The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1893-07-24
A MEMPHIS LYNCHING.
Terrible Work Of a Mob in the
Metropolis of Tennessee.
THE EXECUTION OF A NEGRO FIEND

The Victim Lacerated with Knives,
Stripped Of Ills Clothes and Hanged To
n Telegraph Pole, and Uis 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, n repulsive
black youth, aged 80 years, was taken out
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 i'm th yard of lumber
firm near by The negro was a native of
north Mississippi and his calendar of
crimes is among the blackest in history,
Within the past week he has made four
attempts TO commit rape, two being sue
cessful one victim being a small colored
girl, 30 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 Mollie McCadden
from her horse OH 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 at 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. lie made full confession Of
| his bestial crimes, aud had only been OUT
of Jail few weeks, where he was SEN
| fenced for rape, committed in the vicinity
| of his parents home.
Walker said he acted rs he did because
he could not help it. His parents corrob-
crate his plea of uncomfortable impulse,
and say that since he was 10 years old he
has assaulted twenty or thirty women.
Wild disorder reigued about the Jail as
the mob gathered to wreak vengeance
The gates of the south wall of the massive
structure were forced with a bar of rail-
way iron used rs a battering ram on the
shoulders of men, and after several at
tempts squads of men crowded within the
walls
Sheriff McLendon was struck over the
head with a 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
/ par was, dLJer several attempts, BOJlen
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 We're interfered 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 upto telegraph
pole. He was naked, a lighted gas lamp
near by making him plainly visible to the
throng He was lacerated with knives and
his throat was cut before being finally
hanged. His hands not having been tied
he clutched at the rope when raised off his
feet The sight was a CHASTITY one He
was a powerful build, his head towering
above those of the mob who surrounded
him.
One of the lynchers stumbled and fell
while the victim was being carried to the
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 concussion
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 Bardwell af-
fair, the body being cremated after the
hanging in full view of 1000 men, women
and children.