The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-10-16
LiNCRED At DYgRSBURG
FULL PARTICULARS OF THE
CRIEE FOR WHICH
The Negro, Matt Washington, Sur-
fered Death at the Hands of
an Organized Mob.

CORRESPONDENTS OF THE APPEAL.l
DYERsBURG, Tenn, October IA
Mrs. Leech, q white widow woman
living about one mile and.s half or
two miles from here, was raped last
night by negro named Matt Wash
ington, a mulatto, about twenty years
OF age, who came 10 this county from
Shelby county. Mrs. l,eech and her
children lived in the country, and il
was about halt a mile 10 the nearest
house. The house ha no doors, aad
the negro was in the house before he
was discovered 1t YVES abou! IL
O'clock pm. Mrs. Leech had two lit.
tie boys, one u and the other years
old and daughter about 10 years old,
who, fortunately, was not at home.
The negro first asked where the little
girl was, and fading that she was not
at home lie attacked the mother, who
fought him with desperation. He
choked her almost insensible, and the
marks of his fOgsrs are plainly visi-
BILE on her throat. Her physician says
her condition is pTecslious aud that
che may not n cover. She had been
in delicate heslth for some time any
how. Mrs. Lsech and her boys knew
the negro, and while the fendish
oiu was cut aging their mother
the little boys, with courage
worthy of lite heyoes, under.
took TO defend their mother, one
using tie ak, the other cub, but the
negro knocked one Of them down,
held ore down with his foot, drew
his pistol, and threatened to shoo.
either one or both if they moved or
attempted to raise the alarm. After
he had accomplished his RELISH pur-
pose he remained in the bed of The
helpless woman for an hour or more,
and did not then leave until she told
him her brother would be there in a
few minutes. After he left one o. the
boys ran to Mr.. Hendron's, BROTHER
of Mrs. Lsecb, who lived a0out half
mile away, and gave the alarm. A
few neighbors collected and went in
pursuit, and found the negro at hls
home, pretending 10 be asleep. He
was taken in charge, and the condi.
ton of his shoes and clothing (t had
been raining) showed that he had been
in the rain. When it became evil ent
to him that the proof of his crime
WIS a matter of sbsoluts GER
Iainty, he voluntarily and of his own
accord made full coufei sion of his
quit. He said he lad contemplated
the crime for some time as against the
little daughter of Mrs. Leech, and that
he went there for that purpose. He
said he knew ii was crime he ought
to be hung for. RAPIDLY the Ciiz9ns
and neighbors gathered together rs
the news of the crime spread abroad,
and it soon became evident that the
negro was doomed TO die at the har ds
of an enraged community. About $3.50
o'clock am. the negro was brought to
Dyersbuvg under guard OF number
tf men ARMED with shotguns and
Winchester rifles, and followed by
some 200 or 300 men. Assembled ct
the courthouse, Mayor B. l.. Thoma1
addressed the mob, land counseled
moderation and demonstrated gainst
mob law, and finally told them ii they
we're determined to harg the regco,
that he, in behalf Ct the citizens of
Dyersburg, requested them to
take him out OF the corpora.
ton limits. Capt. John w. Lauder
dale-a true law abiding citizen as hs
is then addressed the crowd and
strongly and urgently demonstrated
against mob law, its evils and its dan
gers, telling TIE mob that our Circuit
Court would sit in Two or thee weeks,
and the prisoner, If guilty, could then be
lawfully hung and reproach upon our
community avoided, 10 which several
voices in The mob replied, That's too
long to wait" The mob listened courte-
ously TO Capt. L3uderda.e's ramon
STRANGE, but at the cl1ee a hundred
voices shouted, "Hang him hang him !
hang him" After few moments the
determined band Of men marched the
negro out of the cour house and
aero the bridge AMI hung him to the
limb of tree. The negro was given
an opportunity to consult with his
friend.--'o talk if he desired to do so,
ard to pray. He kleeled down and
fjr several moments seemed engaged
in silent prayer. He showed no lear
or trepidation, but met his fate
with stnlid indiffere CO. He arose
from his knees, the roose was
adjusted, and he vaI drawn no
from the ground and "choked" to
death, dying almost without s'rug-
gle. II he said anything ct he "im-
promptu gallows" your correspondent
was not able to hear it. Some man
who wore a straw Rat end had bald
hsai harangued the mob in an excited
way, and made himself quite coz
spcuous for that kind of job. Oar
law abiding citiz ms, recognizing the
enormity Of the crime, yet regret that
mob law was resorted 10, and would
have been glad if the mob could have
been persuaded to let the law take its
course. Our Sheriff left town about
daylight on other business, aud before
any rumor OF the crime came to town,
and be never knew it until several
hours after the negro was hung, or he
would, we are sure, have done ell in his
power to prevent it, We understand
the negro's remains will today be ex-
pressed to his re atives in Shelby
county.
"Our Baby's First Year."
by Marion Harland, with other valus-