Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1892-03-23
DEATH AT THE HANDS OF A MOB.
SWUNG UP AND RIDDLED WITH BULLETS
ALLEGED CAUSE OF THE WORK
ONE CONFESSION.

ALEXANDRIA, VA, March 18.-[Spe-
cial to Richmond Times The vicini-
ty of the little village of Gainesville, in
Prince William county, several miles
from Manassas, on the Manassas branch
railroad, was the scene of a terrible
tragedy this morning at 3 o'clock, the
occasion being the hanging and shoot
ing to death by mob of sixty masked
men of Joseph Dye and Lee Heff1in,
the convicted murderers of Mrs. Hines
and her three children on the night of
November 9th last.
HISTORY OF THE CASE.
On December 2Sth the trial took place
and both men were found guilty and
sentenced to be hanged to-day, March
18th. Dyes counsel secured writ of
error from the court of appeals, and
subsequently Governor Mckinney
granted respite for Heffiin until the
final result of Dyes case on appeal for
a new trial. This action caused great
deal of dissatisfaction among the popu-
lace in the county, and as the day set
for the execution drew near threats
were made that the verdict of the jury
and the sentence of the court should
be executed Notwithstanding the &C
ton of the court of appeals and the
Governor.
EFFORT TO PREVENT THE LYNCHING.
In the early hours of last night J. L.
JeTreys, the Commemorative attOr-
ney, learned that an unusual number
of men were entering the town of
Warrenton on horseback and that their
object was to put their threats into ex-
ecution, to take the condemned men
from Jail and hang them. Sending for
the jailor and his deputies he instruct
ed them to secretly remove the two
condemned prisoners from Jail and
convey them to Gainesville, q distance
of sixteen miles, in wagon and there
await the morning train to Alexandria
and take the prisoners on there and
place them in Jail.
THE PRISONERS OVERTAKEN.
About midnight the mob, learning
that the prisoners had been removed,
and also being informed the'route TAX
en- and destination, followed and about
3 O'Clock overlook the wagon contain
ing the two condemned men, and a
guard of four. The prisoners were
taken from the guard without resist
ance, and ropes being placed around
their necks they were taken about one
hundred yards from the WarrentOn
pike to separate trees. The two men
begged and plead for their lives to be
spared, protesting their innocence, but
were told that they must die, and were
ordered to confess the crime.
ONLY ONE CONFESSED.
Dye, weeping and begging for his
life, confessed the crime, but said he
was forced to commit it. He was then
strung up and his body riddled with
bullets. Hefflin was then asked to con-
fess. but he refused to say anything
and soon received the same fate of his
companion in crime. This morning
an inquest was held and the verdict
was that the two men came to their
deaths by hanging and pistol or gun
shot wounds at the hands of persons
unknown to the jury. The bodies
were cut down and removed to Gaines
vile to await the claims of their respec-
tive families.
THE LYNCHING CONDEMNED.
1t is said that the people of the
neighborhood where the tragedy oc-
Cured greatly condemned the act, as
the men had been tried, convicted and
sentenced to death, and there was no
reason to suspect that they would es-
cape the penalty.