The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1893-01-07
PROMINENT MEN KILLED.
All the Previous Bloody Work Of
Lynohers 0utdone.
WAR ON A SMALL SCALE,
A Mazkea Mob If Five Hundred Men Attempts y
Lynch Murderer and Become engaged IN
aEar with the gherlE's Posse.

Johnson CRY, Tenn. Jan. q sTues-
day night masked mob 81 five hum
dred men entered the jail az Bakers
vile, NJ G., and took Calvin Snipes, who
had murdered Isaac Osborne, 81 promt-
nent citizen 81 Mitchell county, 70 .
dense forest. about half ! mile away,
1 and lynehed him.
Eleven Of the sheriffss posse were
/ killed In their efforts to defend the
! prisoner. AL out Twenty-Five Of the
mob were killed. and among the dead
and wounded some Of the most promi-
ment men Ia the county were the un-
/ fortunates
The facts which led 10 the terrible
llynching are as follows: Aaron Wise
man and Calvin Snipes were partners
In an Illicit distillery in Mitchell
county, N. q, and had told William
/ Osborne and Isaac 0sbore. two broth
ers, where the distillery was situated.
/ william Osborne reported the distillery
10 the officials at Bakersvilie. n. g.. and
helped them to destroy It. Wiseman
and Snipcs suspected Isaac Osborne as
the reporter
On the night 81 August a. 1892,
Snipes and Wisrman, armed with VIM
\ chester rifles, went 10 the house Of
i Isaac Osborne and called him up Mr.
i Osborne came 10 the door and the cul-
4 prits opened fire, almost Kidding him
| with bullets Wisefnan and Snipes
were arrested, but sufficient evidence
could not be obtained against Wiseman
and he was released. Snipes WAS bound
IL
circumstantia1 evidence. lie WIS placed
/ In Jail, and after being confined about
two weeks confessed TO the killing In
the manner above related.
The last attack Oh the Mitchell eoun-
4 ~ jail was made at Q o'clock Tuesday
i night. Tho structure Is frame build
ing and little calculated 70 withstand
an assault. but Sheriff Moomaw had
i 1t 0arrisoned with about scvcntyfiye
determined men. who declared they
Il would see the law upheld or die. The
attack was expected MI day. Tuesday
4 the mountaineers Of Mitchell. Nc
Dougall and Yancy counties were as
sembling in the little hamlet 81 Bakers
:, vile until the population o. five hun
dred sxns about doug kt4< 1se1pelx
Ia the afternoon d formal dcluard was
made upon Sheriff Moomaw fof 6nipes
! and the two Whitsons BY nesseiiEer
from the mob To this the garrison re-
sponded; eve win die first
Then they knew there would be a
fight The little company split up into
three parts. one remaining IN the jail,
and the other two occupying the sher-
iff.s house and barn near the main
building Winchesters were loaded,
and the wait for the final began. The
men were not long in suspense. The
night would be bright with moonlight,
and ii was useless for tile mob 70 wait
for darkness About shutdown the first
attack was made. Then the armed men
marched up the road. and then with q
howl broke on run for the Jail The
garrison was ready for them. Halt,
or Ill give the order to fire, sang out
from Sheriff Moomaw's mouth, No at
tention was paid to the warning
Fire, = rang out the order, and sew
lenty-five rifles poured a direct and
thanking hail OF bullets into the deter
mined lynchers They wavered a mo-
ment as a score Of them went down
but with the steadiness Of veterans
closed up their ranks md rushed for
ward again underline leadership Of the
4 gigantic mountaineer, who urged them
forward with the old rebel yell. !"
Again the rifles Of the beseiged rang
. out and this time they were answered
bv concentrated fire from the mob
The aim was deadly.
Every window on the exposed sides
of the building occupied by the defend
ers was1shot out, and dozen men fell
] wounded or killed Their bodies ham
pered the deputies, who were nnarmed.
and only few could close up TO the
windows and return the volley before
j f4he mob was upon them. There was a
short struggle A few revolver shots.
! one hundred dubbed rides, and all was
over. Their deputies, with their leader,
J Sheriff Moomaw. mortally wounded,
were in the hands Of the mob, and every
one of them was looking down the
j muzzle Of at least three Winchesters-
4 without waiting to pick up the dead
or care for the wounded, the mob made
aArush at the door Of the jail, and il
| went down before score Of stalwart
!, ffmen. The prisoners were reached.
Half dead with fear, the culprits were
dragged out into the open air. where
. ropes were placed around their necks,
with one hundred men, mad with the
thirst for blood, at the end Of each.
The wrctches were dragged over the ice.
7 covered rocks to piece Of woodland
half mile away.
Behind them followed the remainder
Of the mob, firing at the PROSTATE forms
at every step The victims were I'm.
! doubleday dead before they had been
dragged twenty yards, and It was tbs
mere semblance Of human forms that
Y were strung up when the woods were
. reached. Then the mob returned r
! look after the dead and wounded,
81 InNthe little enclosure and on the
road bed in front Of the Jail twenty-five
. bodies were foundA and in the thres
buildings eight MORE were rigid IL
death. About thirty others were
wounded, some Of them fatally, among
these being gallant Sheriff Moomaw
, who was shot twice through the chesi
and three times through the abdomen
Nothing definite Is known Of ths
wounded, as Bakersville is miles away
i from q telegraph Office, and all news
{ brought tosthis point comes BY carriers
since the first news was received foul
! more 81 the sheriff s posse are reportes
dead and i've more Of the mob.
The mob is stin under arms. but i