Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1891-10-23

ran mp the high hill into the woods. AL
edgine and car were sent down from Clifton
Forge and the body of Boiling, and Wilkin
son and the miner Burton were brought to
town. Bollingis body was carried to the
railroad Office and prepared to be sent to bis
home near Scottsville. Wilkinson was
carried to the Wickham house, and Burton
whose leg was broken, was taken to the
station house. A scouting party of citi-
liens from here and Iron Gate, in the mean
time had gone into the mountains back of
Iron Gate and captured Charles Miller,
John Scott and the boy Morton who were
brought here and lodged in the station
house with Burton The other negro es-
capeu.
The killing of Boiling and the shooting
of Wilkinson stirred the town, especially
the railroad element with whom both were
very popular, to it's depths. The dead
brakeman was a fine looking and fearless
young fellow and greatly liked, and the fact
that he Was unarmed when he was killed
seemed to greatly intensity the feeling.
That the lynching of the prisoners had been
determined on directly after their capture,
was an open secret. Indeed, the hour for
the lynching was openly talked of. No
effort was made by the authorities to avail
OF the only chance for saving the pris-
oners-that was to remove them to Gov
ington. There was no other chance; fol
there is no military company here, there
ale only two police officers who would
have been poWerless, and as for organizing
a force of citizens, the great bulk of them
were comrades OF the young man who had
been murdered. And soon, this single avenue
of escape was cut off by the lynchers
placing guard in the vicinity of the sta
ton house to see that there was no removal
of the prisoners.
THE SECOND TRAGEDY.
About 10 o'clock, and while the moon was
shining like the day, the lynching party COM
posed of some two hundred and fifty men,
appeared near the station house. They
seemed to come by preconcerted plan from
different directions, a large party OF them
marching down from what is known as
grave yard hill in the Eastern part OF the
Ii.
with the policemen, stood on the little
platform in front of it and addressed the
crowd, begging them to desist, but without
avail. In few minute the plank station
house, thirty feet off, was broken open and
two Of the prisoners, Charles Miller and
John Scott, who were handcuffed together,
were dragged out with the boy Morton.
They commenced crying murder" Ropes
were put around their necks and they were
marched about eight hundred yards to the
fatal tree in the gorge, pleading all along the
route for their lives. Arriving at the tree
Miller said Morton had been forced to
come with them to Clifton Forge
against his will. 1t is said by some that
the lynchers went through the CHASTITY farce
of taking the confession" of Miller, the
glst of which is said to have been that they
came to Clifton Forge intending to make
row and that he shot Boiling. The men were
then swung up to the Tree and their bodies
riddIed with bullets. The boy was not
troubled and the lynchers brought him back
to town with them, from which he soon
.ulSdppCdItu. AIutI UlCy SOU DoCh W UOWH
they got cart and taking Burton out of
the station house threw him into it and
hauled him to the same tree. He was say
ing little when he arrived there, except as
sorting that he had killed nobody. He said
what he wanted done with his body and
that he wanted his watch sent to his sister.
He was then hung and shot as the two men
swinging on the other side of the tree had
been. In fifteen minutes the mob had dis
persed, the streets were deserted and the
still light of the full moon sh0ne down on
them as well as on the CHASTITY spectacle left
among the trees in the gorge.
Sunday morning the bright Sabbath sun
shone on hundreds of people vending their
Way out to view the horrid spectacle, and
it was not until nearly 10 O'Clock the bodies
were taken down, put in the fatal cart of
the night before, and brought into town.
They were viewed by aCoroner S Jury, with
the verdict that the deed was done ''by par
ties unknown" The bodies of Miller ahd
Scott were given to their friends for burial
and that Of Burton was inferred by the
authorities.
EXCITEMENT CAUSED BY IDLE RUMORS.
Sunday afternoon passed off in perfect
quiet, but as dark drew on idle rumor receiv-
ing weight by being repeated by few men
of prominence, caused great excitement.
A groundless rumor gained circulation
that the colored miners from this mine and
that-Big Hill, Low-Moor and a half doz-
Ell others were advancing on the town. )"
The whites hurriedly prepared for an attack.
Winchester rifles appeared on the streets.
The hardware stores opened and sold OIL
loaned out their whole stock of pistols, the
roads were picketed for mile OIL SO from
town, the Mayor telegraphed the Governor
for troops, and in short the excitement
among the men and the anxiety among the
women was so great that at one church the
services which had been commenced had to
be discontinued. Of course there was
left any of the mines to go to Clifton Forge
OF anywhere else, and it was far more like
ly that if they had heard the news from
Clifton Forge that they were hunting a
hole in the woods to get into. The Month
cello Guards from Charlottesville arrived
here Monday morning at $50, but finding
no use for their services returned home at
noon. The call for troops is generally de-
plored by the citizens as hasty and ill adj
vised. The call, though the result of the
best motives, is conceded by all to have
been mistake.
Of course lynch law is to be condemned
under any and all circumstances. 1t may
ceiling and see if our house is
of glass before we throw stone.
I cannot help asking myself what Staun-