Waterbury evening Democrat., 1893-07-08
A KENTUCKY LYNCHING.
A Negro Hanged, Shot, Mutt. lated and His Body Burned.
HE PROTESTED HIS INNOCENCE.

Men of Four States Formed . Ferocious
 Mob That Could Not Bs Checked-HanE-
 ing Substituted For Turning at the InstI-
 gation of the Murdered Girls Father.
 BARowELL, Ky. July S-Seay J. Miller, the negro charged with the outrage and murder of Mary and Ruby Ray, was hanged and the body burned after being horribly mutilated. The negro made a speech pro claiming his innocence, but it is said that he afterward made a partial confession.
 The steamer Three States, with several hundred men from Cairo on board, met the special train from Sikeston at Birds point. The prisoner was put on the boat and taken to Wyckliffe. Frank Gordon, the fisherman who ferried the murderer across the Mississippi river Wednesday night, identified Miller as the same man. Still Miller pleaded his innocence, and John Ray, the father of the murdered girls, counseled patience.
 The mob boarded a train at Wyckliffe and brought the prisoner to this city. There were not less than 5000 men at the depot, and the train of eight coaches was crowd ed. Previous to this time an agreement was made by the people to allow the father of the children to prescribe the punish nnent, but when the train arrived it seemed that the men forgot their promise for tha time.
 They rushed to the train one over anoth- CT, and at one time it was thought by q great many that the negro was being torn limb from limb. At last quiet was restored, and all went to a very high scaffold con- structed of bridge timbers.
 The Sheriff Was Present.
 Sheriff Hudson, the prisoner and a num- Der of guards mounted the stand. John Ray. the father of the murdered girls, made @ talk, in which he said, This is the man who killed my children, but let us keep quiet now, and at the proper time burn him."
 The negro was called upon to make n speech. and responded promptly and with wonderful nerve considering the circum- stances under which he was placed. His voice was clear, and he seemed almost ob- lvious to the surroundings. His exact words were as follows:
 My name is Seay J. Miller and am from Springfield, Ills. My wife lives at Tl6 North Second street. l am hero among you O stranger and looked on by you as the most bru- tal man that ever stood on Gods green earth. am standing here an innocent man among ex- cited men. who do not propose to let the law tale its course. have committed no crime to be deprived of my liberty or life. I am not guilty.
 At this time he was disturbed by several questions and many called on him to go on, but Sheriff Hudson begged to be per mitted to put him in jail and get some rest for himself, which he needed so badly. At this time Mir. Ray, the father of the children, appeared on the stand and talked only few moments, carrying on a conver- sation with several persons on the ground. Mir. Ray repeated the charge against the negro and said he was willing to set time and place for the execution, which was agreed between him and several bystand- CTS should be 5 o'clock. It was then a few minutes past noon and then the negro was placed in jail to await the time when he would be called forth.
 Chnin Around His Neck. When the negro was brought from the jail to the principal street a chain was put around his neck and many men were pull ing at it. The crowd was wild and no one could guess at the fate of the negro. He \ was almost suffocated when the north end | of the depot was reached and here the | father of the girls relentcd to some extent | and suggested that he be hanged rather | than burned.
 The body was accordingly swung to a | tall telegraph pole directly at the north end of the depot, and he was drawn up | HIS clothes were torn rom ms DOuy Dy tht madiened mob. He was heard to say just as they drew him up, 'T am ap innocent man" But there Is a fully authentic re port that he made at least a partial comics sion Gs the mob took him from the jail but the confession duplicates a partner ir some way. and nothing positive can b, | learned.
 The negro was drawn up with his face tC the p ole, and when his feet were two ol three feet from the ground some one shot him from the front, the ball passing en tirely through his body. In few minutes life WAS extinct. The body was left hang ing, during which time some of the toe and fingers were cut off.
 The body was finally taken down ant carried about 800 yards to the rear of th, Downs 6 Harlan mill. At that place thu ears were cut of nearly, all the remaining toes and fingers were severed and the bodI otherwise mutilated. The body was theI placed between two kegs and kindlinl piled upon it, and then enough wood t. complete the job of burning. The crowt remained orderly to the last, but very de termined. The men who did the hanging arc from Kentucky, Tennessee, Illinois ant Missouri, but the work was done in such
 manner, and the throng was so great tha
 no man can name an individual who par
 ticipated.
 Leather Merchants Called to Action