DESPERATE FORCES A FIGHT
On Monday about noon a pistol duel
took place between John Redmond
(white) and Charles Campbell (color
ed) in which Redmond was shot
through the heart An old feud had
existed between them and when they
met in Statesville a fight was the re
suit. redmond fred twice at the ne,
gro but missed, and the negro 10 turn
fred three times at Redmond. The
first bullet from the negro's pistol en-
Cered the abdomen Of an old man
standing near named Thomas Bell. in
flieted serious but not fatal wound,
The second bullet entered the leg ola
little child that was being held 10 its
mothers arms, but the third took
effect in RedmOnd's heart, killing him
instantly. Campbell was arrested and
carried to Jail amid the greatest ex
element.
Redmond's friends took charge Of
the body, and that tight at 3 clock
they surrounded the Jail and forced
an entrance into Campbell's cell; then
securing the prisoner, they took him
TO tree on the western suburbs and
hanged him. SO quietly was the lynch.
ing done that none of the citizens OF
the town were aware of its occurrence
until sunrise, when Campbells body
was discovered dangling from the tree.
None Of the townspeoDle had any
hand in the work and were not aware
that any idea of lynching the neg o had
been entertained.
THE REDMOND FAMILY.
Redmond is a son Of John Redmond,
who was murdered on April 18th last,
by his two nephews, sons Of Absolom
Redmond, in upper lredell county.
The nephews were building fence,
the line of which John Redmond dis
puted. A quarrel ensued, and the
nephews settled it by shooting Red,
mOnd with shotgun. The Redmond
family are all known as desperate men,
and it is said that the Redmond who
was killed at Statesvile had been rid
ing through the town Aourishing pis
tolls and defying everyone. Hi death
at the hands Of a negro greatly in
censed his friends and caused the
lynching. The party numbered about
thirty.
Campbell, the negro who was lynch
ed, was from Taylorsville, and the news
OF his lynohing was great surprise tC