The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-10-17
AN AWFUL TORTURE
A Negro Wretch Muflated in a
Frightful Manner.
HIS WAS A SERIOUS CRIME
But the Punishment Was Brutal
and Almost inhuman-TheC Con-
servative Element Withdrew
From the Scene.

Memphis, Tenn. Oct. 1s.-Jefferson
ELLIS. the Lafayette county wretch.
was strung up to. a. telegraph pole at
1:40 o'clock this morning by $50 white
men, within 200 yards Of the scene of
his crime. Before hanging the negro.
the mob cut off both his ears and all
Of his fingers and mutilated him In a
horrible and unmerciful manner. The
mob, with their prisoner. reached the
home Of his victim, Miss Prater. soon
after midnight. The young lady iden-
titled him as her assailant. AS soon
as this was done. an armed squad of
men took Ellis from Constable Farrow
and started for the pike where the
public road crosses the Louisville &
Nashville railroad. Here there is also
a telegraph pole. A big fire had been
built at the place and around 1t the
mob gathered in a circle. The hand
cuffed negro was on his knees before
the fire. The leaders of the mob told
Ellis to pray. but he only looked at
them in a stupid manner. Being told he
was about to die. he raised his voice
in a negro hymn, and by the time he
had finished the mob was looking ugly.
The fiercer element was in complete
control.
Cries of "burn him. were heard on
all sides. This fearful fate would prob
ably have been fortunate for the negro
as subsequent events proved. Amid
the shouts of the mob, a man jumped
to the negro's side with a drawn knife
in his hand. "Cut off his ears" they
cried. "Give me finger" shouted one
man. Il want thumb" another
cried. The better element in the crowd
drew off at this time and said they
were not in favor of doing anything
but hang the negro. The protests were
not noticed. Being urged on by the
fiercest in the crowd. the man with the
knife cut off the negro's right ear and
held up the bleeding trophy in full
view of the crowd. The negro screamed
from his torture, but his other ear was
cut of a few moments later. The mob
became madder at the sight of this
work. and those who were mutilating
the negro found ample encouragement.
They next cut on all his fingers, and.
tearing away part OF his clothing. they
mutilated him in a horrible manner.
1t was fully 35 minutes after the tor
ture began when rope was put around
the negros neck. A telegraph pole was
70 feet away. The free end of the rope
was taken by a man who climbed the
telegraph pole and threw It over the
cross arm. The crowd jerked the negro
to the foot Of the pole, and while the
mob shouted. the bleeding and mutilat-
ed form was swung to the cross-arm.
The negro was lowered to the ground
later and his head cut from the body
with pocket knives. The moose was
then put over the feet of the headless
body again swung up. 1t is intended
to send the head to the family OF the
little girl the negro attempted to as
sault Saturday in Mississippi. A pla-
card was put on the negro's body bear
ing the words: Death to the man who
cuts him down before $3.50 this even
ing" Passengers on the Louisville &c
Nashville trains to-day may see the
horrible sight. The point where the
lynching occurred is a cross-road called
Clifton Summit.
JEFF Ellis, on the afternoon of Oct.
criminally assaulted Miss Beattie Pra-
ter in the presence of the latter's two
little sisters. He was pursued unre-
mittingly until captured Monday near
Mount Pleasant, Mississippi. He con-
fessed the assault upon Miss Prater.
the outrage and murder Of Mrs. Wilcox
Of the same neighborhood, two years
ago. and an attempted assault upon a
Mississippi girl while <stng to escape
from the mob.