Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1893-09-28
The Mob Got Him.
THEN ALL WAS SOON OYER WITH
THOMAS SMITH.
The Roanoke Fiend Finally Put to
Hanged, Shot and Burned.

ROANOKE, Va, Sept. 21.-The
outrage upon Mrs. Henry Bishop
has been terribly avenged. Thomas
Smith, the negro guilty of the crime,
and to save whose life a number oi
citizens were shot down, paid hor-
rible peanlty for his fiendish deed
shortly before 5 o'clock this morn
ing. While J. Allen Watts, Judge
! Woods and others were addressing
the crowd last night, Sergeant Grif-
fin with officers Eakin and Austin
took the negro from the Jail, taking
him across the river where he was
secreted in clump of brush on the
river bank. When the negro had
been got out of town the Jail author
tiles opened the doors to the mob
which serged to and fro clamoirng
for vengeance, not only for the out
rage of Mrs. Bishop, but the wanton
shooting down of a score of Roa-
noke's citizens that the Wretch's life
might be saved. When it became
apparent that Smith was not in the
Jail the mob, nothing daunted by
the bloody work of the militiamen,
set about to scour the neighboring
country, determined to have the
negro's life at any cost. All night
long the mob held possession of the
city, while in every direction search
ing parties were hunting for Smith
and his custodians. At daybreak,
Officers Eakin and Austin, who had
spent the night witn Smith in hiding
on the bank of the Roanoke River a
mile and half out of the city,
thinking it safe to return with him
started for the jail. 1t was now 4
O'Clock in the morning.
CAPTURE OF THE NEGRO.
While proceeding along Frank
lin road, near Fifth avenue, about
half way between the starting point
of the prison, 10 or Is men sprang
out of the weeds in a vacant lot and
demanded the surrender of the
negro. The officers, seeing that
they would be shot down in attempt
ing to save their prisoner, surren-
dered him. The frightened negro
was dragged short distance back
the avenue to hickory tree beneath
an electric light. Here he exclaim-
ed: 1.-The Lord have mercy on
mel"
A hangman's moose was quickly
adjusted around his neck, the
other end thrown over limb and
soon the unfortunate man was
dangling between heaven and earth.
Hundreds of pistols were quickly
brought out, and as the body sway
ed about in the air the crowd open
ed fire on it. Five bullets were put
into the heart of the wretch and
two more into his head.
"MAYoR TRoUT's FRIEND.
/ A placard was pinned on the dead
mans shoulders bearing the in
scription:
mayor Trout's Friend" An
other on the middle of the back
bore the legend: "Don't Cut HIM
Down. By Order OF Judge Lynch. "
After disposing of this part of the
work the lynchers quickly returned
to the Jail and mingled with the
great crowd which still fingered IN
that locality. Daylight found a
steady throng of people moving to-
ward the scene of the lynching
Thousands of men, women and
children were begging for pieces OF
the rope used in strangling Smith
to death, pieces OF clothing, a limb
from the hickory tree, and any other
memento of the grewsome event
A man stood by the tree with knife
in hand and handed each a souvenir
Alb. Dingle was in Mexico Friday
shaking hands with friends. Alb
had about 5000 in the Moberly
Mo-, bank which broke not lon
since and will only get 50 cents ol
the dollar. He says the genera
opinion is that speculation by th
4 officers of the bank rather than th
stringency of the money market
: caused the trouble there.