The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1895-10-17

Bloody Souvenirs of the CHASTITY Oc-
casiOn--Hanged to Telegraph Pole
But Before he Became Unconscious
he Was Lowered to the Ground And
His Head Cut OFF With Pocket
Knives--His Fiendish Crimes.
MEMPHIS, Tenn, Oct. 16.-Jeffers0n
Ellis, the rapisU, was hanged to a tele
graph pole at 1O.40 this morning by $50
men within two hundred yards of the
scene of his crime. Before hanging the
negro, the mob cut off both his ears and
sll of his fingers, and mutilated him in
a horrible manner.
The mob, with their prisoner, reached
the home of his victim, Miss Prater,
soon after midnight. The young woman
identified him as her assailant. Assoon
as this was done, an armed squad of fmen
took Ellis from constable Farrow and
started with him for the pike, where the
public road crosses the Louisville and
Nashville.
A big fire had been built at the place
and around it the mob gathered in cir
Gle. The handcuffed negro was made to
kneel before the fire. The leaders of the
mob told Ellis to pray, but he only look
ed at them in a stupid manner. Being
told that he was about to die he raised
his voice in negro hymn. BY the time
he finished the fercer element were in
complete control OF the mob. Cries of
"burn him" were heard on all sides.
Even this fearful fate would probably
have been mercy to the negro as subse-
quent events proved
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.
''Giye me firger," shouted one man.
II want a thumb, shouted 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. Their protests were not noticed.
Being urged on by the fiercest men in the
crowd, the man cut off the negro's right
ear and held up the bleeding trophy in
full view of the crowd.
The negro screamed, but his other ear
was cut off few moments later. The
mob became madder at the sight Of this
work and those who were mutilating the
negro found ample encouragement. They
next cut off all bis fingers, and tearing
away part of his clothing, they mutiiated
him in horrible manner.
The negro was covered with blood and
his head looked like it had been scalped
The mob was not even then willing to
end the negro's agony. They made him
stand up so all the crowd could see him.
Finally, fully thirty five minutes after
the torture of the negro began, the rope
was put around his neck. The tele-
graph pole was seventy-ive feet away.
The rope was very long one. The free
end was taken by man who quickly
climbed the telegraph pole and threw 1t
over the arm. The crowd jerked the
negro to the foot of the pole, and while
the mob shouted the bleeding and mu
tilated form of the negro was swung to
the cross arm.
The negro was lowered to the ground
and his head was 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 intended 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 negro's 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 pas
sengers on the Louisville and Nashville
trains to-day may see the horrible sight.
The point where the lynching occurred is
a cross road called Clifton Summit. The
mob dispersed after doing its work.
Jefferson Ellis, on the afternoon of
October 9Th, criminally assaulted Miss
Bessie Prater in the presence of the
latter's two little sisters. He es-
capped from a mob which had gath
cred to lynch him that night, but
he was pursued unremittingly until he
was captured Monday near Mountain
Pleasant, Miss. He confessed to the as
sault 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 little girl
in Mississippi while he was trying to
escape from the mob.