The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-06-04
A LYNCHING In ILLINOIS.
DECA JUR CITIZENS HANG 4 NEGRO
ON THE MAIN STREET.

They Were Impatient OF His Prayers and
HI. Protest.. or Innocence OF the Charge
or A..,,,t,rr Two women-Cut Up the
Rope for Souvenirs OF the ocen'on-"oS'
Aiteeid Oner. n Reward in the onso'
DECATUR June 3-Twenty-nre mon walked
into this city OF 22.0o0 people TINS morning
md lynched Samuel Bush on the principal
street without opposition. Bush was the
negro accused of assaulting two white women.
guard OF twelve men had been put In 'ne
jaii and an extra force of men were nut on
duty outside About 800 curious people stood
around the Jail
At lust . o'clock TWENTY-FIVE men came on n
n rush up Wood street They were quiet with
ont masks and moved in n solid body. They
forced thor way through the crowd ana
knock ed on the Jail door Deputy Sheriff MID
XIII and Special Oflcer Foster sat Just insiue
and refused them admission. One blow from
a sledge crashed in tho wooden door. ana inc
two officers were surrounded by twehty-n'e
armed men. The keys OF the lnil were 90.
manded but both officers declared they diu
not have them.
Tho mon then went to work with sledGe
hammers and chisels on the next door 1t was
OF cast iron an inch thick. Twenty minutes
passed before it was forced. The crowa OF
Decatur people stood outside. and there was
no talk Of resistance. Marshal Mason forced
his way through the spectators and into tho
ja;l and started to address the men at WORK.
They seized him and crowded him out OIL the
door. some one gave him hard kick. When
the first door was opened another ono OF steer
bars held Thorn back another twenty minutes
When this was forced frightened negro in
side pointed out Bush's cell Three men
rushed in and found 1t apparently empty.
They rolled over the mattress. lifted 1t up' ana
out tumbled the negro Al day yeast .%oIsr
than at any time before. Gentemen' you arr
a dns rn no sSs oes g :s a
crowd that 1t took five minutes to pull MIN
'n XII this y time bush said nothing. but the
crowd yelled excitcdy News Of the attack I,s on
tho, Jail seemed to have spread over me Town;
the the iail is a telegraph pole, 4 drive toward
that was made but the lynchers nnany WENT
to ono about coo Yards away ono o. me hoS,
prominent corners in the city. and directly IN
An are light made the street intersection
BEEN P paS arouad Tie nssros liz
crowd stopped at the foot OF the pole \. asked t,
;F hs m ss s Hs IL sss down ,he
bricks and began to pray in a s'nglsohhS way way
he called on Jesus to come ana taEs ms bim
He prayed disconneetodly for fully ton min.
Close Close as 8 they Could and many were testing.
Finally the spectators began 10 eet lnuh.ien,;
.tooa had hs E esfS n hail th al
women q pl,ysa t sndasRR the cry
The rone was passed. to the man on the POLE.
He put it over wire and the r crowd pulled;
pulled al lis clSthes into shreds He swung
w four ieet from tie ground and fell back baSk
lad n
.' lie negro was tod to stand upon It; lie re;
arm Of the mole. The hack was driven away
tho tho s gro md The neck was not broken. and
after while the body was cut down Oy
Coroner Eendurs The rors o WAS cut up ana
Among the iynchers was William Vest. hus,
band q tho second woman assaulted; anu
sauted. Bush was. horn at Mason. Miss; in
1850, he said. His father and brother i've i've
.ssFs h.. Ssen OF S
catur for about six weeks On MONDAY, It te
he the aGq's 81 M on
house Of William Vest. eight miles from Do
Vest alone. assaulted her in the presence OF
News OF Tie crime spread oyer the toTEnshiDi
turned out to hunt the negro. who. however.
kept in the brush until he got about twonty-
fivo miles away. Then he came out and was
captured. He admitted being at Vests and
Selling Mrs. Vest by the arm lMst to scare her
lynching that ever occurred in Macon county.
1t is thought that there " Ill be no prosecution.
SPRINGFIELD, ILL.,. j une Gov AltGeld pro.
poses to take cogniZance OF the lynchlng OF
the negro. Samuel J. Bush. by citizens Of Deca-
tur. he autographed States Attorney Mills to-
day to forward Mt once all facts in regard to
the lynchinG. and to say also what effort the
tailor had made To- protect tho victim.
This is Gov. hlt.eld's proclamation. Issued
this evening on the lynching:
Il hereby denounce this cowardly and dia-
bolical act as not only murder under our
laws but as q disgrace to our civilization. and
a blot upon the fair name OF our State. The
prisoner WAS accused OF tho crime Of rape.
but stoutly protested his innocence.
Ho was already in the custody OF the law.
and. no m after with what crime he was charc-
ed. and no matter whether he was guilty or
innocent. he was entitled to n trial-a fair tri
according to the law. 1t must never he said
that tho laws OF our great and proud Stale do
not afford protection to all. without regard to
color or condition.
Il therefore call upon all officers OF tho law.
and especially Of Macon county. as we'll Us on
all good citizens who respect law and cherish
tn bring the leaders Of this great crime to JUS
Il hereby offer a reward OF 5000 each for the
apprehension and conviction OF every man
who helped to break the doors OF the Jail. over
power the officers. md drag ont the prisoner.
or who assisted In killing him"
Tho Governor. moreover. instructed tho
States Attorney Of Macon county to prosecute
tho matter in the most vigorous manner at