Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-03-16
LYNCHED IN HOT HASTE
Escaped From Jail to Fall Into
 Mob's Hands.
NEW SCENE FOR PENNSYLVANIA.

Murderer puryenr Had but Twenty Minutes
 After an Exciting Chase Given Up to the
 Crowd and I.ynched on the Spot.
 EAST SrRouDSBURG, E2a., March 16 - Richard Puryear. a negro charged with killing Christian Ehlers; and woundinG his wife, was hanged by a mob within 20 min utes after he had escaped from the Monroe county jail.
 Although he was lynched in broad day light by q crowd of young men, not one of whom wore a mask or made any other at tempt at disguise. no one can be found among the 5000 inhabitants of this quiet town to say who did the deed.
 Puryear's crime was notable for the in gratitude that inspired and the ferocity with which he committed it. Old Chris tian Ehlers whom he shot dead and whose wife he frightfully wounded. had been kind to hlm for more than a year.
 The murder worked the people of Mon roe county into g fever of revengeful fury. Openly and without the slightest attempt at concealment a crowd of 5O of Ehltr $ neighbOrs came into oStroudsburg and tried to break into<he jail and kill puryear. An extra guard was placed on uuty after this, but it was soon discontinued. It was too expensive.
 An Exciting Man Hunt.
 The man hunt that followed his escape was made all the more tragic by the fact that the pursucr who outstripped all the rest and seized Puryear at the point of {; pistol was an old comrade of his. Benia- min Cuenton. They had been friends for years in Virginia.
 The crowd in the street knew almost by intuition what had happened. The picture presented by the runaway negro and the pursuing sheriff needed no words of eX planatiOn.
 Men and boys joined in the chase Some of them shouted "Firc!" n,, they ran. The sheriff meantime ran back to the jail to put on his hat and coat Men shouted to one another aS they ran.
 "Puryear's escaped! kill him! Shoot hmr'
 Probably 20 of those who joined in the pursuit had revolvcrs. They were still too far away to fire.
 When he was captured, the murderer panted Oh, Ben. let me loose For God $ sake let me loose and let me go,'' No" replied Cuenton. 'Gou'vu Killed innocent persons and you must die. Come with me"
 He led the trembling negro to the brink of the flood and both plunged in together, Puryear in front. Slowly the exhausted men swan toward the group of men on the shore of the island. Puryear knew they would kill him. but he dared not try to escape down the stream, for he knew they would shoot him.
 Eager hands seized him as he staggered up the bank. Men dragged him across the dead grass to the foot of a small. stunted oak tree. An agile boy had made fast to an upper limb the block and falls used in Palmers place to hoist steers for the slaughter. Without a moment for prayer or reflection the murderer was pulled into the air. He was still panting from the run, and he did not utter word.
 Hanged In Twinkling. A boy threw the loop in the end of the rope around Puryear's neck and 90 pairs of hands hauled at the other end. The eX- ecutiOners ran so swiftly away with the rope that Puryear's body shot upward with rush. The top of his head struck limb of the oak tree. The blow must have stunned him, for he hung perfectly limp and motionless. Within l9 minutes after he had run out of jail Puryear was dead. Sheriff Kresge ran to the scene of the lynching tremulOus with excitement and he was received with a derisive cheer. No one was holding tAe rope, for on seeing the sheriff approach the crowd had made fast | the rope to another tree.
 One man shouted, "Gentlcmen, don't one of you say one word about this, and everyb body needed his advice for all the in formation ore can now get about the lynching consists of Il heard" and II am informed" Not one person ill town will admit that he ever saw it. While the body of his old chum swung and slowly twirled in the breeze Cuenton thoughtfully passed around his hat and took up large collection. One man drop ped in $5 bill. Not content with this, the captor secured the rope when the body had been cut down. cut the rope into bits and peddled them on the streets. The cor Oner summoned a jury, but postponed the | inquest until next week.