The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1893-06-15
LYNCH LAW IN ILLINOIS.
THE DECATUR JAIL STORMeD nv y.
HOWLlNG MOB

Southern Neg ro, Who u,d Conm,a,as
! tho Usual Crime, D:.ggsd Out aud
. Hanged In the Heart of the CITY.
DECATUR, ILL.,, June 3.-Early this
morning mob attacked the county
lall and lynched Samuel J. Bush, a
negro who made criminal assault
upon Mrs. William II. Vest, in Mount
Zion township last Tuesday.
The details of the lynching were
sensational from start to finish Bush
was in Jail awaiting trial. a guard
OF twelve men had been put in the Jail
and an extra force of men were but
on duty outside. About 300 curious
people stood around the Jail all night,
though most of them thought no
serious attempt would be made to
take the prisoner out.
ADJUST : o'clock twenty-five men came
on rush up Wood street. Tney were
quiet. without masks, and moved in a
solid body. They fourced their way
through the crowd and Knocked on the
Jali door. Deputy Sheriff NIidkilf
ana special Officer FoItor sat lust
inside and refused them admission.
one blow from sledge crashed in the
wooden door and the officers were
surrounded by twenty five armed men.
The keys Of the jail were de-
manded, but both officers declared
they did not have them. The men
then went to work with sledge ham.
mer5 and chiSelS, and worked forty
minutes at the two doors-ouc of solid
| iron an inch tht ok and the other of
steel bars -'nrcng them both
| MeanWhlie, c."wd Of Decatur
people stood quietly o. side. No one
seemed TO care much. Enera was no
| talk OF resistance and the eli .erS were
| not upDralded for making no more
objection. Marshal Mason forced his
way through the spectators and into
| the jail, and started to address the men
at work. They seized him and crowd,
ed him out Of the door. There was
onlv an occasional yell, aud altogether
IL was hQulet attack OH the jail
y frightened negro pointed out
'ush cell. Three men rushed in, and
ioullu IL apparently empty. They
Jerked over the mattress and lifred it
up. and out tumhled the negro. lie
lau craWled inside. He was dragged
INTO the street, where 1900 town-peo
PIE had asSelnDled, and taken to "A
, telegraph pole, on one of the most
: prominent corners in the city directly
IN front OF the court house An arc
light made the street intersection as
hight as day. y rope made OF halter
straps. had been put around the negro 8
neck.
= When the crowd stopped at the foot
= OF the pole he asked for time to pray.
= The men sad, GIVE him all the time
{ ne wants" He knelt down on the
OrlckS, ana began to pray in a sing
q song way. He would call on Jesus to
r come and take his soul and forgive
the men who were numbering him
!, and then declare that he was innocent.
ne prayed disconnectedly fully ten
minutes, while thousand peOple
crowded around as close together as
they could, many jesting, and no one
seeming impressed with the awfulness
Of the scene.
FINALLY the spectators began to get
impatient. n man had climbed half
way up the pole, and stood in the glare
Short he said. "IIe gave those women
no time Others took up the cry.
"llang him. He's prayed enough!"
trey Irllri
Ine rope was handed to the man on
'hr pole He put 1t over IL wire. and
the crowd pulled. rhe nugro's BODY,
now naked, swung up into sight four
feet from the ground and fell back.
Ihe negro uttered no sound. lie was
put on top of cab, the cab was driven
under the pole, the rope fastened to
Wv ~ 'o''o".iii, OllC uIlNSll away, an0
the man was hanged till dea |. The
coroner cut him down.
Among the lynchers was William
Vest, husband of the second woman
outraged, and ROlla Dill, brother Of the
llrSt woman assaulted
bush was born at Mason, Miss, in
1860, he said his father and brother
live there. lie came North three or
four month ago, and has been doing
odd jobs around Decatur about six
weeks. Monday, it is charged, he went
mltted an assault on her. About II
O'Clock Tuesday morning Bush, it is
alleged, went to the house of William
Vest, eight miles from Decatur in
Mount IOn township, and finding the
woman alone, outraged her in the pres
ence Of her small children She ONLY
succeeded in escaping further outrage
by promising HIM money.
News CT the crime spread over the
to"nShlp, and farmers dropped their
work and turned out to hunt the negro,
VINO, however, kept in the brush until
ne got about twenty-five miles aWay,
Then he came out and was CAPTURED, /,
lie admitted being at Vests and seiz-
ing Mrs. Vest by the arm lust TO scare
her.; he denied Outraging her. A
nelRhbor identified him as having been
Eear the Vests house.
1t was tho first lynching that ever
occurred III Macon county. Hundreds
OF citizens around the scene today took
1t cody, though they condemned the
Geed. 1t IS thought hat there will not
De any prosecution.
Tragedy.
uAWKINSNILEE, Ga, June 7.-Carrie
AlcRae, colored, was seen running ur
Commerce street with her throat chi
from ear to ear. She dropped in front
OF Merritt " Whitnelds hard ware
store. where she expired, about five
minutes after cut. Will Clements, hel
lover, did the cutting in the presence
OF her sister. The coroner was sent
for, and the jury found verdict O
murder III the first degree against Gle
ments. After being cut, the woman