The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1895-12-30
THE VENGEANCE OF A MOB
An Erring Wife and Her Aged ParamOur
Meet Death.
KENTUCKY'S TERRIBLE CRIME
The Woman Burned to Death in Her Home
and the Man Riddled with Bullets
as he Fled From the Burning
Building.

LEBANON, KY, Dec. 3O.--Within two
miles of this city Saturday night a relent-
less mob burned to death a pregnant wo.
man and riddled with bullets her gray
haired paramour The blackened and dis
figured corpses of thevictims Mrs. Thomas
West and William Deveres, were found in
the ruins of the woman's home yesterday
by the 14-yearold daughter of the mur
dered man.
The tragedy was one of the most brutal
ever enacted under the gruesome sway OF
dread Judge Lynch. Despite the plead
ings for her fathers life of a half clad,
frightened child and the prayers and tears
of the i'll and helpless woman, the mob
went through with it's work, with cold
blooded, cruel deliberation, and only left
when the man and woman were dead.
The affair was the outgrowth of the old
story of faithless wife and revcngeful hus-
band. Several months ago Deveres, a
middle aged widower, was accused by
Thomas West, prosperous farmer, of in
timacy with AIRS. West. Quarrel followed
quarrel throughout the fall, until West in
stituted divorce proceedings and declared
that Deveres must die. The men met in
Lebanon and West snapped his revolver,
which missed fire, and Deveres killed him
on the spot.
On the plea of self defense the murderer
secured bail, and scandalized the neigh
borhood by Immediately taking his two
daughters and moving into Vests house.
The relatives of the murdered husband
swore vengeance, and Saturday night it
came About 10 o'clock "A band of men
rode up to the West homestead and de
manded admittance.
"Tom West is dead, and now it's your
turn" the spokesman called, and Deveres
and the woman awoke to find their house
surrounded. Mrs. West rushed to a dark
ened window and began wild, hysterical
plea for mercy. A dozen bullets answered
her cries and the demand for immediate
surrender was repeated. Deveres, too,
asked for hearing, but his request was
greeted with "A shower of shots.
''Well give you ten minutes to open up;
then you burn" said the mob's leader, and
his men quietly retired from the door A
hurried consultation was held inside the
house, and then, white and terror stricken,
the little girl of Deveres was thrust out to
plead with the mob Clad in her night
robe, barefooted and unprotected, she
bravely walked out into the moonlight
and sobbed out a prayer for her white
haired fathers life
"Get out; you're liable to get shot your
self" one ruffian said, and thoroughly
panic stricken the child fed to the cabin of
"a negro neighbor
Mrs West then appeared at the door
and, referring to her condition, made u
last appeal for mercy. 1t was unavailing,
and in another moment the house was
fired The shrieks of the imprisoned
wretches failed to move their torturers,
| who as the flames reached the living
room, could see the man and woman in
the agony of death by fire Just before the
roof fell the woman was seen to reel across
/ the room and plunge headlong into the
/ fireplace, among the burning GOALS, and
there she died. The corpse was charred
almost beyond semblance, and the head
was almost burned from the body.
Wild with pain Deveres, at the last mo-
ment made dash for liberty, but a fusil-
| lade of bullets stopped him half dozen
steps from the door. His body was pierced
by at least twenty-five bullets. Before his
desperate dash for liberty he had been
frightfully burned, and would probably
have died without the gunshot wounds,
His hair and beard were burned off, his
clothes were in charred shreds, and his
face blistered and blackened.
1t is not probable that the scenes of Sat
urday night will be re-enacted in the vi
cinity shortly, as the outrage has aroused
the most intense Indignation among the
people of the county. Because of the fact
that Vests relatives had threatened ven
geance there is strong belief that they
are responsible for the crime.
The child of Deveres, who was witness
to the tragedy, is dangerously i'll as the re-
suit Of fright and exposure, but upon her
recovery she may be able, it is hoped, to
identify some of the lynchers, The night was
brilliant with moonlight, and the un-
masked faces Of the members of the mob
should be easily identified as soon as the
child is able to appear in court.