The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1893-07-24
A MEMPHIS LYNCHINC.
Terrible Work of a Mob in the
Metropolis Of Tennessee.
THE EXECUTION OF A NEGRO FIEND.

Tho Victim LacerateY with Knives,
Stripped of His Clothes and Hanged to
Telegraph Pole, and His Body After
ward Reduced to Ashes.
MEMPHIS. Tenn. July 25,-The Jail of
Shelby county, within the city limits, was
broken into by several hundred men at
midnight and Lee Walker, repulsive
black youth, aged 10 years, was taken ont
and strung up to a telegraph pole near the
bank OF Wolf river and few hundred
yards from the Jail. Afterwards his body
was cremated in the yard of n lumber
firm near by. The negro was native of
north Mississippi and his calendar of
crimes is among the blacklist in history
Within the past week he has made four
attempts to commit rape, two being sue
cessful, one victim being n small colored
girl, g years old, who was badly ,lacer-
ated, and the other a married woman of
his own color.
Last Tuesday. fifteen miles east of this
city, he dragged Miss Mclle McCadden
from her horse Oil the public highway and
attempted to outrage her. She only es-
capped by the aid Of her sister, who beat
the villain off with heavy stick af-
ter both girls were nearly stripped of their
clothing. An alarm was spread, and
posses of armed citizens chased the negro
across the country for more than thirty
miles lie was finally captured Mt the
house Of his mother, seven miles from New
Albany, Miss, and placed in Jail, where he
remained until the mob took him out for
execution. He made full confession of
his bestial crimes, and had only been out
of Jail n few weeks, where he was sem
tenced for rape. committed in the vicinity
Of his parents home.
Walker said he acted as he did because
he could not help it. His parents corrob-
orato his plea of uncomfortable impulse,
and say that since he was 10 years old he
has assaulted twenty or thirty women.
Wild disorder reigncd about the Jail MS
the mob gathered to wreak vengeance.
The gates of the south wall of the massive
structure were forced with bar of rail
way iron used as n battering ram on the
shoulders of men, and after several at
tempts squads Of men crowded within the
walls.
Sheriff McIendon was struck over the
head with n chair within the Jail door as
he tried to keep the mob out of the door.
He was carried upstairs, placed in bed and
received surgical attention. None of the
mob were masked, and seemed to be mainly
young railway switchmen. The railway
bar was, after several attempts, gotten
inside Of the Jail and the two iron doors
were battered down. occupying half an
hour before they reached the cell where
the victim was The man was taken out,
all the doors being thrown open, but no
other prisoners were interfcred with.
The mans clothing was torn from his
body as he moved with the mob to Will
Jams lumber yard, 200 yards north of the
Jail, where he was strung up to n telegraph
pole. He was naked, a lighted gas lamp
near by making him plainly visible TO the
throng. He was liberated with knives and
his throat was cut before being finally
hanged. His hands not having been tied,
he clutched at tie rope when raised off his
feet The sight was ghastly one. He
was a powerful build, his head towering
above those of the mob who surrounded
| him.
Ono Of the lynchers stumbled and fell
while the victim was being carried to tho
telegraph pole, and the crowd trampled on
him, breaking his jaw and probably injur-
ing him fatally Sheriff McLendon is
badly hurt. He seems to have conclusion
| of the brain
In two hours his remains were only ashes
among the embers of the funeral pile with
which he had been destroyed. The lynch
ing was very similar to the Burdwell af-
fair the body being cremRted after the
| hanging in full view Of 600 men, women
and children,