The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1890-01-03
JUDGE LYNCH RAMP ANT.
Wholesale Execution of Me-
groes in South Carolina.
EIGHT RIDDLED WITH BULLETS.

Prisoners and witnesses Alike Were Taken
from jail by Band of Lawiess Masked
Men aud Shot to Death - The JaiIer's
Thrilling story of the Tragedy.
CHARLESTON, s. c., Dec. 3O.-The one
topic of conversation here is the lynching OF
the eight negro prisoners at Barnwell Satur-
day. Full details of the awful crime have
been received and all unite in denouncing it
as an outrage against humanity. Not only
were the principals charged with the muir
ders of whites lynched, but accessories be-
fore the fact and even witnesses met the
same fate. The people of Barnwell town
knew nothing of the crime until they awoke
on Saturday morning. How the prisoners
were taken from the Jail is best told by
Jailer Neville's statement, which he gave as
follows:
Jailer Nevil1e's Story.
"About half-past or 8 o'clock Saturday
morning some one knocked at the gate.
got up and opened the window and asked
who was there. Some one in the crowd said
My name is Black, from Martins Station,
with prisoner Come out and take him )
told them to hold on until got ready.
dressed quickly and went out as usual TO re-
ceive prisoner.
Iu Rushed a Mob.
II unlocked the gate, and as l opened it a
mob of masked men rushed in on me- They
demanded the prisoners from Martins Sta
tion and asked me where they were. told
them they we're in jail. By this time they
had taken the keys from me, but told me to
30 and unlock the DOORS l told them
would not, that they must unlock the doors
themselves, as they had the keys.
Threatened with Death.
"The crowd then went to the door of the
Jail, with the keys unlocked it and showed
me in the Jail ahead of them As / struck
the second Jail gate, which is of iron, they
told me to take the keys and unlock it.
refused to do it, and then they threatened, &c
shoot me, drawing pistols 1 told them l
could not unlock that gate, and they sent
down to the yard for an ak and said If I'd
not open it they would knock the whole
ID thing open and let the prisoners out
Just before the crowd got to the gate that
leads to the cells and rooms / told them il
they were determined TO go into the jail to
give me the keys and would unlock the
gate, but asked them not to turn out any OF
the prisoners except those they wanted"
Witnesses and Prisoners Alike Went.
"They themselves took the key, unlocked
the door, went into the Jail and took out first
Mitchell Adams, who was charged with the
murder of j. j. Hefferman Then three of
them carried out Judge Jones, Robert Php-
nix, Peter Bell, Hugh Furz, Harrison John
son and Ralph Morrall all colored Bell
was charged with the murder of Robert
Martin, who was mysteriously killed at Mar
tins Station last Saturday. Hugh Furz was
in as an accessory to the killing, and Ralph
Morrall and Robert Phoenix were held as
witnesses, but were supposed to have been
accessories to the crime Judge Jones and
Harrison johnson were held as witnessed.
"we'Il XIII Them Right Here"
''The crowd next roped the eight prison
ers, brought them down stairs and marched
them through the principal streets, compel
ling me to go with them. We got seventy
yards across Turkey creek, which is about a
quarter of mile away. They stayed there
some fifteen or twenty minutes, and the
crowd asked the prisoners good many
questions
AFTER talking to the prisoners l heard
some one in the crowd say: Wen kill them
right here l asked the guard who had me
in charge to carry me back to the bridge as
did not want to see the negroes killed. The
crowd that had me said should not go back.
About that time two or three men ran up,
caught hold of me and told the guards who
had me in charge to carry me back to the
bridge.
Many Shots Fired.
Zone man on each side of me walked me
back, and l, with the guard, sat there twenty
five or thirty minutes before the crowd left
me. About thirty minutes after they were
gone they commenced firing. 1t seemed to
me they kept firing five or six minutes.
imagine $50 shots were fired in that time.
The guard then said, Let's go up the road
where the party are firing l mounted
horse that a man was leading and rode up
the road some $50 yards before the firing
ceased
"We won't few steps further, when we
met the crowd returning to town. They es-
corted me back to town, and bidding me
good night said l could go to bed or go tell
the sheriff that they had wound it up The
crowd then dispersed"
The Scene of the Execution.
The CHASTITY scene at the place of execu
tion is thus described by man who in
spected it; "1he bodies were lying on the
roadside. When we reached there at o
o'clock the bodies of johnson and Adams
had been removed, but the others were un-
disturbed. The mob divided the murderers
putting the Hefferman sayers on the left of
the road and the Martin murderers on the
right The negroes arms were pinioned and
tightly tied to trees with strong ropes before
they were shot. They were not hanged,
however. 1t is impossible to describe how
many shots each man received and where
they were struck, as their bodies and heads
were literally torn to pieces. lsHss75s
Mitchell Adams was tied to the post
which marks the corporate limits of Barn
we'll just to his right his acconpHce. Rip
ley johnson, was fastened to a tree. The
Martin murderers on the other side of the
road we're arranged in line.
A Horrible Death.
Some of the negroes were old men, Nor
rail- possibly being go years old, and Peter
Bell about the same age Some of the un-
fortunate men had their eyes shot out,
Others were wounded in the chest and face.
Blood covered the ground upon which they
laid, and more horrible sight could not be
imagined
He named the cases of Stewart shooting
Mr., j. L. Brown, the killing of Robert Mar,
tin, the shooting of Mr.. Joe Dickinson by
Jasper Bradham and the shooting of Mr..
Nat Weekly by an unknown negro. Sheriff
Lancaster was at home when the Jail was
attacked, and was greatly surprised when
he heard of the shooting. He does not APP
prehend further trouble and has no guard
at the Jail
Verdict of the Coroner's Jury.
The verdict of the coroners journey is as
follows: THAT the aforesaid parties came
to their deaths by gunshot wounds inflicted
by the hands of party or parties unknown
The negroes threaten 10 immigrate from
the county in body.
HoBoKRN, N. j., Dec. 3O-Edward G.
Moller, young married man, killed him
self last night at his home, 100 Hudson
street, by blowing out his brains. He leaves
widow and three children He was the
son Of Christian Moller, the sugar refiner.
who committed suicide about eight wears
ago, No cause can be assigned for the
suicide
Mrs Stewards Suicide.
New YoRK, Dec. 3O.-Mrs. Robert Stew.