Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1895-07-03
MURDERER LYNCHED.

Marshall f. Price, the murderer of
little Sallie E. Dean, near Harmony,
Md, was taken from the county Jail at
Denton last night by crowd of mask
ed men, and hanged to tree near the
Jail. Price was to have been executed
on Friday, but yesterday morning
Sheriff Berry received telegram an
nouncing that Governor Brown, acting
on the advice of Attorney General Poe,
had granted a reprive until the Court
of Appeals could pass upon the case.
When this became known the general
discomfort which had begun to mani
fest itsell as soon as the appeal pro-
ceedings were commenced broke into a
storm, and strong lynching party was
quietly and quickly organized. When
Sheriff Berry yesterday morning re-
ceived official notice of the reprieve he
withdrew the death watch, and the Jail,
which is poorly constructed affair,
was left practically unguarded. 1t
could not have been defended against q
determined mob, however, except by
strong armed force.
About 10 o'clock last night a crowd OF
strangers began gatheringin town, and
their presence created much excite
ment among the citizens, who had not
retired to rest. Sheriff Berry was mott
fed, aud he and his deputies gathered
at the Jail, determined to defend the
prisoner to the last. An effort was
made to find some avenue of escape by
which Price could be taken from the
reach of the avenging mob, but every
street leading from the Jail was found
to be closely guarded by strong force.
A delegation from the lynchers, all
masked, waited upon Sheriff Berry,
and notified him not 10 attempt to re-
move the prisoner. Then it was known
that the attempt at lynching, which
had been rumored for several days
would be made, was near at hand.
Price had been resting quietly in his
cell during the early part of the even
ing; but the sudden and unexpected
appearance of the sheriff and his
deputies warned hin. that something
unusual was Transporting. The prisoner
became much excited. Finally one of
the guards told him of the threatening
mob about the Jail, and he cried out:
"For Gods sake, let me out. I will
hide; I will not run away" The
lynchers completed their arrangements
about eleven o'clock, and in body
advanced upon the Jail, and surrounded
it. They demanded the keys from
Sheriff Berry, and when that officer de.
clined to give them up, they easily
knocked open the door. Once inside,
the guards were quickly overpowered,
and soon Prices cell was reached.
The prisoner was in pitiable state of
excitment and fright, and his condition
was such that it was an easy matter TO
get him out of the Jail. A rope was
thrown over his head, he was hurried
to tree near the jail and strung up
without delay. The mob stood around
for some time, watching the dying
man swinging in the moonlight, and
when it was known that he was dead,
all quietly departed.
Gov. Brown, when informed of the
lynching of Price, said that he consid.
cred it great misfortune that the law
was not allowed to take its course. In
granting the reprieve, he said, he had
only taken the one course to be pur-
sued. Exceptions had not been filled
by Prices counsel, and these had been
sent to the Court of Appeals. AS this
was necessary according TO law, he
could not do otherwise than grant the
respite. He recounted the suggestion
made in his message to the General
Assembly of incarcerating in the peni-
Tertiary in Baltimore all prisoners
under sentence of death.