St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-07-01
DRIVEN TO HIS DEATH
An Inoffensfve Kentucky Farmer
Whipped and Ordered to Leave.
In Despair He Commits Suictde--Ths
Body Found.
Special to the Globe.

Special to the Globe.
MOUNT VERNON, KY, June 30.-Yes-
terdaY afternoon the attention OF Mi. y. I.
G. Myers, citizen of this county, living
about two miles north of here, was at
tracted to the woods on the back part OF
his farm by seeing large number OF buz-
Yards alighting in that locality. lie sent
his little son out to see what was wrong,
supposing some of his stock were dead
and had attracted the vultures. The boy
ON reaching the spot was terribly
frightened at finding the dead carcass to be
that of man. He ran home and told his
father what he had found. who immedi-
Rtely dispatched the news to town. County
Judge Lair summoned jury and set out to
view the remains. On arriving they found
the decomposed body of man lying at the
foot of a small black oak Sapling. The
hands and feet had been eaten off by hogs,
and there only remained of the trunk SICK
ening black pile of bones and decayed flesh,
which was moving mass of worms and
bugs. Some twelve or fourteen feet from
the ground, suspended by strip of white
walnut bark, and dangling from limb
against the body of the sapling was the
mans head 1t resembled round object
covered with black cloth. When cut down
it was seen that the hair, beard, and flesh
had all fallen off. The black covering, which
was the skin, was easily slipped off and
LEFT THE BONES BARE.
It proved to be the remains of Joseph
Ramsey who disappeared from his house
about two miles from that place two weeks
ago. The circumstances and the testimony
produced before the jury were such as to
convince them that Ramsey had taken his
own life and they returned their verdict
accordingly. On Friday night, the 18th of
this month, Ramsey and his wife were
taken out of their house by a body of
masked men and given terrible beating.
The vigilantes also ordered them to leave
the country within the next ten days.
Ramsey next morning began trying to sell
his property, of which he had but little,
but in this he was not successful. He re-
manned away Saturday night. Sunday and
Sunday night and returned home on Mon
day. Just before dark Monday he kneeled
down and
PRAYED FOR SOME TINE.
When he arose he started out of the house.
His little children began crying and asked
him where he was going. He made no re-
ply but walked away, not again being seen
or heard Of till he was found yesterday.
lie was man about hfty years OF age and
leaves wife and a large family of child
ren. On the 10Th of this month Amanda
Ramsey. wife of the deceased, came be-
fore the county judge and swore out a
warrant fol the arrest of Thomas Hayes,
charging him and unknown parties with
whipping her and her husband. Hayes
was arrested and had his preliminary trial
on the 21st, when he was held over under
bond in the sum of $500 to answer before
the next term of the circuit court He ex-
ecuted the bond and was released. On the
same day the writ was issued for Hayes,
writs were also sworn out for three other
parties, charging them with whipping other
parties living in the Ramsey neighborhood.
These writs have been executed and the
parties will have their examining trials to-
day. Several other parties have been
whipped in the same neighborhood and
other writs are likely to be issued and
others arrested. Excitement is getting
pretty high. The action of the wbippers is
condemned on all sides. No effort will be
spared to bring the guilty parties to trial,
and should they be caught and proved
guilty they will get the full benefit of the
}everest penalty of the law which is term
IN the state penitentiary.