Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1893-02-23
VENGEANCE
Albert Blount Taken From the Chatta.
BOOga Jail and Hanged.

er in his fight than was Justice last
night, blinded as she was with rage in
stead of the cloth fold that usually
represents her as oblivious to the oscil-
lating of the scales.
Mrs. Moore's outrage was avenged by
an uprising of public indignation all
over the town and Alfred Blount at
the end of a half inch rope on the
bridge.
Everybody saw the indignant upris-
ing from the moment of the arrest of
the brute, and about 400 people saw
the body uprising to an iron girder on
the bridge at later hour in the day.
The crowd that gathered before the
Jail grew larger and larger as the day
drew to a close. AS early as 8 O'Clock
citizens began to address the gathering
crowds. and counseled moderation but
that was useless. The afternoon crowd
was there out of morbid curiosity that
is satisfied with looking on the walls
that shelter some one who has aroused
public feeling. 1t was not a mob as.
sembling for violence but just a crowd
OF people without motive.
AS darkness fell upon the town and
the workshops'sent their hundreds up
on the streets, the character of the
crowd began to change. There was
determination written in the hard lines
of many faces Conversation was car
ried on in groups in subdued tones.
Leaders were not wanting and they
were busy p~erfecting their plans. That
occult attraction of like for like began
to show itself in the crowd-men who
demanded the life of the rapist seemed
to know just where to 60 and who to
go to. Early in the evening a COM
mittee of five gentlemen were admitted
into the Jail to see that the prisoner
was not spirited away. On the outside
other active spirits were busy.
Five hundred people had gathered by
9 O'Clock in front of the Jail. The leav-
EN- had not yet begun to work. There
were a few shouts from men working
themselves up to a pitch of excitement
when a voice was heard in the yard
and instantly all was silent. Then
Cap Elliott's tall form clad in that
check ulster was seer on the embank-
ment. Cap wanted to make a speech.
The crowd listened. When he declared
that Mrs. Moore desired that the man
be left alone until tomorrow for further
identification, he was greeted by a yell
that drowned his further utterances.
An hour after a body of men came
up the street and pushed to the front
in the Jail yard and scattered around
the building, a preconcerted advance
was made on the doors and windows.
There was a crash as of broken glass
as n window was demolished. The
sound wrought the crowd into a fury.
A prolonged shout arose. Several men
battered in the Office door. Two score
men pressed into the opening. The
sheriff and his men pushed them back.
A policeman struck one with his club
halt a dozen pistols were leveled at
him. A cool headed man called out:
Don't shoot an officer, men, and they
won't shoot us. We don't want to
murder men in discharge of their duty.
Overpower them and then their duty
ends" The pistols were withdrawn.
The sheriff and his corps were swept
away like chaff. They saw the useless
ness of shedding blood in defense of a
man who had outraged all la WIS of man
hood and womanhood, and submitted
to the inevitable.
The crowd surged up to the third
floor. Chisels and sledges were brought
to play against the iron doors. The
frightened, covering prisoner was
dragged from his cell. Two ropes en-
twined his neck as he he was hurried
out into the night air. His arrival was
greeted with the hoarse roar of many
voices.
ITO the bridge! To the bridget" was
shouted by many voices. The crowd
parted. The prisoner held by two men
on either side, marched through the
opening in the crowd and headed the
procession up Walnut street.
The doomed man was frightened. He
looked at the sullen faces around him.
He saw no plying eye, no friendly face.
No helping hand was outstretched. His
breast heaved with his deep inspiration.
His legs trembled beneath his weight.
and his supporters bore him up. Every
step nearer the bridge became more
difficult for him to make. His face
had the pallor of death upon it. To
repeated demands to confess his crime
Bio unit persisted in maintaining his
innocence. Twice he said that he
had been at Mrs. Moore's place for
something to eat. Prior to his taking
he had maintained that he had not
been there at all.
At the entrance to the bridge he was
told to pray-taat his life would soon
be ended. He prayed. His petition to
his God vas inaudible to his attend
ants. He broke down completely
and he was dragged 200 feet out on the
bridge, to the end of the first span,
where the execution took place. He
had to be held up while the cord was