Evening journal., 1894-03-16
LYNCAED IN HOT HASTE
Escaped From Jail to Fall Into
a Mob's Hands.
VIEW SCENE FOR PENNSYLVANIA.

Murderer Puryear Had but Twenty Minutes
OF Liberty y-Run Down by n Negro vrlend
After an Exciting Chase Given Up 10 the
Crowd and Lynched on the Spot.
EAST STRoUDsBURG, Pa, March 16. 90
Richard Puryear, negro. charged with
killing Christian Ehlers and wounding his
wife, was hanged by mob within 20 min
utes after he bad escaped from the Monroe
county jail.
Although he was lynched in broad day
light by 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
witch frightfully wounded, had been kind
TO hm for more chan year.
The murder worked the people of Mon
roe county into fever of rovengeiul fury.
Openly and without the slightest attempt
at concealment a crowd of 80 Of Ehler's
neighbors cnme into oStroudsburg and tried
To- break into the lail and kill Puryear An
extra guard was placed on duty after this,
but it. was soon discontinued. II was too
expensive.
An J.xciting Man Hunt.
The marhunt that followed his escape
was made all the more tragic by the fact
that the pursuer who outstripped all the
rest and seized Puryear at the point of
pistol was an old comrade of h,s Benia-
min Cuenton. They had been fPIds 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 eN-
planation.
Men and boys joined in the chase. Some
of them shouted "Firel" as 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 himl Shoot
himl"
Probably 20 Of those who joined in the
pursuit had revolvers They were still too
far away to fire.
When he was captured, the murderer
painted: ooh Ben, letme loosel For Gods
sake let me loose, and let me gol'' "No. "
replied Cuenton. you've 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 togcther,
| Purycar 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
mp the bank. Men dragged him across the
| dund grass To the foot of % small, stun,ed
oak tree. An agile boy had made fast 10
an upper limb the block and falls used in
| Palmor's place TO hoist steers for Che
slaughter Without moment for prayer
or reflection the murderer was pulled into
the air. He was still painting from the
run, and he did not utter a word.
Hanged In a Twinlrling.
A boy threw the loop i'm the end of the
rope around Puryear's neck, and 50 pairs
of hands hauled no the other end The ex
ecutioners ran so swiftly away with the
rope that Puryear's body shot upward with
a rush. The top of his head struck a liml
of the oak tree. The blow must have
stunned him, for he hung perfectly limT
and motionless Within 10 minutes after
he had run out Of Jail Puryear was dead.
Sheriff Kresge ran to the scene Of tn,
lynching trcmulous with excitement, anc
he was received with a derisive cheer, NC
one was holding Che rope, for on seeing tn,
! sheriff approach the crowd had made fas
the rope to another tree.
One man shouted, Gentlemen, dom
one of You say one word about this, and
everybody needed his advice, for all tho in
| formation one can now yet about the
lynching consists of 81 heard" and 81 am
informed. Not one person in town vii
admit that he ever saw IT,
While the body of his old chum swuni
and slowly twirled in the breeze Cuentol
thoughtiully passed around his hat n,
took up lar- collection. One man drop
lpoi in a SIS hin. Nol content with this
lhe capior secured che rope when thc bod,
had been cut down cut Che dope into b't
and peddled them on the streets The cor
oner summoned % jury. but postponed th