The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-06-14

Further Details of the Lynching ofDea-
vim and TennysOn at Corydon.
The Story Of the Crime, Which They Neither
Confessed Nor Denied-No Opposition
to the Mob by the officials.
Special to the Indianapolis Journal

Special to the Indianapolis Journal
GORDON, Ind, June bit was just
thirty minutes from the time the mob en-
tered town last night until James Deavin
and Charles Tenpyson were hanging from
the bridge west of town. At o'clock two
horsemen rode through town at a sweeping
gallOp, and a few minutes later more than a
hundred horsemen rode up to the jail and
formed a line facing the front and north
side of the building. DeputylProsecutorT L.
j. Wilson made a speech to the men. be-
seeching them to let the law take its
course, but they hooted him down.. A dozen
or more dismounted and proceeded at once
TO effect an entrance into the jail. These
were masked, but the others, who remained
on their horses the whole time. were not
disguised in any manner. AS they entered
the hall they met Sheriff Shuck
and demanded the keys, but he said
that he did not have them.
The Sheriff was put under guard. and
in a few minutes four iron doors had been
cut open by means of sledge-hammers and
cold chisels. The prisoners were brought
ont with ropes around their necks, four
men leading each of them by the ropes,
WhilC w 1OAiO"Co With
AS they passed down the sidewalk the
men on horseback wheeled about and fired
their revolvers. The distance to the bridge
is about two hundred yards, and the mob
made doublc-quick time in reaching 1T, fol-
lowed by a hundred or more spectators.
Some of the men rode under the bridge,
some crossed to the opposite side, some re-
manned on the first approach to keep the
people back, and the dozen masked men
took the prisoners to the center of the
bridge. Their hands were tied behind
them, and the ropes were tied
to beams, one on the north side
and the other ON the south side
of the bridge. The captain then asked
the prisoners if they had anything to say,
and no reply was made. The Captain ex-
claimed. "Ready," and the next instant the
prisoners were swinging under the bridge.
Their necks were broken, and they did not
make q struggle. Orders were then given
to the people to not cut them down untli9
o'clock this morning. and a shout went up,
"Hurrah for Harrison county" The captain
then announced to his men that the job had
been completed, and directed them to de-
part for their homes.
In the meantime your correspondentman-
aged to get to the bridge, and had q short
talk with the captain. He said that the
mon neither confessed nor denied their
guilt, but that Deavin said that he was not
guilty of all therc %ean m;t that that
mob dispersed, leaving town in all
directions at a rapid gait. While
the doors were being cut down, Deavin
wrote a note on a piece OF paste-board,
My time has come to die, but, thank God, 1
am not afraid to die"
So far as known the prisoners did not
offer any resistance. and had nothing to say
during the whole proceeding.
The crime for which Deavin and Tenny-
son were arrested was an attempt to rob
the house of James LaMay, a quiet farmer
living near Corydon, and the shooting and
wounding of LaMay and one of his daugh,
and hardened criminals, both hav-
ing served terms in the Indiana
and Kentucky penitentiaries. Friday
night last they visited the house of LaMay,
representing themselves AS stock de3lers,
and pretending that they wanted to buy
cattle. LaMay received the strangers. who
took supper with the family, and spent the
evening sitting on the gallery with the
iar7acf. chatting about crops inc the pros
pect of buying good. fat stock cheap. About
9 O'Clock James LaMay was notified by his
eldest daughter that beds had been pre-
pared for the guests. and that the time for
retiring had arrived. He arose to show the
when one of them suddenly commanded
him to stop, and demanded that
he give up all the money he
had about him; At the same time
drew his WI pistol and raised it. Before
he could fire the report of Deavin's re-
volver startled the other members of the
family. and a bullet lodged in LaMay's
though wounded, and returned the fire Of
the robbers shot for shot. The women in
the house were badly frightened and began
to scream, but the fighting went on until
started at a run into the yard about the
house. The nearest way for the robbers
to reach her was to so through a window,
and Tennyson promptly sprapg. after
fsn, gong nsMat Shro aia ns sash cea ssd fr all;
until his pistol was empty. but before the
last shot Deavin, left alone. weakened. and
ran to his companion, both men then turn
ing to the fields and running away, though
LaMay made an effort to follow them.
When the excitement of the battle passed
away LaMay was found to be badly wound
ed in the abdomen. and is still dangerously
hurt at his home. His daughter, the one that
Tennyson followed. was also shot, but the
wound is not of a serious nature.
The neighbOrhOOd was aroused q short
time after the shooting, and the robbers
were pursued, but to no purpose. as they had
apparently escaped to place of safety. The
following day a reward of $500 was of
fered for the capture of the murderous
thieves, and an organized pursuit was be-
gun, which ended Sunday morning in the
arrest OF the two men, Iennyson and pea-
New Albany suburb. They were identified.
but refused to confess, though they admit
ted having committed other crimes. Dea-
vim was defiant TO the last. but Tennyson
went mad with fright when informed that
a mob had been assembled last Sunday
night to lynch him, and he has since been
continuously out of his mind, apparently,
though the officers of the Jail cOntended
xhaA Ii .na xran >,l .D~--