Daily Texarkana Democrat., 1893-06-05
AN ILLINOIS LYNCHING.

Samuel Bush, negro charged with
outraging the persons of two highly
respectable ladies near Decatur, ILL.,,
last week, was captured, and after be-
ing taken back to the scene of his
crime for Identification, was deliber-
ately hung by mob composed of
fully 200 citizens. The crime for
which Bush met his death at the
hands of northern mob was a pecul-
iarly atrocious one, the commission of
which richly merited the swiftest and
direst punishment.
On Monday, it is charged, he went
to the house of Mrs. Hubdill and COM
mitted an assault upon her. At II
o'clock Tuesday morning be went to
the house Of VIM. Vest, eight miles
from Decatur, in Mount Zion town
ship, and finding Mrs. Vest alone, he
is alleged to have outraged her in the
presence of her small children. She
only succeeded in escaping death by
promising him money.
The lynching was quietly arranged
and boldly executed affair. The mob,
which was evidently well organized
and determined body, marched delib-
erately up to the Jail wherein the ac-
cused ravisher was confined under a
special guard of twelve men. Their
demand for the keys to the jail met
with prompt refusal from the sheriff.
Not moment was lost in idle recrim-
ination, but fully dozen men armed
with sledge hammers proceeded to
force the prison doors open, and with
in quarter of an hours time the
trembling negro had been snatched
from his cell where he had hidden
himself by crawling under a mattress,
and in ten minutes more the body of
the alleged ravisher of reputable
white women was found dangling in
air in the Sanity state of Illinois, pre-
cisely as though the fendish crime, of
which Bush was accused, had been
committed in any one of the oft-abus-
ed and villified southern states, where
men are taught from infancy that to
defend the honor and virtue of their
women is the inalienable right and
sacred duty of every true man.
In this instance, though, the mob
appears to have been so hasty in the
inAiction of punishment and determ-
ined in the execution Of their ven
geance that they overlooked the pri-
NAL necessity of making certain as TO
the guilt of their victim, thereby
bringing down upon their heads the
condemnation Of the public and caus-
ing the issuance of the following pro-
clamation by Gov. Altgeld;
81 hereby denounce this cowardly
and diabolical act as not only murder
under our law, but disgrace to our
civilization and blot upon the fair
name of our state. The prisoner was
accused of the crime Of rape, but
strongly protested his innocence. lie
was already in the custody Of The law,
and no matter with what crime he
was charged, and no matter whether
he was guilty or innocent, he was en-
titled to fair trial, according to law.
IL must never be said that the laws Of
our great and proud state do not
afford protection TO all, with
out regard to color or condition.
therefore call upon all officers of tho
law, especially of Macon county, as
well rs all citizens who respect the
law and cherish the honor Of this
state, to do all in their powcrto bring
the leaders Of this great crime to JUS
tice. | hereby offer q reward of 5000
each for the apprehension and convic-
tion of every man who helped to
break the doors Of the Jail, overpower
the officers and drag out the prisoner,
or who assiated in KILLING him.