Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1889-03-22
A VIRGINIA LYNCHING.
MfGRUDER FLETCHER HANGED
FOR 4 CRIMINAL ASSA CLI
on 4 WHITE LADY.

VdGPTDER FLETCHER HANGED
FOR 4 CRIMINAL ASSA CLI
on 4 WHITE LADY.
SWIFT RETRIBUTION BY A BODY OF
MASKED ACCOMACIANs--@oTH-
ERs. WIVES, SISTERS AND DAUGH'
TIERS TO BE PROTECTED.
Magruder Fletcher, the negro who
Sunday night, 10th inst, crlminaily
assaulted Mrs. Mary E. McCready,
a highly respected lady, in the
northern part of Accomac county,
was taken from the Jail Wednesday
night of last week and hanged by
a band of masked me n. Ever
since the crime was committed
there we're rumors Of llnchlng IN
the air. but as two nights had pass
ed since the commission of the
crime without any demonstrations
il was believed that the plan had
been abandoned. But Wednesday
night between l and 2 O'Clock "a
band OF 100 masked men filed into
the village of Accomac Court House
and proceeding to the home OF
Jailer Nelson demanded the keys
of the iai. The demand was re-
fused, whereupon they threatened
TO burn the jailer's house down,
tear down the walls of the jail and
break open the doors. Deputy
Sheriff Nelson, hearing about what
was going on, proceeded to the
iailer's house, where he found the
men furious and determined to
carry out their purpose OF lynchihg
the negro. They were all armed
and some of them were flOurishlng
their pistols in the air. The dep
uty sheriff was seized, and some oil
the men entering the house, over
powered the jaier, and forced him
to surrender the keys. They then
proceeded to the Jail, took the ne
gro from his cell, and, placing MIN
in a cart, moved rapidly out OF the
village in a northerly direction
When ab ut one mile away they
halted, took the negro ont OF the
cart. mutllated him and then sus
pended nim from the limb OF pine
tree. where he was allowed to hang
till he was dead. They then fired
a number of bullets into his body
and rode away. The body was
found hanging 10y the roadside ear
| ly the following morning, with :
card pinned on his breast, with The
following legend: awe will protect
our mothers, our wives, our slster'
and our daughters. Committee"
The place where the negro was
hung is in the midst of a pine for
est near Taylor Branch. Hundreds
of people visited the scene OF thu
hanging, and many carried away
branches of the tree on which th'
negro paid the penalty of his terri
BILE crime. All the men were heav
lly masked, and none of their name
are known to the officials. Capt
McCready, who was on the We
tern Shore of the Chesapeake wheI
his wife was outraged, returned
home Wednesday. The lyncher
were all on foot when they went t
the village, having left their horse
in the woods near by. While b
was being taken from the Jail tn
negro did not utter word, nor l
il known that he said anythinI
afterwards. His crime was one Q
the most outrageous ever comml'
ted here, and public opinion !
with the lynchers.
There was not a shadow OF
doubt as to his guilt, aud his ow
confession would have convicte'
him. The verdict OF the coroner
jury that viewed the body was tina
"Magruder Fletcher came to hl
, death by hanging at the hands
men unknown to the jury" liner
B will be no further legal proceeding
l. in the case.