The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-12-30
Mrs. Thomas West Cremeted I'm Her
er Shot Attempting to Escape.
A DAUGHTERS VAIN PRAYER
POSSE OF UNMAsKED NEIGHBORs
DETERMINED ON VENGEANCE.
Most Brutal Tragedy I'm the Annals
of the Bluegrass State Occurs
Near Lebanon.

| mob burned to death a pregnant woman
| and riddled with bullets her gray-haired
| paramour. The blackened and disfigured
| corpses of the victims, Mrs. Thomas West
| and William Deveres, were found in the
| ruins of the woman's home to-day by the
! fourteen-year-old daughter of the MUIR
| dered man.
| The tragedy was one of the most brutal
| ever enacted under the gruesome sway of
dread Judge Lynch. Despite the pleadings for
| her fathers life of half-clad. frightened
| child and the prayers and tears of the ill
| and helpless woman, the mob went through
| with its work with cold-blooded cruel de-
| liberation and left only when certain that
| both man and woman were dead.
| The affair the otugrowth Of the old
| story of a faithless wife and vengeful hus-
| band. Several months ago Deveres, a mid
| dle-aged widower, was accused by Thomas
| West, a prosperous farmer, of intimacy
| with Mrs. West. Quarrel followed quarrel
throughout the fall until West instituted
| divorce proceedings and declared that De-
| veres must die. Finally the men met in
Lebanon. West snapped his revolver. which
missed fire, and Deveres killed him on the
spot. On the plea of self-defense, the mur-
derer secured bail and scandalized the
L
| two daughters and moving into Vests
| house. The relatives of the murdered hus-
| band swore vengeance, and last night it
| up to the West homestead and demanded
| admittance. ~~~~~--Ns
| tom West is dead. Now it's your tsrr,,"
| the spokesman called and Deveres and the
woman awoke to find their house sur
| rounded. Mrs. West rushed to a darkened
window and began a wild. hysterical plea
| for mercy. A dozen bullets answered her
| cries and the demand for immediate sur
render was repeated. Deveres. too. asked
| for hearing, but his request was greeted
| with a shower of shots.
| Wen give you ten minutes to open up.
| Then you burn,' said the mobs leader,
| and his men quietly retired from the door.
| A hurried consultation was held inside
the house and then, white and terror-strck-
en-. 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 moon
light and sobbed out prayer for her
white haired fathers life.
Get out. You're liable to get shot your
SELF" ruffian said, and thoroughly panic
stricken the child fled to the cabin of a
negro neighbor.
Mrs. West then appeared at the door
and referring to her condition, made a 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 burn
ing Goals. and there she died. Wild with
pain. Deveres, at the last moment made
dash for liberty, but score of bullets
stopped him half dozen steps from the
door.
This morning the little girl led her negro
protector to the scene and there the bod
les scorched beyond recognition, were
found. untouched by the lynchers There is
but little doubt that the members of the
mob will be captured, as they we're with.
out masks and made no attempt at Sc
crecy.
1t is not improbable that the scenes of last
night will be re-enacted in the vicinity
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 vengeance there is
strong belief that they are responsible
for last nights crime. The uncertainty
however, as to just who was implicated has
so far prevented further trouble.
The child Of Deveres, who was a witness
to the tragedy. is dangerously i'll as the
result of the fright and exposure but on
her recovery she may be able to identify
some Of the lynchers. The night was bril-
liant with moonlight and the unmasked
faces Of the members of the mob should be
easily identified soon as the child is
able to appear in court.
The scene of the horror was visited by
crowds of curious people to-day, and it was
we'll towards noon before the bodies were
cared for by an undertaken. Mrs. Vests $
corpse was charred almost beyond human
semblance. Overcome by the flames, she had
fallen into the large, old-fashioned fireplace
OF the living room, and the head was almost
burned from the body.
Devere's 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 with
out the gunshot wounds. His hair and beard
were burned off. his clothes were in charred
shreds and his face blistered and black
ened. No arrests have so far been made
but developments are expected tomorrow.
Justice Nave late this afternoon held an
inquest on the bodies of the victims. Sew
eral witnesses were examined but moth
ing tending to incrminate any one was
developed. The investigation will be con.
tinued tomorrow.
Deveres formerly lived at Knoxville
Tenn.
Another story Of the Outrage.
CINCINNATI, Dec. 29.-The Commercial
Gazette's special from Lebanon. KY, says
Mrs. Thomas j. West was burned to death
by a mob and William A Deveres riddleC
with bullets and afterwards also crematec
last night. The mob called for Deveres tc
come out first. but Mrs. West and her little
girl came to the door. The child was pulled
outside and a volley of bullets fired into
the house. When the fires were built around
the house. Deveres rushed out with his pis
tol. firing on the mob He was chased TO
corn shock. from which ne kept UP the fir
ing until killed. His body was riddle with
bullets and then he was cremated. He wa.
not burned alive as was the woman. There
was no effort to save the woman. but II Il
generally believed she had been fatally sho
before the house was fired. 20 that sh'