Evening journal., 1895-04-22
FIVE NEGROES LYNCHED
Two Of the Victims of an Ala
bama Mob Were Women.
THEY HAD KILLED A WHITE MAN.

Churchgoers Found the Dead Bodies SWING
ing From the Trees by the Roadside sun
day Morning Negro Confessed the
Murder Of the White Man.
MONTGOMERY, Ala, April 90 Word
comes from Greenville, Ala, 40 miles
south of here, that five negroes were
lynched near there Saturday night. just
before the train left Greenvillo that night
the sheriff Of the county came into town
and reported that in passing Buckalow
plantation, three miles from town, he had
found five negroes-three mon and two
women--hanging by their necks to some
trees and their bodies cold. and they evil
IDENTIFY had been dead some hours.
News also reached Greenville Of the bru-
tai murder near Butler, In that county, of
Watts Murphy popular young white
man, by the negroes. Murphy was a
prominent young farmer, being a nephew
Of the late Governor Watts Of this city.
After numbering him the negroes placed
his body on brush heap and burned the
heap. The debris was examined and tho
teeth. liver and heart OF tho victim were
found, tho balance Of the body having been
consumed.
An investigation was instituted. Three
negIoes were arrested. Finally one Of the
negroes gave way and confessed tho crime
duplicating two other negro men and
two women. Tho officers secured them
and were closely guarding the prisoners
when last heard FROM
The report does not give any of the de-
tails Of how the mob secured the muir
derers except that they were taken by
force. A telegram from Greenyille con-
firms the story.
The confession was made by Rather
who implicated the others Butler Springs
is Is miles from here A posse of men who
had charge of the Eve prisoners left there
about II o'clock at night TO bring them to
the jail here for safe keeping, The route
was lonely one, and the trip was neces-
sarily slow.
AT a lonely part Of the roadway the par
ty was suddenly surrounded about 3
o'clock Sunday morning by armed men,
who seemed to spring up from both sides
Of the road. The posse was covered by
rifles, and under pain of instant death was
halted
Reports say there were about 100 men
in the attacking party, all heavily armed
and all cool and brave. They made short
work Of It.
Hanged One at a Time.
Taking the five negroes, they tied their
hands, and then they were taken one at a
time and were hanged to limbs Of the
trees that lined the road. The five bodies
were found hanging there in the morning
by churchgoers.
The affair has created a great deal Of ex-
oitement here but it is declared there is
no doubt whatever of the guilt Of all Of
these victims Of lynch law. There is no
Disgusting the fact that the ma iority Of
the residents of the county believe the fate
Of the negroes met was deserved.
There is considerable mystery as to the
cause Of the murder of Watts Murphy. In
fact, no two stories from the scene agree
One story Is that a negro, who escaped
concocted the plot and planned the muir
der in revenge for an imaginary wrong Of
a trivial nature.
The confession which implicated the
other men and women was full and OK
plicit. It is reported here that the mob Of
lynchers was made up of tho most promi-
nent farmers and merchants living near
the sdene Of tho murder. but it is believed
this is an exaggerated statement of the
situation. There is little doubt, however,
that the prominent citizens oondone the
affair.
There is some talk about the negroes be-
ing highly wrought up over the affair.
They are especially indignant over the
hanging OF the women. Whether the
women had hand in the actual killing
or only knew of the plot, as the negroes
now assert, is not definitely known. There
may, however, be trouble from them.