The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1884-07-11
Origin of Lynch Law,

The Hon. j, G. g. Kennedy, of Wash
ington, is the grandson of Andrew
Ellicott, tho surveyor who laid out
Washington City in connection with
ID 'Enfant, writes Washington cores
pondent. Ellicott was, in the DAYS of
Washington, one of the leading scient-
lists OF this country, and he had also
made name for himself abroad He
did much OF the more important sur
veying for the government, and was
employed in important commissions
his whole life long. One of the most
important works was the survey of the
line between the United States and the
Spanish possessions in America, con-
sisting of Florida and other parts of
the South. During the survey he kept
very full diary, which is still in the
hands of his family. 1t is full of inter-
est concerning early life in the South
ern States and among Indian tribes.
1t is made up from notes taken on the
spot, and reads like q picture of the
past put on the canvas in life-like col
ors. 1t was not new thing to me that
the term Lynch law came from the
man, Captain Lynch, who originated
this form of jurisdiction, but the fol-
lowing description of Captain Lynch,
who Ellicott met at this time, though
now fast approaching the age 100
years, will be read with interest by the
men of to-day. | copy verbatim:
Captain Lynch just mentioned was
the author of the Lynch laws so we'll
known and so frequently carried into
effect some years ago in the Southern
States in defiance of every principle of
justice and jurisprudence. Mr.. Lynch
lived in Pittsylvania when he COM
menced legislating and carrying his
ideas into effect. | had the following
details of procedure from his own lips:
The lynch men associated for the pur-
pose of furnishing crimes in summary
way without the technical and tedious
forms of our courts of justice. Upon a
report being made by any member of
the association of crime being COM
mitted in the vicinity of their jurisdic-
ton, the person so complained of was
Immediately pursued and taken if pos
sible. If apprehended he was carried
before some member of the association
and examined. If his answers were
not satisfactory he was whipped until
they were so. These extorted answers
usually involved others in the supposed
crime, who in turn were punished in
like manner. The punishments were
sometimes severe in consequence of
the answers extorted under the influ-
ence of the smarting whip to interro-
gatories put by members of the asso-
citation. Mr.. Lynch informed me that
he had never in any case given vote
for the punishment of death. Some,
however, he acknowledged, had been
hanged, but not in the common way.
A horse became their executioner. The
manner was thus: The person to be
hanged was placed on horse with his
hands tied behind him. A rope was
tied about his neck, and its other end,
not too long, was fastened to the limb
of tree over his head. In this situa-
ton the person was left. When the
horse, in pursuit of food or for any
other cause moved, the criminal was
left suspended by his neck. This was
called aiding the civil authority. 1t
seemed almost incredible that such
proceedings should be had, governed
by known laws. 1t may, nevertheless,
be relied on. | should not have assert
Cd it as a fact had it not been related to
me by Mr.. Lynch himself and by his
neighbOrs. This mode of procedure
! originated in Virginia about the year
1776, from whence it extended south
ward, as before observed "-BOst0n
IEuNSCript