The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1890-01-01


cns.rupfs. 8 G. Dec. y Eight black
bodies. sieepcd ID gore. junhled together
ike tI,e csrcassss Is Of 50 many bu'chered jsck-
Ala. with bones and brains pro,ruding, lying
half nude npon the gronud. is the siskcning
spectacle that presented itself early this
morning on The limits ofthe little town Of
Barnwell. in this State.
Worked into frenzy by the repeated muir
ders Of white men BY negroes, some of the
osererciled people determined TO avenge
their dead friersls. and in the gray dawn Of
morning they repaid Ike for like, with three
for boot
FIrE WHILE xEx wERE MURDERED.
The murder OF young Robert Madden
last SATURDAY. night made the fiah white
man who. within the last sixty days has
been killed by the bullet of the negroes.
With each succeeding murder the feelings Of
the community have been stirred until they
boiled over at this latest manifestation Of
lawiessness and crime.
At2 2c'clock this morning $50 armed men
in Disguise broke open the jail where eight
suspected coiortd marderers were inprison-
ed, and carried them to the limits ofihe
town and shot them to pieces. No infima-
iion ofthe mo5's purpose had been given to
the town authorities, and the entire matter
was conducted with the utmost secrecy.
rHg JAILER WAS GAGGED.
At the appointed hour they collected near
the jail, and sending a few men to the build
ing the jailer was cleyerly brought To the
door by rrse He was then overpowered,
gagged and put into the hands Of several Of
the lynching party with the u,most quiet.
4 selected posse then erept into the jail, and
with the keys taken from the jailer opened
the cells until they obtained the following
negroes, the first two charged with the muir
der of J. Hefernan, the others with hay-
ing killed Robert Martin:
Ripley Johnson. who IS charged with kill
ing HeiIernsn Mitchell Adams. accessory
before the fact; Peter Bell. who was held
for the murder Of young Robert Martin, and
Handy Johnson and Hugh Furse accesso-
ries Judge Jones, Robert Phenix and Ralph
MlIIdlk NStt ntiA a. Altltc>cc.
4 HORRIBLE SIGHT FoE THE RISING sun.
When the affair was over the men carried
the jaileF back to town, and in an instant
the horses were wheeled and the men sped
homeward. The Sheriff was notified by the
jaiier, and they proceeded to the spot where
the rays of coming morn fell on eight men
tied arouad the waists to trees and riddled
with bullets. Il seemed as if they were tied
with their backs 10 the trees ard standing
up; but some bad slipped down. and were
hanging With feet aud hands trailing on the
ground
The Sheriff at once wired TO Governor
Richardson for help. Things had an ugly
look until the train arrived this afternoon
with a detachment of forty militianen under
command of Colonel H. Copeland, of
Bamberg The Coroner summoned jury
and held an inquest, the usual verdict being
returned-"Tney came 10 their death by gun
shot wounds inn cied BY parties unknown
to thr jury"
Sam Lee, barber who is held as an acees-
sorry ior The murder Of HefIerman, was taken
cut OF Jail 10y the lyneheIs, but was sent back
a. the PARTY thought him innocent.
RDOLED TlIsIR BoDIEs WIN BULLETS.
The poor Nretches we're carried to the ex-
treme limits Of The town. There in the
gathering dawn amid their howls f9rmercy
the crack Of a hundred rifles and as many
pistols rent the air mingling with the death
cries OF eight human beings whose guilt was
as yet uDproven. The merciless mob did
not retire saiis fed until they had fairly rid
died The bodies with bullets.