Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1895-10-25
ELLIS LYNCHED.
Punishment Of a COlOred Man
in Tennessee,
CONFESSED TO HIS CRIMES.
Iefferson Ellis Hanged to IeIe-
oranh Pole After His Ears ana
Ont Off. ana

IaffersOn Ellis fdnBSO "
araph Pole After HIS Ears an"
Fingers Had Eeen Cut orr, ana
HeWas otherwise Mutllateu'
scene OF hi, crime In Memphis, Tenn. Do
fore hanging the man the mob cut on DO D
his ears aud all OF his nlgers and mu'lia'eu
him In ho .rib'e manner. The mob, Win
their prisoner, reached the home oil his VIC
tim. Mis-, Pra.cr. soon at er midnight. The
young woman identified him as her assaii-
ant As soon rs thi, was done an armeu
.ouad OF m n took Ellis fro n Constable Far
row and started with him for the ke, where
the publIc road crosses the Louisville ana
Nashville Railro d. A big fire had Deen
built at the place and around 1t the mon
gathered in a cilc Q.
The han lcuffed man was forced to kuee'
before the fire. The leaders OF the mob tod
Ellis to pray, but he only lookei at them IN
stupid manner Being told that ne was
abo 1t to die he raised his voice In hymn
Bv the time he finished the fercer e.ement
were In control OF The mob. Cries OIL - urn
him" were heard on all sides.
Amid the shouts OF the mob man jumper
to. his side with drawn knife In his
hand. "Cut of his ears, they cried. give
M finger" shouted one man. Il want
thumb, cried another.
The better emens IN the crowd drew OH az
thi, tine aud said they were not III iaVor o.
doing anything bat hanging the man. Ineir
protests were o. noticel. Bong urged on
by the flerce,t in the crowd, the man Win
the knife cut of the right ear and helu up
the bleeling memLer In full view Of 'ne
crowd The man screamed, but his otner
ear was cut of a few moments later
The mob became maddened at the sight OF
thi, work AMI those who were doing the mu'
tilating found ample encouragement. Iney
next cut of all his fingers and tearing away
parts of his clothing, they mu.ilated hIm 10 a
horrible manner.
The man was covered with blood and MS
head looked like 1t had been scalped. The
mob compelled him to stand up 80 all the
crowd could see him. Finally. some thirty
five minu es after the torture, the rope was
put around his Le:k. The telegraph po
was seven y-fve feet away. Tho free emu
OF the long r,Te was taken by man wnS
quickly climed tho telegraph pole and threw
1t over the crossarm. The crowd jerked him
to the foot OF the pole and while the moo
shouted be WIS swung to the cross-arm
The m WAS lowered to ground and
his head was cat from his body with pocket
knives. The moose WIS then put over th'
feet and the headess DO iy was again swung
up. A placard was pat on his body bearing
these wori:: Death to the man who GUS
him down before 80 this evening.
The point where the lynchiug occurred Is
cross-Ioad called Clifton Summit The moD
disI ersel after doing its work.
JEFF E lis. on the ate noon OF OCTOBER D,
crimnally assaulted MIS- Bette Pra er in tho
presence Of her w little sisters. He escaped
from mob which had gathered to lyneh
him that nj hit, but be was pursue uuremIt'
tingly until hs was captured Monday near
Mount Pleas ants, Miss. He confessed to the
assault upon Miss Prater, to thu assault and
murder Of a Mrs Wilcox, OF the same neigh
borhood, two years ago, andto an attempted
assault upon a little girl in Mississippi wn''o
he was trying to escape from the mob.