Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-10-16
THE ALABAMA LYNCHlNG.
True Story OF the Trseedy-No Burning
| No MutiIation.
fBy telegraph TO the Dispatch.I

fBy telegraph TO the Dispatch.I
MOBILE, ALA. October Wednesday
last there was so vigorous demand for
the particulars of the lyuching of the ne
groes who murdered Richard J.. johnson
and his beautiful daughter Johnetta at
Davis Ferry Friday night, October 9TH,
that special correspondents of q number of
papers manufactured details suitable TO
the occasion. stating that after the hang
ing the men riddled their victims with
bullets and then burned them, the roast
ing proceeding while one of the victims
was yet alive. The locality was so distant
from n telegraph station that 1t was i'm
possible for these details TO have been
communicated at the time, and il is not
surprising to learn that they are for the
most part false.
FRIDAY night Johnson was killed at his
front gate. and his daughter was killed in
the house while she wac playing upon the
piano. The house was then set on fire and
consumed, JOhnson's body being pre-
viOusly placed therein. On Saturday
morning Handy Packer. jim Packer,
Moses Johnson, and Nose Jones, with
seven other negroes. were arrested. and
Handy Packer made a statement which
convinced the crowd that his brother. Jim
Packer, and Moses Johnson were guilty.
and proposition was made that
tho two be lynched but wiser coun-
sci prevailed The two men were taken
before magistrate, where both asserted
their innocence, and were duly charged
and committed to iail at Monroeyille,
twenty miles distant. where thew arrived
on Saturday night. During the day blood
was found on the clothing of Nose Jones,
and an axe with blood and hair on the
eve was found in the yard OF Burwell
Jones Noses brother. Thereupon, Nose
Jones was rearrested, and also Handy
Packer, because his evidence had not
hitherto implicated Nose Jones.
Handy Packer made full confession.
He said that on the morning of the murder,
he, Moses Johnson, Nose Jones, and jim
Packer agreed TO kill Richard l.. johnson
and get his money. They arranged the
details and met that night in the woods
about three hundred yards from John
sons They advanced TO Johnson's gate
at 9 o'clock. Handy and Jim Packer
we're set to watch the roads in either direc-
ton, and the other two called Johnson to
tho gate. As soon as he came up
hose struck him with an axe,
went into the house. Packer claimed
that he and his brother renamed outside
all the time. He did not know what hap
pened in tho house, and heard but one
scream from Miss johnson. The two men
ran out very quickly, and all four departed
much scared and without any money.
They recovered courage in half an hour.
however. and returned. They found that
Mr.. johnson had crawled ten feet toward
the house and died. They took up his
body and carried it into the house, deposit-
ing il in room different from that IN which
Miss johnson lay dead. They all four set
fire to the house and awaited to see that 1t
was burning well before they departed.
Handy Packer and Nose Jones were sent
l.. ,-l L. fnara
at 8 o'clock at night. Jim Packer and
Moses Johnson were then questioned, and
the answers thev made convinced the
ouestioners that Handy Packer had told
the truth. They all denied that any vlo-
lence had been offered TO the young lady.
The news of the confession spread rapid
", and Wednesday morning early 200 men
gathered and consulted near the jail
in Monroeville. They called on the
sheriff and taller, j. d. Foster. for the
KEYS of the Jail. but he replied that
he had sworn TO do his duty and would
not surrender the prisoners. The mob at
once tore down the fence surrounding the
Jail and broke In the jail door. They over
powered Foster and took the keys of the
cells from him and soon had possession of
the four negroes.
The people were very much excited. and
some proposed to start bonfire and throw
the negroes into it, but the leaders said
that the men should be taken to the
scene of the crime. At Z o'clock
the procession started in the direc-
ton of Davis Ferry. At Grdham's
bridge. over Flat Creek the patience of
the mob gave out. however, and they de-
clded upon immediate punishment of the
four negroes. The doomed men were
marched twenty yards up the road and
stationed in line, their hands tied behind
their backs. Then the order was given to
FIRE. and every gun was discharged. The
negroes were all killed instantly. their
bodies were left where they fell. and were
never burned nor mutilated. The Oldest
of the four was about 10 years of age.