Eagle River Democrat. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1893-1896, 1895-10-21
NEGROES AWFUL DEATH.
Jefferson Ellis Horribly Tortured
Before He is Hangedin
TonnaSSaa.

Memphis, Tenn, Oct. 16.-Jefferson
Ellis, the Fayette county rapist, was
strung to a telegraph pole at $40 this
morning by $50 men, within 200 yards
of the scene of his crime. Before hang
ing the negro the mob cut off both his
ears and all of his fingers and mutilated
him in a horrible and unmerciful man
ner.
The mob with its prisoner reached the
home of his victim, Miss Prater, soon
after midnight The young woman iden-
titled him as her assailant AS soon as
this was done an armed squad OF men
took Ellis from Constable Farrow and
started with him for the pike, where the
public road crosses the Louisville &
Nashville railroad. Here there is tele-
graph pole. A big fire had been built
at the place and around it the mob gath
cred in i. circle The handcuffed negro
was on his knees before the fire. The
leaders of the mob told Ellis to pray,
but he only looked at them i'll stupid
manner. Being told that he was about
to die, he raised his voice in negro
hymn. BY the time he finished the mob
was looking ugly. The fercer element
was in complete control. Cries of Burn
himp' were heard on all sides. This
fearful fate would have been fortunate
for the negro, as subsequent events
proved.
The Torture Begins.
Amid the shouts of the mob a man
jumped to the negro's side with drawn
knife in his hand.
"Cut off his ears" they cried.
"Give me fngerv' shouted one man.
Il want thumb" cried another.
The better element in the crowd drew
off at this time and said they were not
in favor of doing anything but hanging
the negro. The protests were not
noticed.
Being urged by the 6ercest in the
crowd the man with the knife cut off
the negro's ear and held up the bleed
ing trophy in full view of the crowd.
The negro screamed from his torture,
but his other ear was cut off few
moments later. The mob became mad
der at the sight of this work and those
who were mutilating the negro found
ample encouragement.
They next cut off all his fingers and,
tearing away part of his clothes. they
mutilated HIM IN a horrible manner.
The negro was covered with blood and
his head looked as though it had been
scalped. The mob was not then willing
to end the negrO's agony. They made
him stand up so all the crowd could see
him.
Finally, fully thirty-ive minutes after
the torture of the negro began, the rope
H.
poie was seventy-fve feet away. The
rope was very long one. The free end
was taken by man who quickly climbed
the telegraph pole and threw it Ovel. the
cross arm. The crowd pushed the negro
to the foot of the pole, and while the
mob shouted, the bleeding and mutiIated
form OF the negro was swung to the
cross.
Later the negro was lowered to the
ground and his head was cut from his
body with pocket knives. The moose
less body was again swung up. 1t is in
tended to send. the head to the family
of the little girl the negro attempted to
assault last Saturday in Mississippi.
A placard was put on the negros
body bearing these words: Death to
the man who cuts him down before $50
this evening" No doubt the injunction
of the mob will be obeyed to the letter,
and the passengers on the Louisville &
rible sight. The point where the lynch
ing occurred is a crossroad called Clifton
Summit. The mob dispersed after doing
its work.
Ellis Crimes.
Jeff Ellis, on the afternoon of October
5, criminally assaulted Miss Bette Pra-
ter in the presence of the latter's two
little siters. He escaped from a mob
which had gathered to lynch him that
night, but he was pursued unremittingly
until he was captured Monday near
to the assault upon Miss Prater to the
outrage and murder of a Mrs. Wilcox
of the same neighborhood two years ago
and to an attempted assault upon a little
girl in Mississippi while he was trying
to escape from the mob.