The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-01-05
A CARNIVAL OF BLOOD.
eIxTY-sEvEN LIVES LOST AT A
LYNCHlNG.

ing the Jail and twenty five of the
Lynchers on the List OF Dead "A
Murder by Moopshiners at the Bot
tom OF the Trouble.
JOHNSON CITY, TENN, Jan. last
night mob Of 500 men entered the jail at
Badgersville. n. c., and took Calvin Snipes,
who had murdered Isaac Osborne, q prom
inent citizen Of Mitchell county, to a dense
forest about half mile away aud lynched
him.
Seven Of the sheriff's posse were killed In
their efforts to defend the prisoner.
About twenty-five of the mob were
killed and among the dead and wounded
some of the most prominent men in the
county were the untortunates.
DETAILS OF THE LYNCHING.
JOHNSON CITY, TENN, Jan. 4, IL P. NJ
The facts which led up to the terrible
lynching affray in Bakersville, N. c., were
as follows: Aaron Wisemau and Calvin
Snipes were partners in an illicit distillery
In Mitchell county, North Carolina, and had
told William Osborne and Isaac Osborne two
brothers. where the distillery was situated.
William Osborne reported the distillery to
the authorities at bakersville. N. c., and
helped them to destroy it. Wlseman and
Snipes suspected Isaac Osborne of being the
reporter On the night of Aug. "a, 1892,
Snipes and Wisemsn, armed with Win
chester rifles went to tae house of Isaac
Osborne and called him up Osborne
came to the door and the culprits opened
fire, almost riddling him with BULLETS. Wise
man and Snipes were arrested. but sufficient
evidence could not be obtained against Wise
hex Gil -
over to the superior court on purely cir
cumstantial evidence. He was placed
in jail, and after being confined
about two weeks, confessed TO the killing in
the above manner. The story of the lynch
ing and the fatal conflict with the sheriff's
posse is confirmed The names Of those of
the sherif's posse killed are as follows: ],
N. Williams, d. I. Richie, K. N. Jones,
z. B. Sans, R. f. johnson, Aaron Reed,
T. N. Beckuer, j. w. Laws, n. r. Pan nell,
g. N. HalIifield. Tom Hall. The names Of
those of the mob killed are: John w orth.
William Osborne, T. q. Bailiff, VIII Perry,
John Osborne, Phil Crowder. Jim Nance,
Will Butler. Hagey Byrd, Owen Thomas,
Jack Phillips and several others, whose
names are not known at present.
sEvRNTYsFIvE IN THE JAIL.
MARION, N. g., Jan. 4, II P. M.-The last
ats ok on the Mitchell county jail was made
at o'clock Tuesday night. The structure
Is frame building and little calculated to
Withstand an assault, but Sheriff Moomsws
had it garrisoned with about eeventy-five
determined men, who declared that they
tack was expected. All day Tuesday
mountaineers of Mitchell, McDougall and
YsncY counties were assembling In
the little mountain hamlet of Bakersvills
until the population Of 500 was about
doubled. At O'Clock IN the afternoon a
formal demand was made upon Sheriff
Moomaws for Snipes and the two Whitsons
by messenger from the mob, who ap-
preached the jail under flag of truce. To
this the garrison responded: I'VE will die
first" Then they knew there would be
fight. The little company split up into
three parts, one remaining in the Jail aud
the other two occupying the sheriff's house
and barn near the main building. Win
chesters we're loaded and the walt for the
final struggle begun. The men were not
long in suspense. The night would be bright
with moonlight and it was useless for the
mob to wait for dark.
THE FIRST ATTACK.
About sundown the first attack was made.
At least 800 armed men marched up the
road, and then, with howl, broke for the
jail. The garrison was ready. Halt or I'll
give the order to fire." sang out Sheriff
Moomaws. No attention was paid TO the
uoi FhCt Ahbk Oub tuu OlOSig hDu
seventy-five rifles poured direct and flank
ing hail Of bullets into the lynch
ers. They wavered moment
as a score of them went down, but with
the steadiness of veterans closed up their
ranks and rushed forward with the old
rebel YELL" Agsin ths rifles Of the be-
sieged rang out and this time they were
answered by concentrated fire from the
mob. The aim was deadly. Every window
on the exposed sides Of the buildings occu-
pied by the defenders was shot out and a
dozen men fell wounded or killed. Their
bodies hampered the deputies, who were
unarmed, and only few could close up TO
the windows and return the volley before
the mob was on them.
THE POSSE ovERPowERED.
There was a short struggle, a few res
volvers we're fred, 100 clubbed rifles and all
was over. The deputies, with their leader,
Sheriff Moomaws, mortaliy wounded, were
In the hands of a mob, and every one Of
them was looking down the muZzle Of at
least three Winchesters. There was no hope
Tor further resistance, and the fate of the
three murderers was sealed. Without wait
ing to pick up the, dead or care
Tor the wounded. the mob made q rush
at the door OF the jail and it went down
before the shoulders of score of stalwart
men. The prisoners were reached. They
were the only ones Ia the jail and the mob
had no trouble In breaking down the frail
cells. Half dead with fear the culprits were
dragged out into the open air, where ropes
we're placed around their necks with 100 men
mad with thirst for blood at the end of each.
The wretches were dragged over the ioe-
covered rocks to a piece Of woodland half q
mile away. Behind them followed the re-
mainder of the mob firing at the PROSTATE
forms at almost every step. The victims
were undoubtedly dead before they bad
been dragged twenty yards and it was a
mere semblance of human forms that was
strung up when the woods was reached.
THE DEAD AND WOUNDED.
Then the mob returned to look after the
dead and wounded. In a little inclosure
and on the roadbed in front of the jail,
twenty-five bodies were found, and 10 three
buildings eight more were rigid in death.
ABOUT thirty others we're wounded, some of
tnem fatally, among these being the gal
ient Sheriff Moomaws, who was shut twice
tnrough the chest and three times through
the abdomen. Nothing definite is known of
soe wounded, as Bakersville is miles away
from a telegraph Office, and all the news
brought TO this point or johnson City,
Tenn, comes by carrier. Since the first
news was received four more OF
me sheritf's posse are reported dead
and hve more Of the mob. The mob
remained under arms. A handful Of the