New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-12-29
FIGHT NEGROES LYNCHED.
A CoWARDLY MASKED MOB AT BARNWELL
s. c.
THE VICTIMS HAD BEEN ARRESTED FOR MUIR
DER, BUT HAD NOT BEEN TRIED-EvEN
PUBLIC OPINION IN SOUTH CARO-.
,rN, cOvnENNs THE OUTRAGE.

LIMA CONDEMNS THE OUTRAGE.
tBr TELEGRAPH TO tribune
Charleston, s. c., Dec. GA mob OF masked
mon AZ a NJ to-day broke into Barnwcl $. O., )aii'
forty miles from here and lynched eight hcs'o
prisoners all charged with murder Inc moo nun"
bercd several hundred men. They overpo"creu e's
tailor and took out the eight prisoners calsou
with murder These Ripley Johnson anu ni..".,
Adams charged with. numbering James hcHcrni'ii'
and six Others charged with TIE "uuoi -. and
Martin. The prisoners were taken out Oh o"n a"
eho+ The tailor was tied and forced to accompany
,ho 1vnchers The whole thing was conuuoVc' ~
sl,lfuI manner the citizens OF the Town no. ~ 80
ANYTHING about IT, After the lynchins ''e Iano, =,
roloased The citizens Of the town were isno'""e -
.rv attempt on the Jail. large crowd Vi n'siDo
drr conpreeated at the scene OF the 3nonne
spceu.S - entertained of moro trouble. Tho
covernor was appealed to for troops 10 Pie''''' VIZ
peace. o.. ,rrcbea in York
,,o for the brutal murder OF little boy VIM
caucht them stealing, but they Ocloneeu -,
Organized gang whose members ".o ana
10 kill any one by whom t"v'
oo,obt stealing and they were believed 10
have committed several murders preViouSH, ~
conviction was uncertain, and the people TOOK INC
,.v, into their own hands. But the wholesale Bhcf
inc NJ this morning without parallel In the recorus
~ crimes in this State and there was less grou io'
The act than probably for any lynch'ng peioie' -
is doubtful II the country can show Ike ro0o
eight negroes charged with comnl''ins ""I 40
accessory to the crimes described belo" y" .o
afternoon of October 80. John j. Heftcrinah was '"'
ond instantly killed in a restaurant in the town oil
BarnwcI by Ripley johnson. Heneiman ""' Wv "
the prncpal merchants OF the town, and Johnson was
oronIoved AT that time in running eo'
ton.cin There had been some trouble between tilc
ybite man and the negro the day before ana a'IouH
there were conflicting accounts as to the oiiAouN "
is probable that IIefeTman threatened V'o
for he had been summoned 10 appear
,o,,n conncu the morning following. and had been
mt under bonds The killing took place Ih oOiOieu
restaurant where HeGorman had followed 'oihSon'
ri,o ncgroes charged with being accessories 10 t'c
murder who were in the restaurant at the tlme' heu
IN a swamp but were shortly aiter"afu c"p'"iVu
, large reward was offered for Johnson, and he "af
captured TWO weeks later.
Last saturday night Robert Martin youns mon
., o,oat nromi.e. was waylaid and shot to DEATH
while riding 10 his fathers house. 1t was about
O'Clock in the evening The young man was "i'li
sevontvsve wards of O cluster Of negro houses OH
tbo side of the road when lie was fired upon from
behind. The occupants Of the houses heard the
gun and heard the exclamation "Oh' me- on'
moi Won have killed me,n but they did not go 10
the help Of the wounded man. Martin WIS ho'
missed that night by his parents, as lie was ia '"e
rooms. which were separated from the rest OF ue
house. In the morning servant noticed the rue
erless horse at the gate, and finding blood on the
saddle gave the alarm, and search was begun
The body Of the young man was found on the sue
If the public road within hundred yards OF the
houses above mentioned. lie had evidently hved
only a few minutes. Five bullets had entered his
back. The young man had not an enemy in the
comfy 50 far as any of his friends knew, and
.Io ifv
murder IL was subsequently discovered tlat Martin
was shot by a party Of negroes VINO WORKED Oh Ms
close 10 their work. allowing them little license. 1t
was also believed that the people IN the houses near
where the murder was committed knew all aDouV ~,
and that was the reason they would not go 10 tle
assistance of the diving man.
There not rlmOr In the town OF LarhWeIi
last night that violence contemplated. Had
there been whisper Of it, the jail would nave Dee
ly The mob were Ripley johnson, Michel ADAMS
Peter Bell, "Rafe' MOncl Hugh Furze Hudson
Johnson, Robert Phoenix and Judge Jones. Ihe}
were shot TO pieces The firing was the first intna
ton the people of the town had OF the trouble ~
avenge The lynching. In response TO reInest 'ne
Governor ordered a company 0f Infantry ana one oI
cavalry To prepare for service. The whites were
armed and pretty we'll organized and tonight the
town IS reasonably quiet $500 49,.
The leading men OF Barnwell tonight SEM o1 tE,s
community had been greatly inccnsed by me repeated
prominence having recently been killed that inc ulai
Of some Of these negroes had been put on, that ~
seemed If justice would not be done. They could
not explain their feelings, nOr' could they nope 1oI
the out world understand how they felt AT the
repeated 0utragcs but they confident any other
community in the country would nave acteu III TIC
manner.
The News and Courier wr tomorrow by
way of comment on the Barnwell Hnchlng: Ihere
was nothing brave manly in the conduct OF me
mob who committed this atrocOus crime agasi-t inc
peace and dignity of the State and against humanity
itself 1t would not be difficult for several hundred
men at any time TO OverpOwer eight defencelesS
negroes and shoot them 10 death. 1t no evidence
Of courage that mob Of masked men, knowing that
they would meet with resistance, and, almost
certain that they would escape all responsibility Tor
their crime should take eight unarmed negroes out
into the mists of the morning and say them as II
they were so many beasts OF the field. II speaks
i'll for the public sentiment Of the state that band
OF disguised men should seize prisoners under the
care OF sheriff and put them TO death without the
fnrnaIftv az a trial.