Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-09-03
LYNCHED.
John Smith, who MurderousIy Assault
ed Deputy Sheriff Adair Of Hunt
County, Strung Up.
fits Victim Is Hardly Cold when smith Fol
lows Him Into Eternity-The Body
Left Hanging for Hours,

Special 10 the Gazette.
GREENvILLE, TEX, Sept 2.--Las
night about 10 O'Clock, when all was 81
lent about the city, and especially at thu
county jail, where the corpse OF Deputy
Sheriff Adair lay at rest, and where the
fond ones mourned and guilty feared, thu
quietude was slightly interrupted by the
sudden appearance OF about forty masked
men at the jail door, seven Of whom com
handed Deputy Jailer Tom Simons u
open the cage In which John Smith was
This the jailcr was compelled TO do by
threats Of violence.
When the cage was opened the mob told
Smith to come out. lie lay ON his cot
In the cell with four other prisoners
and seemed not half so mach terrified as
his cellmates. In answer to the command
of the mob he waited for them TO place
the rope about his neck and tie his hands
behind him and
FULL HIM AWAY
from his peaceful slumbers. He only
pulled back slightly and walked stiff
legged for q short distance until he
straightened up and walked silently to
the dgreat beyondn He was escorted by
about thirty or forty masked men to
tree near the Missouri, Kansas & Texas
road, quarter OF mile from the jail, In
the suburbs Of town, where the loose end
OF the rope was thrown over limb about
1fLeen feet high, and pulled upon until
the Victim was Suspended In mid air with
a small clothes line.
Large squads OF people were seemingly
organizing In secret an hour after the work
had been done TO take the poor wretch
from the jail, aud these groups Of per-
sons would not be convinced that Smith
had escaped by the rope-way until they
went TO the scene Of his suspension.
THE GAZETTE reporter followed the
crowd to the spot where was TO be seen
a body clothed in short night shirt and
pair OF WORKOUT socks, which proved
the statement that Smith had retired
when he was "called to GO"
Smith remained on the tree until 10
O'Clock to-day, because Of the absence OF
Coroner Richard Ragsdale from the city,
and the citizens refused to touch the
body until the arrival Of the coroner
from Campbell. Smith was young man
about twenty-three years old His birth
place Is unknown, as he refused 10 talk
10 newspaper reporters. He had worked
In and about Greenylle two or three
JS"tS' no was EeHeThlly Known mere rs
hostler In livery stable. About one
year ago he quit work In the stable QUE
evening and went TO the horse
rack, where he found horse
with saddle on which he mounted and
rode to Wood county and sold the ami
mai. Soon after he was arrested and
brought to Hunt county and sentenced TO
eleven years In the penltentlary. Last
Saturday he broke jail and stabbed Jailer
Adalr who followed to recapture him. He
was ouly out three days when he was cap
tured and was In jail only two hours and
half after his victim died. John Smith |
was bold, daring, fearless man and met
MS death without a murmur or struggle.
WHO JOHN SMITH WAS.
special TO tho Gazette,
GBEENv1LLE, TEx,, Sept. 2 TO day
the following note was found In the cell
from which John Smith was taken and
lynchod last night.
my wlfo's name Is Fannie Hopkins.
Her maiden name was Fannie Perry. |
Brookvtlle, Miss, Is where she was
raised. Wire TO the Judge and sheriff of |
warren county, Mississippi, and let them
know what Is the mattor.n
II IL supposed the above was written
after the iailer died, az he knew he would
DC lynched when the wounded man died.
Jailer Adalr's remains we're taken to Lone
Oak at O'Clock this afternoon for inter
ment by the |. o. O, II.