The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-12-30
HORRIBLE FATE.
Woman In Kentucky Town Roasted
Alive by a Mob.
PARAM0uR IS BADLY BURNED.
Subsequently Put to Death
NTH Bullets.

woman and rlddled with bullets her gray
haired paramour The blackened and dis
figured corpses OF tho victims-Mrs.
Thomas West and William Deveres-were
found in the ruins OF the woman's homo.
yesterday by the l4-year-old daughter OF
tho murdered man.
The tragedy was one of tho most brutal
ever enacted under gruesome sway OF
dread Judge Lynch. Despite the plead
ings for her fathers life OF n half-clad,
frightened child, and the prayers and tears
OF the sick aud helpless woman, the mob
went through with its work with cold
blooded, cruel deliberation, and only left
when certain that both man and woman
were dead.
Tho affair was the outgrowth OF tho old
story of faithless wife and yengeful
husband. Several months ago, DeSeres,
middle-aged widower, was accused by
Thomas West, prosperous farmer, of
intimacy with Mrs. West. A quarrel fol-
lowed, lasting until West instituted d.
vorco proceedings and declared that De-
ycres 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 sclf-defcnse, the murderer Sc
cured bail aud scandalized the neighbor-
hood by Immediately taking his two daugh-
ters and moving into Vests house. The
relatives OF the murdered husband swore
vengeance, and SATURDAY night IL come.
Mob Deaf to Pleas For Mercy.
Close to o'clock band Of men rode up
TO tho West homestead and demanded ad-
mittance. tom West is dead; now it's
your turn" the spokesman called, and
AL ha nUolxa n find
their house surrounded. Mrs. West
rushed to darkened window and began Q
wild, hysterical plea for mercy. A dozen
bullets answered her cries, and the de-
mand for immediate surrender was re-
peated. Deveres too, asked for hearing,
but lns request was greeted with shower
OF shots.
wen give yoa 10 minutes to open up;
then you burn" said the mob's leader,
and his mon quietly retired from the door.
A hurried consultation was held inside
the house, and then, white and terror
stricken, tho little girl Of Deveres was
thrust out To plead with the mob. Clad
in her night robe. barefooted and unpro-
tectcd, she bravely walked out into the
moonlight and sobbed out a prayer for her
whitc-hair fathers life.
Get out; you're liable TO get shot your
self, " n rufiian said, aud the panic-stricken
child fed 10 the cabin of negro neigh
Dor. Mrs. West then appeared at tho
door, and referring TO her condition, made
u last appeal for mercy. 1t was unavail-
ing, and in another moment tho house
was fired.
The shrieks of the imprisoned wrctches
failed to move their torturers, who, as the
flames reached the room where the couple
were living, could see man and woman in
the agony of death by the fire. just be-
fore 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,
Deveres at tho last moment made dash
for liberty, but score of bullets stopped
him half dozen steps from the door.
Yesterday morning the little girl led her
negro protector TO the scene, and there tho
bodies, scorched beyond recognition, were
found, untouched by the lynchers.
No Ciew tn Perpetrators Identity.
1t is not improbable that the scenes of
Saturday night will be re-enacted in tho
vicinity shortly, as the outrage has
aroused the most intense Indignation
among the people Of the county. Because
threatened vengeance, there is a strong
belief that they are responsible for the
crime. The uncertainty, however. as to
just who was implicated has so far pre-
vented further trouble.
The child OF Deseres, who was witness
to the tragedy is dangerously sick as tho
result OF the fright and exposure, but upon
her recovery she may be able TO identify
some of the lynchers. The night was
brilliant with moonlight.
The scene of the horror was visited by
crowds of curious people yesterday, and it
was we'll toward noon before tho bodies
were cared for by IN undertaken.
Mrs. Vests corpse was charred almost
beyond human scmbiIncc. Overcome by
the flames, she had fallen into the large old.
fashioned fireplace of tho living room,
ard the head was almost burned from tho
body.
Deveres' body was pierced by at least 25
bullets. Before his desperate dash for
liberty, he had been frightfully burned,
and would probably have died without the
gunshot wounds. His hair and beard
were burned off, his clothes were in
charred shreds and his face bllstered and
blackencd.
Mrs. West had three children. Two,
who are young lndics, are SAID TO h2ge
been driven from the West home whom
Deyeres came there 10 live, and they have
been with Vests relatives recently. TheTp
Is great excitement, and IL Is believed thdt
Mrs. Vests friends will he revengcd.
Justice Nave late yesterday afternoon
held an inquest upon the bodies Of the
victims. Several witnesses wore ex.
amined, but nothing tending To incrim-
mate any one was developed. The inves-
tigatlon will bo continued
A Drunken Mans Deed.