The sun., 1893-07-24
THE MEMPHIS LYNCHING.
FEARFUL oUTRaGES PERPEThi TED
BY 4 DRUNKEN CROWD

Tho Negro Gnshed. Hanged. Burned. sua
Dragged Through the Town-Not Re-
venRr. bnt Thirst for Hood seemed 20
Re The Motive-The sheriff Condemned
for Not Offering Re. stance TO the M,s.
MEMPHIS, July 23.-while tho feeling pre-
walls thut Lee Walker, who assaulted two
colored women and who attempted to assault
Miss Mollie McCadden. deserved death, yet the
manner OF his taking Off by the mob on Satur-
day night and tho awful barbAritieE whrh
followed the hanging are condemned by all
good citizens.
The Commercials editorial this morning un-
stntedly condemns Sheriff McLendon for
weakness In not resisting the lynchcrs. Had
the mob been led Ivy citizens OF Dond
station. where Miss McCadden lived. or had
any citizens OF repute hero engaged In tho
lynchnR and cremation. 1t would be looked ut
differently Tho lynchers wcrc drunken
hoodums. and It is recognized that they were
moved not by any principle Of revenge. but
merely by brutal dcslro for blood. which was
proven by the barbarltles perpctrated on tho
dead body.
A few drunken switchmen battered down
sido door to the Jail with bar Of railroad iron.
For fully thirty minutes these few be99ed in
vain for the crowd to follow them into the Jail
yard.
No ono would CO. and the great bulk al The
crowd were there only rs spectators. At this
stage three rlnglendorS were arrested and
locked up In the Jail. They bcRgod to be re-
leased.
The Sherfr's friends pleaded with him to
Keen them locked up. assuring him that
method would stop further trouble He turned
them loose on their promise to NO homo. No
attempt had been mado to foree tho front
doors.
When these men were turnei loose tho front
doors were forced and the crowl swarmed
into the corridor There was still an ample
force Of deputy sherifrs and policemen to keep
the crowd from battering down the
iron door to the body OF the jail. but,
under the Sherlfrs instructions. not Q
pistol. gun. or even n poicemans club was
allowed to be used. Tho Sheriff was struck
senseless with chair. and WAS taken to n bed-
room. The deputies and policemen. having no
leader. stood bv and watched handful, OF
men batter down the door.
The prisoner was brought out with q rope
around his neck. He fought fercey and bit
several men severely. One OF them stumhled
and fell. and the crowd tramrled on him.
breaking his jaw and probably iniuring him
fatally.
A square away the victim was swung up to
telegraph pole. While the rope was being
adjusted men Gnshed tho negro in tho neck.
the side. and legs with knives. His ciothe.
were stripped off aud as the nako1
body swung up he was already nearly dead.
the blood streaming from his wounds. A big
railroad swltchman pulled his legs till his
neck cracked. The body was dashed against
the telegraph pole. When it was cut down It
was kicked and spurned. The cry arose.
Burn him."
Wood was brought from neighboriu9 W God
yard and fre made on the street. Tho naked
body wac thrown on 1t and burned. while the
crowd iested and laughed
That was at midnight For four hours q
drunken remnant OF the mob made fearful
sport with the carcass. Relic hunters
broke off tho teeth. tho nails. bits OF
the skull. and pieces OF burnt fash
for pocket pieces. rope waa tied around
the remnants OF the body and they were
dragged through the streets to the Court
House There the man was hanged to a street
car centre pole. It foil. and Was again lashed
to the pole.
At 4 o'clock this morning the police scattered
the score OF men and boys left of the mob and
the county undertaken at length got posses.
sion OF the remains. A Coroner's jury to-day re-
turned the usual verdict Of death by hang ginR at
tho hands OF unknown parties. Mono OF tho
mob were masked. and there was no conceai-
ment There were 5000 people present, but
not more than forty men took an active part
in the lynchpg and the subsequent bar
barites.
Sheriff McLendon is bndly hurt. lie seems
to have concussion OF tho brain.
Walker tried to commit suicide before he Was
lynched by cutting his throat with glass bot
tie found in his cell.
Walker was 10 years OF 'age.very black, and as
strong as gorilla. He confessed az soon ~
he was arrested. and snid he acted as he did
because he could not help II. Is parents c0r-
and say that since sine he % was is yoars old he has
assaulted twenty or thirty women.