Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1886-01-21

A Masked Mob Batter Down tho Doors
OF the Ninccnnes Jaii--rhc Murderer
Dragged From he'd and Hanged
Tres.

VfScKvSEs, ISp., January is-Holiy
Epps, the foul murderer OF farmer Dobson,
has expisted his terrible crime at the hands
OF Judge Lynch. and his worthless black
carcass hangs suspended Ina the Court-hou
yard at this hour q O'Clock a m). At
about II 50 tonight. crowd OF masked
men, numbering from twenty 10 thirty,
carryin slcdge hammers and various
other implements, were seen marching like
silent sPectrcs through the suburbs of the
CITY down Sixth street toward the ian
The masks were nothing more than bandana
handkerchicfs, but each face was 80 care
FULLY covered that Identification was
impossible. They marched steadily aud
silently down Seminary street then down
seventh. and reached the Court house yard
Here they saw two policemen. The leader
OF the gang approached those official dig
nitaries OF the peace and welfare OF the
community, and pcrcmptorily ordered
them To 60 home The policemen disap-
pearcd ~ suddenly as II by magic sta
ttontng masked sentineis Mt each corner OF
the jail yard, the greater part of the gang
entered the Jail yard aud walked stealthily
up toward the portico OF the Shcrifrs resi-
dence. Not n sound could be heard The
lynchers stood back, while the leader
Knocked on the door Sheriff Srddlemyer
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 slcdgc hammer. In two OF three
hard hits the door was smashed To splin.
ters and literally knocked Off IL hingcs.
Entering the hallway, the lynching
party struck light, rushed into
the parior; grabbed Sheriff seddlemyer
and pushed him in on adjoining room,
slammed the do n in his face aud gruffly
ordered him 10 keep quiet and stay in his
room AT his own peril. The lynchora made
for the huge iron doors aud commenced
their work OF batiering them down This
was the most difficult part Of the whole
performance and fully half an hout
elapsed before they succeeded i'm loosenine
the locks enough To admit them. They
had come prepared, and really gained an
entrance before those outside Anticipated
They entered the Enclosure, soon got into
kpps' cell. and grabbed the black nend by
hts woody head, and uncercmou iouslv
tcrlrcd him from his bed The black wretch
yelled and howlcd like a maniac at first
sight ot the strong men who had come to
take his life. but q slap in the mouth Al.
lepced him, and as they dragged him into
the gaslight Ina the hallway Of the Jail IL
seemed almost certa in that he had turned
white. They marched him out into the
street, tied a rope around his neck, and
1erked him along on the ice and snow, com
pelling him To walk on his frozen feet un-
I'll they reached the Court house yard "A
few yards off. Here they entered, aud 10
the nearest tree they went and threw the
rope over strong limb, and jerked the
murderer up with q yo he" whero
he was suspended between earth
and sky. Epps kicked and squirmed
and grabbed hold OF the rope
above him, but the lynchers knocked bis
hands away, and would not lot him relieve
himself His groans were terrible 20 hear,
and shocked the spectators beyond mons-
ure AZ 10 "a. m. Epps was pulled up and
Tor fully fifteen minutes be struggled for
life, when death came to his relief He was
strangled, and as he hangs now in tho
Court house yard he presents a frightful
spectacle OF the vengeance of Judge Lynch.