The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1893-07-19

persons-Hnnted Down and Rid
died With Bullets.
Columbia Register 10.
Died at the hands of a mob.
Another lynching has been added
to the record of Lexington county.
Early yesterday morning news
reached Columbia that Dub" Meetze
had been hunted down and lynclled
bv a mob between 8 and 10 o'clock
Sunday night at his old home in Lex
ington county, about seven miles
from Columbia.
About a year ago a warrant was
issued against Meetze in this county
for forgery and one in Lexington
county for horse-steading. He was
captured in jail. The cases against
him were compromised and dropped
upon the express condition that he
would leave the State forever. He
was released and went away.
The circumstances of his tragic
end, as gathered by a Register re-
porter yesterday from citizens of the
neishborhood, are as follows:
Meetze had made threats to burn
his own house andthe houses of sew
eral people who informed against
him in the horse stealing matter, and
had threatened also to kill others.
He had gone away, however, and the
community felt at ease.
A few days ago it was rumored
that he had come back and was hid
ing around i'll the neighborhood.
The citizens were at once aroused to
a feeling Of fearful suspense, not
knowing at what time a house would
be burned or somebody killed from
ambush.
Last Wednesday night Meetze's
house was burned down and his wife
and two children narrowly escaped
being burned to death. The fears Of
the community were still further
aroused by this and every n felt
certain that it was Meetze's work,
and the question was whose house
would be next. The people then be-
gan to look out for Meetze. Sunday
morning, while the congregation was
at service at Zion church, a colored
girl went there in a state of consid-
cradle excitement and told the peo-
pie that she had seen Meetze in the
woods near the house OF MIR An
drew Lorick, whose house was in
c,uded in the list of those threat
ened to be burned.
The. people at once resolved toNin-
an organized search for
Meetze, whom they regarded as an
outlaw and of whom they were afraid.
The search began at once After
searching until about 9 o'clock with
out avail, the posse stopped for the
night, going to their homes.
Sheriff Drafts was at Mr.. Lorick's
house, and shortly afterwards he and
Mr.. Lorick heard some shooting over
in the direction of Meetze's house,
which had been burned.
In company with Mr.. Lorick, the
Sheriff went to the place and looked
around, but no one was to be seen. A
groan vas heard. They asked who
it was and the reply came that it was
Meetze. Going in the direction of
the groan, they came upon Meetze
lying q few yards from the barn in
the agonies Of a fearful death.
There he lay in the dark night, with
one were, no one knew.
Meetze was able to talk q little and
beg for water, but did not say who
shot him. He is reported to have
said that he did not burn his house
on Monday night. In a little while
he breathed his last. The reporter,
was unable to learn from any source
whether there was any proof that
Meetze burned his house beyond
his threat and the consequent sus-
that rested upon him.
From all that could be learned con-
corning his tragic end, it appears
evident that he died at the hsnis-ef
the people among whom he was
raised, because they feared him, and
it is said that there is now a feeling
of relief in that community that he
is dead.
AS he lay on the ground in his
own blood he presented a sad specta
Gle indeed His clothes were ragged
and the bottoms of his shoes were
worn off.
Yesterday morning a crowd of his
former neighbors were gathered
about him as he lay cold and stiff in