The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1894-04-19
VENGEANCE.
A Fiend Assaults a White Woman
Eighy-One Years of Age.
The Old Lady Gives the Alarm-A Mob
Soon Gathers. the Negro is Captured
and without Much Ceremony the
Scoundrel is Hanged toa Tree.

CLEVELAND, O., April 16 Speedy
Justice was meted ont to eolored fiend
at Rushsylvania, a small place near
Bellefontaine, Sunday night. The
wretch was Seymour Newlasd, and his
victim Mrs. Jane Knowles. a respect
able white woman 81 years of age. She
was terribly injured by the Negro
When alone in her house Saturday
night Newland entered, and, without a
word. assaulted her. She was awal1-
ened by the noise he made coming into
the bedroom. She started in alright
and attempted to scream. The Negro
brutally slapped his hand across her
mouth and forced her back on her pill
| ,ow.
| She fought desperately, but her fee
bic strength was soon exhausted. He
abused her in the most tiendish man
ner. and left her in a pitiable condi-
ton. After she had gone she dragged
herself to neighbours house and
aroused the inmates. She told the
story in a few broken sentences, and
then sank helplessly at their feet.
| Without loss of time other folks were
aroused. The news of the assault trav-
eled like wildfire, and in a short time
nearly the entire populace of the vii
lage was acquainted with the story,
and the search for Newland was be-
gun.
| The mob caught Newland a few
miles from town, and messengers were
at once dispatched for rope to hang
him with While awaiting for the
rope Sheriff sullivan arrived on the
scene, and, after considerable difficulty,
induced the excited citizens to turn the
covering wretch over to him. New
land was taken to the lookup, a plain
little shell, and a strong guard placed
outside. The excitement became so
intense that the sheriff called for the
militia from Bellefontaine. A COM
pany quickly arrived and formed hol-
low square around the fimsy prison.
| The sight of soldiers seemed to enrage
the mob, which hung around the vi
cinity. Loud threats of attack were
made by them.
In some manner, one of the mob had
succeeded in placing several dynamite
bombs beneath the cell in which the
Negro was locked, the object being to
blow him up. The arrival of the militia
prevented the success of this plan to
destroy the Negro. The fact that the
bombs was there was disclosed to the
sheriff, and he removed them. Final
ly yielding to the entreaties of
the people he ordered the militia to
withdraw, and local guards replaced
the armed force
The crowd was just in the mood for
a lynching. About 9:3O o'clock Sun
day night they gathered around the
frail structure in a determined body.
The guards offered no resistance, and
after being pushed aside, the building
was overturned with rails gathered
from neigboring fences. Ready hands
were laid on Newland, who howled
with terror, and fought savagely. He
was knocked down and a rope placed
about his neck. Then, with wild yells,
the mob dragged him over the ground
to small cottonwood tree some dis
tance away. One end was thrown over
limb, and the wretch was raised by
the neck until he stood erect.
A jury was drawn and a mock trial
commenced, but it was abruptly ter
minated, as the mob was too impatient
to wait. The doomed Negro kept up
an incessant groan and appeal for mer.
cy, and was only stopped when, with a
sudden jerk, he was sent skyward.
There he was held until dead. New.
land was an ex-convict. and had once
before been found guilty of an out.
rage. Mrs. Knowles, Newland's vic.
tim, is in critical condition, and not
expected to live.