Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1884-01-28
THE mARTlNsBURe PosTosficE.
Evans Confirmation Contested on tne
Charge lhat He Participated In tho
LJhehinE Of ToiiVer.
Special 10 the Register

LJnehing Of ToiiSer.
Special to the Register.
WASHINGTON, January 27.-As / sele-
gIsphed you yesterday one Of the objec-
nons 20 a recent presidential appointment
which Senator Malone is credited with
having influenced is that the appointee
helped to organize and direct mob which
in 1875, hung a negro at Martinsburg, W.
Va. The negro, John Toliver, had been
indicted for the murder Of little white
girl named Annie Butler, and as it was be-
lieyed he murdered the child to conceal q
still more horrible crime, public indigns-
ton ran high against him. His counsel
Judge Blackburn, of this city, and eI-Mar-
shal Ward Lamon Of the District of Columbia
made an earnest effort TO acquit him, but
pending proceedings to remove the case
into the Federal courts, an armed mob
numbering upwards of four hundred men
entered the town at midnight and after
taking possession of the streets leading to
the jail and throwing out pickets to pre-
vent suspicion, entered the Jail, took pos
session of the keys from the isilor, and
Sc zing the negro took him to q tree in the
rear of the town and hung him up by the
NECK until he wss desd.
Every Detail OF the Execution
was carefully attended to, the mob even
pressing into their service the aid of q
young Presbyterian minister, who endeay-
Orsd 10 administer sacred consolation to
the poor gasping wIsIch as he was swung
OIL into eternity.
The execution was generally considered
q complete success, and as some OF the best
people in tue county were understood to
have been engaged in it no special effort
wss ever made to punish the perpetrators
until George +. Evans, prominent citi-
zen of Martinsburg, was nominated by the
President for postmaster OF that place, on
Tuesday last, when his opponents asked
that the nomination be held over by :be
Commi on PostQttiCes and Pest imsoads,
and gave notice that they would, among
| other objections TO Eyarts, press the cha-ssr
that be was
AeIiye and Prominent In the Hanging
referred to,
A statement which adds interest TO the
case is furnished by Judge Blackburn, who
saws that the murder for which the negro
Toliyer, was hung by the mob was subse.
quently confessed by brother Of the little
giIl, who admitted he had killed his sister
with a stick, but that the mob feeling ran
so high at the time of the hanging that
both he and his associate counsel were
vsrred to leave that neighborhood.
ON the other hand Evans friends not
only deny that subsequent developments
established the negro's innocence, but as,
sert unequivocslly that Evans had moth
| ing to do with the hanging, and that If be
| had il would be no evidence that he would
net make 3 faithful and satisfactory post
! master.
The Matter Goes over
uu til the meeting Of the Committee on
Thursday next, when Evans states that he
| will be on hand to meet all charges against
him and furnish satisfactory proof that he
had no connection whatever with the MOB
| thai hung Toliyer.
There is very considerable interest mani
| tested here in the final disposition of the
case. Judge Hoge told me tonight ne
wCuld be very sorry to see the issue Of
Evans participation in the mob hanging
broSght before the committee for the res-
sou that 1t would not help Wisne-. He
ss,d for this that be had never before
heard Evans name mentioned in coanec-
tiUn With the hanging and that while ne
de D., Gated the hanging rs carried olt,
Lh' re vas no doubt OF the negro's gutl'.