The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1893-07-08
GLASS EARRING JOB HUNG
The Murderer of the Ray Girls
Lynched.
He PROTESTS INNOCENCE.
Afterwards 1t Was Said He Confessed
the Horrible Crime.
After He Was Strung Up His Body Vas
Horribly Mutilated and Then the
Remains Were Cremated-Last
Act of the Kentucky Tragedy.

BARDwELL. KY, July 7.-Seay J..
Miller the negro charged with the out
rage and murder of Mary and Ruby Ray
was hanged al 1927 this afternoon and the
body burned after beng horribly mutt
lated. The negro made speech pro-
claiming his innocence but it is said he
afterward made partial confession.
The steamer Three States with several
hundred men from Cairo on board met
the special train from Sikeston at Bird S
Point. The prisoner was put on
the boat and taken to Wyck-
life. Frank Gordon, the fisherman who
ferried the murderer across the Missis-
sippi river on Wednesday night identi-
fed Miller as the same man. Still Miller
pleaded innocence, and Ray, father of the
murdered girls, counselled patience.
1t was finally agreed to hang MIN at 8
O'Clock and the negro was placed in Jail
to await the time when he would be
called forth.
At O'Clock the negro was brought
from the jail to the principal street, a
chain around his neck and many men
pulling at it. The crowd was wild and
no one could guess at the fate of the ne
gro. He was most suffocated when the
north end of the depot was reached
and the father of the girls
relented to some extent and suggested
that he be hanged rather than burned.
At 3:27 the body was swung to telegraph
pole directly at the north end of the depot,
and as he was drawn up his clothes were
torn from his body by the maddened mob.
He was heard to say just as they
drew him up: I'm an innocent mani"
But there is fully authenticated report
that he made a partial confession as the
mob took him from the jail. The con-
! fession duplicates his partner, but moth
| ing positive can be learned.
The mob brought the prisoner to this
city, arriving at 4:30 O'Clock. There
were not less than 5000 men at the depot
and the train was crowded. Previous to
this an agreement was made by the peo-
pie to allow the father of the children to
prescribe the punishment Sheriff Hud-
son, the prisoner and guards mounted a
scaffold which had been erected, and John
Ray, father of the murdered girls, made a
talk in which he said:
''This is the man who killed my chill
dren, but let us keep quiet now and at
the proper time burn him.
! The negro was called upon and re-
sponded promptly and with wonderful
nerve considering the circumstances
under which he was placed. His voice
was clear and he seemed oblivious to his
surroundings. His exact words were as
follows:
my name is Seay j. Miller and am
from Springfield, Ills. [ am here among
you as stranger and looked on by you
as the most brutal man that ever stood or
Gods green earth. l am standing here
an innocent man among excited men VINO
do not propose to let the law take its
course. have committed no crime to be
deprived of my liberty or life, am moi
! guilty.
At this time he was disturbed by sew
eral questions and many called on him tc
go on, but Sheriff Hudson begged to be
| permitted to put him in jail and get some
rest for himself which he needed badly.
AS the negro was drawn up and when
his feet were two or three feet from the
ground some one shot him from the front
the ball passing entirely through his
body. In few minutes life was extinct,
it being ascertained that he was dead al
3:45 o. clock. The body was left hanging til
4:25, during which time some of the toes
and fingers cut off. The body was finally
taken down and the ears cut off and near
lily all the remaining toes and fingers were
severed and the body otherwise mutilated
The body was then placed between two
kegs and kindling piled upor
it, and then enough wood to
complete the job OF burning. The
crowd remained orderly to the last
but very determined. The men who die
the hanging are from Kentucky, Ten
nessee, Illinois and Missouri, but the
work was done in such a manner and thu
throng was so great that no man cal
name an individual who participated.