Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1894-03-22
LrNcHfNG OF puRYEaR.
Captured After a Long Chase, During
which lie swan Across Pocono Creek
swiftly Hanged to the Limb OF n
Trec-Nn Arrests Exnerted

Captured After N Long Chase, During
which lie swan Across PoconO Creek
--SwiTtiy Hanged to the Limb of u
Trec-Nn Arrests Expected.
STRorpsHURG, Pa, March 15.-Puryear.
the negro murderer of Christian Epler,
three weeks since, Is dead, having been
hanged by an exasperated crowd of citi-
zens shortly after I o'clock this morning,
after having made his escape from jail.
The people are excited to the point of
wildness, and the universal verdict is that
the action, while not exactly according to
law, was certainly right in the sense OF
justice.
tiuards have been OH duty at the Jail
every night to prevent Il possible lynching.
Last night, however, they were dismissed.
Sheriff kresge was not ut home last night,
and his wife took the prisoners their sup
pers. She unlocked luryear's cell, LETT
him his meal, and departed, thonghtlessly
leaving his cell-unlocked. The negro must
have hid in the hallway, for when the
sheriff looked in his cell this morning it
was empty. During the interim Puryear
dashed out the front door, which had been
lett unlocked locking the same after him.
lie crossed the street in front OF the court
house, and leaping over Il fence near the
engine house, disappeared.
THE CROWD IN PURSUIT.
Just then the sheriff appeared and called
to some men near to capture the negro,
who was the murderer. Several at once
started to head off Puryear. The murderer,
| however, avoided them, and reached
| Pocono creek. BY this time his pursuers
| had caught sight of him, and wild chase
| began. Puryear plunged into the creek
and swan to the opposite side. At this
time colored man employed by Palmer,
the butcher, was working ut the slaughter
house, near the creek. lie joined in the
chase, and. being fresh, soon gained on
| the fugitive. He swan the creek after
Puryear and sOun overlook him in clump
| of laurels OIL little island. The murderer
showed fight, and picked up some large
stones to hurl at his captoF. The latter,
| however, had armed himself with re-
volver, and held him until the crowd ar
rived. Y.m
HANGED TO THE LIME OF TREE.
Puryear begged TO be taken back to the
| jail, but the mob paid no attention to his
entreaties. a howl was set up to hang
| him. and the suggestion was promptly
| acted upon. Constable Lewis Myers APP
peared, but he was waived aside ana threat
eued ii he interfered. The crowd did not
| number over 20 persons but all were active
ANA determined A visit to the slaughter
! house was made n rope with block and
tackle was secured. Puryear was passive
by this time. One end of the rope and the
tackle was attached to tree trunk, while
| the other end of the rope was thrown over
the limb OF big white oak tree. The
| moose was adjusted about Puryears neck,
| and the next instant his body was dangling
] in mid-air He strangled to death. his fe,t-
lures becoming distorted and his tongue
prOtruding. The lynchers fastened the
rope, and, after watching him until his
struggles ceased, left his body hanging
there.
MANY VISIT THE SCENE.
When the news of the hanging became
spread about hundreds OF people visited
the scene. Men, women and children,
filled with morbid curiosity, hurried to
the spot, and gazed at the horrible spectacle
for over an hour. The body was not cut
down until about 10 o'clock An inquest
was held on the remains, but it is rot
known what action, if any, will be taken
against the lynchers. A collection for the
colored man who affected Puryear's cap
ture was taken ON the spot. Almost
everybody gave to him, and one gentleman
handed him a So note. He is also selling
the rope in pieces at 25 cents apiece, sc
that he will doubtless make big days
wages. The oak tree from which the
negro was suspended was being stripped
of its limbs by relic hunters, unfit the
owners stopped them.
Three shots were fired at Puryear during
his flight, and two of them hit him. He
bore evidences of hard usage, too, his
hands being torn and bleeding and his
knees muddy, as though he had beer
dragged over the ground. Water dripped
from his feet as he hung from the tree.
MADE CONFESSION. -..
Few people knew of Puryear's comics
sion, which was made shortly after the
mob made an unsuccessful attempt tt
break in the Jail a few evenings ago for th'
purpose of hanging the prisoner. PuryeaI
was ali worked up, and imagined that
confession might possibly save him. Dur
ing the past few days Puryear had beer
the best of prisoners, reading his Bible
great deal of his time and was very Lice tt
the attend9nts.
The authorities ordered the body to b.
inferred in the Stroudsburg cemetery bin
objection was made by leading citizens
who found the law provided for the buria
of men of the Puryear stripe.
No arrest has as yet been made and nom
is likely 10 be made. There is possibilit,
that those who regard the lynching of tn,
negro as an outrage may insist upon tn
arrest of the leaders. The greatest amour
of secrecy prevails among those who hat
charge of the affair; they are supposed Il
be most prominently connected, but N
one ventures to say who they are,