The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1884-01-17


D. ATcHIsoN TAKEN FROM THE COUNTY JAIL
BY TEN ARMED MEN. AND HANGED TO A
TREE-FULL PARTICULARS OF THE TRAGEDY.
Our town and community was thrown into
state of intense excitement on Saturday
morning. January S. 1884, by the announce
ment that E. d. Atchison had been taken from
the county jail twhere he was conflned). some
time during the previous night, by mob OF
ten armed men. and hanged (and shot, about
quarter of a mile south of town, to tree by
the roadside, on Trimbles Hill.
About the hour of midnight. Mr. Charlie Shu-
mate, who was employed by Sheriff Arbogast
as guard at the JAIL was alarmed by a noise at
the outside door, and a voice called to him say
ing that he had big Jim Ralston, drunk, y
and wanted admittance Mr.. Shumate recog-
nized the voice and called Mr.. Jos. A. Hiner,
the jailor, and the door was opened.
At once several persons entered and secured
the guard and jailor and announced the pur-
pose of their visit. They were armed with pis-
tolls and shot.guns. Some of them were dis
guised; others were not.
Operations were at once begun to obtain adj
mittance into the cell occupied by Atchison and
Ratliff, the only prisoners tenanting the Jail.
The Keys were demanded, but Mr.. Hiner in
formed tn EN- that they were in possession OF
the Sheriff.
Some of the party were very drunk, as ap-
peared from the testimony, and one of these
made an attempt to shoot Mr.. Hiner with a
shotgun. but confederate knocked the bar
refupward as 1t was discharged and thus saved
his life.
Then followed regular siege. An axe was
obtained and finally entrance was gained into
the unoccupied CELL adjoining the one occu.
pied by the prisoners. There is window in
the partition between. evelal shots were
fired at Atchison through this window.
THE DOOMED MAN
realized that his hour had come but he barri-
caded the door with the bedstead and with
tiger like defiance he held out until forced to
succumb. A pistol presented at him
through the bars, and he knocked 1t from his
assailants hand, the weapon falling inside; but
he did not notice it.
Shortly after 1t became known that a pistol
had COTTON into the prisoners cell, the mob
ceased operations. and finally went out of
doors, as ifin the act ofleaving. Subsequent
ly one of their number returned and secured
the pistol from Ratliff, who had picked it up
when 1t fell. Ratliff was told as he handed out
the weapon that they were going to leave.
Atchison never knew that he had knocked the
pistol inside the cell. One faint CLEAN of hope
crossed his mind as he attempted to scale the
ceiling and make his escape through the hole
through which the stove pipe passes; 1t was
too small.
The mob returned and renewed their attack
with redoubled energy. heavy log of wood
was obtained and used as battering ram, by
means of which the wooden door was broken
down (the iron one having been previously
opened), and the mob rushed in upon Atch1-
son, whom. when they had fastened q rope
around hisi neck, they dragged TO the door
and led him forth TO the place OF execution.
AS they reached the nall me- made a desper-
ate ehortt to rise TO his feet' put one OF me MOP
Jumped upon MIN and stamped MIN. AT Inc
door ne again attemped TO get up, ana was
seen 10 strlke at ms assallants' Iney tnen
disappeared In the darkness.
.When Iouno Iuesoay morning, ne was hang
1ng.to.the first limb OF large wh1te-oaK tree
just south OF town, ana MS pody was frozen,
STARK ana atiff, ana rlddled Win pulets.
Inc orning--Was oleaK anu storlny, tne mer-
curry registering Two degrees pelow zero. AS
the news spread, people gathered In groups
at the stores and offices where. they4 discussed
the occurrence In all its details
The body hanging frozen and dead presented
a horrible and CHASTITY appearance The fea-
lures were natural, the face pallid, as in life,
the eyes closed, the tongue not protruded-
Inc upper part OF the Iace was pegrlmed Win
piood. Inc mar was ciotted,' Inc hands tled
oehlnd,' and severely ,iascerated' tand plood
and.sand marked other parts OF the body.
bulletshad pierced the right under jaw at the
articulation, breaking the JaW-bone and rang
ing upward and backward. Another shotpe
trated the BODY In the right breast between
the collar-bone and first-rib. Three shots en-
'oreu .no aess' Anere ~asaalso q soaip "ounu'
justice osborne wilson, Esq, acting coro-
ner, convened jury of inquest at Ii a. m.
~ ws IL oosolon III LUZ vi i"oo t'o nisno' os''ui
day. The jury was composed of the following
gen tlemen,:
A. n. Campbell. B. E. Fleisher, Nathan Wi
mer, w. P. Campbelle, H. F. Slaven. w. E,
Wilson, A. A. shumate, Levi S. Jack, ]. E.
Williams, Allen Judy, G. M. Jordan. =. H.
Bowers.
The inquest first met on the scene of the
tragedy, where it was organized and the tes-
timony was taken with eatminuteness.
The guard and jailor being sworn related the
circumstances of the invasion of the jail and
the taking of the prisoner Atchison. They
stated that they did everything in their power
to dissuade the lynchers from their purpose
but were utterly helpless.
DR.. l. q. sTrimble was called to the stand and
testified to having examined the body of E. d.
Atchison; he said that it was in such frozen
condition as to prevent his making thorough
post norton. His opinion was that the i'm
mediate cause of death was the bullet wound
under the right jaw.
After hearing the evidence in the case. the
jury returned the following verdict:
We, the jury. OF inquest, ind that the de-
ceased, p. y. Atchison, was taken from the
If the 9Th n Tannoru isst o Sno n LILLE
OF 10 A. M. and A, NJ. BY a mob. and that he
came to his death either from pistol shot or
or rom the % affects s hahseo w me necA'
Signed a. ii, CAMPBELL: Foreman.
The mob remained in the Jail between two
and three hours The few of our citizens who
were awakened by the noise seem to have en-
deavored to apprise the authorities. who live
out of town. notably the Sheriff but that off
Ger was absent from home.
The walls of the cell were despatched with
blood. and the blankets, etc., were bloody. 1t
is supposed that Atchison was severely wound
ed from gun or pistol shot before he was
taken.
Atchison saw that the mob was determined
to take his life.. In extreme mental anguish
he exclaimed: "If you will give me a pisto
with one load, will save you any further
trouble" At another time he called to the
cltizens OF the town. One of the mob replied,
Tnese men can't raise anything"
When the mob entered the cell, Atchison was
unoer the surveillance OF man at the win
oow' VINO mad shotgun leveled at him. He