The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1895-12-31
THELYNCHERs USED FIRE.
A Woman Burned to Death and "a Man
shot by a Mob IN Kentucky.


two miles of this city Saturday night
a mob set fire TO the house in which
lived Mrs. Thomas West and VIM De
yeres The woman perished in the
flames and the man was riddled with
bullets in attempting to escape.
Several months ago Deyeres. a mid
die aged widower, was accused by
Thomas West, Il prosperous farmer,
OF intimacy with Mrs. West. Quarrel
followed quarrel throughout the fall,
until West instituted divorce proceed
ngs and declared that DeNcrcs must
die. The men met in Lebanon. West
snapped his revolver. which missed
fire. and Deyeres killed him ON the
spot
On The plea OF self-defense the muir
lerer secured bail and scandaliled the
eighborhood by Immediately taking
his own daughters and moving into
Vests house The relatives OF the
murdered husband swore vengeance.
Close to 10 o'clock band of men
rode up TO the West homestead and
demanded admittance. Tom West is
dead Now is your turn" he spokes-
man called, and Deyeres and the wo-
man awol4e to find their house sur
rounded.
Mrs West rushed to darkened Win
dow and began a wild hysterical plea
for mercy \ dozen bullets answered
her cries, and the demand for immedi-
ate surrender was repeated.
De. eres too asked for a hearing, but
the request was greeted with a shower
Of shot.
Wen give YOU ten minutes to open
ap. Then YOU burn" said the mob's
leader. and his men quietly retired
from the door.
4 hurried consultation was held in
side the house and then the little girl
Of Deveres was thrust out to plead
with the mob. Clad in her night-robe,
barefooted and unprotected, she brave
III walked out into the moonlight and
sobbingly pleaded for her white-hair-
ed fathers life.
Get out. You're liable to get shot
yourself" rutfian said. and the
child fed TO the cabin of negro
neighbor
Mrs, West then appeared at the
door. and, referring to her delicate
condition, made a last appeal for
JntfCN. III was nuaSa1ltIlg.
In another moment the house was
set on fire The sbrieks OF the inn
prisoned wretches failed TO move their
torturers who.as the flames reached
the living room, m,could see man and go-
man 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.
Wild with pain, Deferes al the last
moment made d.Sh for liberty losat
a score of bullets stopped him and he
fell dead half dozen steps from the
door.
Sunday morning the little girl led
her negro protector to the scene and
there the bodies. scorched beyond re-
ognition, were found, untouched by
the lynchers.
There is but little doubt that the
members of the mob will be captured
as they were without masks and made
no attempt at secrecy.
The child of Deyeres is dangerously
i'll as the result of the fright and ex-
pos1ire. but upon her recovery she may
be able to identify some of the lynch
ers.
The scene of the horror was visited
by crowds of curious people yesterday
and it was well toward noon before
the bodies were cared for by an under
tal<er.
Mrs. Vests corpse was charred al
most beyond human semblance.
Deyeres' body was pierced by at
least twenty-five bullets. Before his
desperate dash for liberty he had been
frightfuily burned and would proba-
bly have died without the gImshot
wounds.
No arrests have so far been made.
Gov. Bradley feels that the law has
been greatly outraged and the State
disgraced by the brutal murder of VIM.
Deyeres and Mrs. +. j. West at the
hands of a mob near Lebanon yester-
day. The Governor dropped work on
his message and acquainted himself
with all the facts obtainable. He is
communicating with the local authori-
ties In his inaugural address the
Governor condemned lynchings very
vigorously He will offer a reward of
$500. the limit of the law, for the arrest
and conviction of the members of the
mob and issue a proclamation accord
ingly.
Fully 1000 people assembled at the
court house in Lebanon, Ky, to-day
to take action on the burning to death
of Mrs.J.T West and the killing of w.
4. Deveres They were all vigorous in
w A. DevereS were all vigorous IN
denunciation of the disgrace on Marion
county and some very strong resoiu~
tions were drawn mp. fund was
raised to employ detectives to aid IN
ferreting out the perpetrators of the
crime.