The Rugby gazette and east Tennessee news. (Rugby, Morgan Co., Tenn.) 1884-188?, 1886-01-23
HOLLY EPPS LYNCHED.
A Masked Mob Batter Down the Doors
of the vlncennes Jail-The Murderer
Dragged From Bed and Hanged

OTdBSeV FROM beu ana Hanxe0
to Tree.
VIScENNEs, IND, January 18.-Holly
Epps, the foul murderer of farmer Dobson,
has expiated his terrible crime at the hands
OF Judge Lynch, and his worthless black
carcass hangs suspended in the Court house
yard at this hour q O'clock a. n.y.. At
about 1880 tonight a crowd of masked
men, numbering from twenty to thirty,
carrying sledge hammers and various
other implements, were seen marching like
silent spectres through the suburbs OF the
city down Sixth street toward the Jail.
The masks were nothing more than bandana
handkerchiefs, but each face was so care
fully covered that Identification was
impossible They marched steadily and
silently down Seminary street, then down
Seventh, and reached the Courthouse yard.
Here they saw two policemen. The leader
of the gang approached those official dig.
pitaries of the peace and welfare of the
community, and peremptorily ordered
them to go home. The policemen disap-
peared as suddenly as il by magic. Sta
tioning masked sentinels at each corner Of
the Jail yard, the greater part Of the gang
entered the Jail yard and walked stealthily
up toward the portico of the Sheriff's resi-
dence. Not a sound could be heard The
lynchers stood back, while the leader
knocked on the door, Sheriff Seddlemyer
came to the door, but would not open it.
After parleying with him for some time,
one of the crowd struck the pine door with
large sledge hammer. In two or three
hard hits the door was smashed to splin-
ters and literally knocked off its hinges.
party struck a iigkt, y rushed He into
the parlor, grabbed Sheriff Seddlemyer
and pushed him in an adjoining room,
slammed the door in his face, and gruffly
ordered him to keep quiet and stay in his
room at his own peril. The lynchers made
ffor for the huge iron doors and COMMENCED % :.
their work of battering them down. This
was the most difficult part of the whole
performance, and fully half an hour
elapsed before they succeeded in loQsening
the locks enough to admit them. They
had come prepared, and really gained an
entrance before those outside anticipated.
They entered the inclosure, soon got into
Epps' cell, and grabbed the black fiend by
his. woody head, and unceremoniously
jerked him from his bed. The black wretch
yelled and howled like a maniac at first
sight of the strong men who had come to
take his life, but slap i'll the mouth 81
fenced him, and as they dragged him into
the gaslight in the hallway of the Jail il
seemed almost certain that he had turned
white. They marched him out into the
| street. tied a rope around his neck, and
| jerked him along on the ice and snow, com.
| polling him to walk on his frozen feet un.
al they reached the Court house, yard, q
| few yards off. Here they entered, and to
the nearest tree they went and threw the
rope over strong limb, and jerked the
| murderer up with ''yo he" where
| he was suspended between earth
/ and sky. Epps kicked and squirmed
| and grabbed hold of the rope
above him, but the lynchers knocked hil
hands away, and would not let him relieve
himself. His groans were terrible to hear
and shocked the SPECTATORS beyond meas
ure. At 1;5 a. m. Epps was pulled up, ant
for fully fifteen minutes he struggled fol
life, when death came to his relief He was
strangled, and as he hangs now in the
! Courthouse yard he presents frightfu
spectacle of the vengeance of Judge Lynch