The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1895-10-17
A MODS TERRIBLE VENGEANCE
Fearful Fate of Jefferson Ellis, a
Negro Rapist.
ats Ears and Fingers Gut or and Other
mutilations Inficted-He Was Then
Hanged, After Which His Head Was
Severed From His Body With Pocket
Knives-The ORR meg He Committed.

d
Eilis' the rapist, was hanged to tele-.
graph pole at 1o:4O this morning by $50
men within 200 yards Of the scene of
his crime. Before hanging the man the
MOB cut OFT both OF his ears and all Of his
fingers and mutilated him in q horrible
manner. The mob, with their prisoner,
reached the home of his victim, Miss
Pfstor, soon after midnight. The young
woman identified him as her assailent.
AS soon IS this WAS done an armed
squad OF mon took Ellis from Constable
Farrow and started with him for tho
pike, where the public road crosses
the Louisville and Nashville.
A big fire had been built at the place
and around it the mob had gathered in
3 circle. Toe handcuffed negro was
made TO kneel before the fire. The
lea ers OF tho mob told Ellis to pray,
bnt he only looked at them in stupid
manner. Being told he was about to
die he raised his voice in a negro hymn
BY the time he had finished the hercer
element were in complete control Of the
mob. Cries of burn him" were heard
on all sides. Even this fearful fate
would have been mercy 10 the negro, as
subsequent events proved. Amid the
shouts OF the mob man jumped to tho
negroes side with a drawn knife in his
hand.
"Cut off his ears" they cried. "Give
me q finger" shouted one man. IT
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 banging
the negro. Their protests were not
noticed. Being urged on by tho fieroest
In the crowd, the man with the knife
out oil tho Negroes right ear and held up
the bleeding trophy in full view Of the
crowd.
The negro screamed, but his other
eer was cut off g few moments later.
The mob became m adder at the sight OF
this work, and those who were mu.
'tilating the negro found am Pile encour
agement. They next CUT off oil OF his
fingers, and, tearing away part OF his
clothing, they mutilated him in hor.
rible manner.
The negro was covered with blood and
his head looked like 1T had been scalped.
The mob was not even then willing to
snd the Negroes agony. They made him
etsnd up so all the crowd could see him.
Finally, fully thirty five minutes after
the torture OF the negro began, rope
L
graph pole was seventy five feet away.
The rope was very long one. The free
end was taken by man who quickly
climbed the telegraph pole and threw
it over the arm. The crowd jerked the
negro to the foot of tho pole and while
the mob shouted the bleeding and mutt
lated form of the negro was swung to
the cross arm.
The negro WAS lowered to the ground
and his head wss cut from his BODY
with pocket knives. The moose was
then put over the feet and the headless
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 negroes BODY
bearing these words "Daath to tho
man who cuts him down before 6:3O
this evening"
No doubt the injunction of the mob
will be obeyed to the letter, and tho
passengers on the Louisville and Nash
Vile trains today may see the horrible
sight. The point where the lynching
occurred 10 cross road called Clifton
Summit. The mob dispersed after do
ing it's work.
Jefferson Ellis, on tire afternoon of
October S, criminally assaulted Miss
Bette Praser in the presence of tho lat
ter's two little sisters. He escaped from
mob which had gathered to lynch him
that night, but he WAS pursued unre-
mittingly until he was captured Monday
near Mount Pleasant Miss. He con-
fessed to tho assault upon Miss Prater,
t. the outrage and murder OF d Mrs
wilcox, of tho same neighborhood two
years ago, and to en- attempted assault
upon little girl in Mississippi while
he was trying to escape from the mob.
Russia Forces Japan to Terms.