Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1895-05-22
Horrible Crime in FIOrida-Terrible Re-
tributIOn.
by telegraph to the N. Y. Herald


ELLAvILLE, Fla, May 1s.-Three
negroes were lynehed last night in
dense swamp on the Suwanee River by
white men for assaulting white girl.
1t is reported that they were fiayed
alive and then burned, after being sub
jected to frightful tortures
The crime for which the negroes
were so horribly put to death was one
of the most terrible in the history of
this section of Florida The scene of
the crime and retribution was in La
fayette, the adjoining county TO Madi-
son on the south.
THE VICTIM.
Miss Mamie Armstrong, the beauti-
full daughter of a prominent Lafayette
county farmer, left her home five days
ago to spend the night with a neigh
Dor, who lived about two miles dis
tant. The next day Miss Armstrong;
father vent to the house of the neigh
Dor to bring his daughter home and
was surprised and alarmed to hear
that nothing had been seen of her.
Mr.. Armstrong alarmed the neigh
bOrs and posses were Immediately or
ganized to search for the missing girl.
The woods were secured and the Sn-
vance river dragged. but for thirty
six hours the search was unsuccessful.
Finally, however, about midway be-
tween the home of Mr.. Armstrong and
the neighbours house, the handker
chief of the girl was found clinging to
bush, and all around were evidences
of desperate struggle.
The searchers followed the trail thus
indicated, finding all along evidences
that the girl had been dragged into
the woods. After proceeding for about
mile, the corpse of Miss Armstrong
was found in thick clump of bushes.
The body of the girl was in a horrible
condition. Every shred of clothing
had been torn from it and she had
been assaulted.
HEAD CRUSHED AND THROAT CUT.
The lower limbs of the girl had been
torn apart, her head crushed and her
throat cut. 1t was evident that the
girl had made a desperate fight, for
under her nails were found pieces of
black cuticle which she had torn from
| her assailants.
| After caring for the mangIed corpse
the enraged whites began a search for
the perpetrators of the deed. Every
negro cabin in the vicinity was visited,
and each negro examined to see if he
bore any signs of the struggle with
| MISS Armstrong.
As they approached the home of Sam
Echols the negro ran out and made for
the woods, but was stopped by a bull
let, which wounded him slightly. The
negro was examined and his face found
to be scratched. Threatened with in
slant death, he confessed that he, with
Sim Crowley and John Brooks, had
dragged Miss Armstrong into the woods
and assaulted and murdered her.
EchOls said that they kept the girl
for twenty-four hours before killing
her. For the greater part of the time
Miss Armstrong was. unconscious.
| TORTURED TO DEATH.
Having secured the negroes implicat-
ed by Echols, the white men proceed
ed with the three fiends to dense
swamp On the Suwanee River, where
| they were tortured. Just what man
ner of death was meted out to the ne
groes is not positively known, but it is
reported that they were flayed alive
and then burned.
| The scene of the crime and triple
lynching is near large phosphate
mines, in which are employed many
negroes of the worst class Assaults
] on white women have not been infre-
twelve negroes have been lyuched in
/ that vicinity.
The white people are terribly arous-
ed and swear that their wives and
| daughters shall be protected, if they
have to declare war of determination
on the negroes.