The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1885-07-18
HOWARD COOPER LYNCHED.
Taken from Jail by Band OF Forty
Masked Men in the Dead of Night and
Strung Up to the Nearest Tree.

is there any apparent disposition t.
know who they We're. The friends o.
Miss Katie Gray, the victim of Cooper,
brutality, are reticent. There appears
to be general feeling of relief that the
tragedy is ended. The place of exccu
tion was not more than seventy-fve
yards from the Jail and the avengers Of
Miss Gray remained in the vicinity unit
the body had been thoroughly riddlec
with bullets to prevent the possibility
of miscai riage of their intention. Had
the law been allowed to take its course
Cooper would have been hanged ON the
3lst of July, but efforts of the prisoners
counsel to carry the matter before the
United States Supreme Court CAUSED
lynching.
FORTY MASKED MEN.
| band of forty masked men took part
i'll the affair. They entered Towsou by
the Charles street road before midniuh hit,
leaving carriages and horses outside
Some of the taller and stronger-looking
ones Wore black masks, looking i'll the
darkness like pieces of oil-cloth. Holes
were cut for the eyes and nose The
faces were completely covered. Others
had handkerchIets tied across their faces
just below the eyes. A good many had
on straw hats, while not few We're
| wooden hats
Their dress was that of farmers. Nearly
all appeared to be young men. They
marched upon the jail shortly before one
o'clock. Not a word was said to any
one outside of their own body. Sheriff
George Knight was occupying a room i'll
the upper part of the jail. The leader
of the party called out. A few moments
later womans voice answered, and
soon afterward a light was seen and the
Sheriff himself appeared.
| 1--WE demand your prisoner" said the
leader.
The Sheriff, knowing at once who was
meant said: "You cannot have him."
1--WE intend to have him.
"Well," said the Sheriff, "you cannot
get him unless you overpower me-
well have him." was the determined
answer. Come on, boys"
They hunted up heavy loy for a bat
tering-ram. The door was stout and
hard to batter down. At the sound of
the terrible Earring strokes of the bat
terlng ram every inmate was aroused at
oLce, and heartrending cries and walls
reached The ears of those outside. Cooper
evidently knew his time had come
These cries continued and grew louder
apparently at every stroke.
TIE PRISONER CAPTURED.
| Finally the door gave way and the
crowd rushed in. The event was an
nounced by the noise aud by the loud
crying and wailing of the ladies of Sher-
III Knights household in the front part
of the house. When the avengers
rushed i'll the Jail they at once COM
menced examining the cells for Cooper.
Sheriff Knight still refused to give up
his keys and crowbars were the nipple
ments used on locks. The night watch
man, Henry Nelson, was choked and
rushed to another part of the building
because he interfered with the search.
Tins search was productive of much an
xiety and it continued so long that many
| of those engaged in it came to the con
cluSion that Cooper had been taken to
Baltimore or was hid in the Sheriff
house.
The men were fast getting out of pa
thence, and about to commence a sea- eli
of Mr.. Knights private apartments when
an unknown person in the Jail pointed
out cell in which Cooper was found. 1t
was the cell in which he had been con-
fined ever since his arrival at Towson.
His cries and means were piteous to hear.
He begged for his life, but the only an
swer was oaths. A new hemp rope, three
quarters of an inch thick and not less
than twenty feet long, was brought for
ward and his head quickly slipped into
moose at one end. Cooper was dressed
in dark stiped calico shirt aud had on
dingy brown pants. A rush WAS made
for the steps and the crowd hurried the
frightened negro down the steps as fast
as he could be dragged.
DRAGGED TO HIS DEATH.
When they had reached the Jail yard
Cooper, who had by this time become
almost defiant, turned to the leader and
said:
''What you got me foah?"
1--WE will soon show you what we have
got you for, said that individual
Il amt Cooper persisted the priso-
ner; Use de wrong man."
That's all right" said one of the
party. =
Here some one called to the 5,roun
about Cooper to halt for minute bnt
they dragged hn NJ en-, enchanting: Don't
stop. We can't hang him any to soon"
Probably the man with the lantern had
some doubts as to the identity of the
prisoner, for he stopped him and held
the lantern up to his face. 1t was Cooper
beyond doubt. This treasured the crowd
and they fairly jerked him along with
yell OF delight. He said no more after
this; lie did not even pray audibly After
having undergone this scrutiny those in
charge started off with him on a rush TO
the nearest tree, but were again halted
by cries that some of their party had
been detained and shut up in the Jail A
delegation went back and saw that all of
their party were liberated, and then the
hanging was speedily effected
HANGED TO 4 SYCAMORE TREE.
The first tree reached, sycamore, was
used for the gallows. The limb over
which the rope was thrown was not more
than seven feet from the ground. When
the crowd halted under the tree Cooper
said: "lou are not going to take me up
there and let me drop, are you?' No one
paid any attention to him or his ques
tion. All were occupied in getting him
swung off speedily as possible. Finally,
just as the end of the rope was thrown
over the limb, he said, in conciliatory
voice, as if he wanted to part friends with
them all "Well, you have got Cooper
haven't you? Good bye" AS the last
word left his lips the long line of men
commenced to pull on the rope 1t closed
about his neck. He was pulled off the
ground. In an instant or two his head
was in contact with the limb and his feet
but a foot distant from the ground For
only a few seconds the pinioned arms and
legs contracted, then the body swayed to
and fro and Cooper was quiet.
"Now, boys, let's give three cheers"
cried the chief.
They were given with hearty will, |
which made .he woods resound with the |
echo.
"Any man who won't protect his wife |
and sister is no man." said a masker; |
''he ought to die himself Eth, boys?'