Connecticut western news., 1895-04-25
FIVE WERE LYNCHED.
TWO VICTIMS WERE WOMEN, THREE
 MEN, ALL coLoRE0.

One of the Men Had Confessed to the Mur- der of a White Man-A Mob Took the Prisoners and Hanged Them to the Trees by the Roadside.
 MONTGOMERY, Ala, April 2a.-Word comes from Greenville, Ala, 40 miles south of here, that five negroes were lynched near there Saturday night. Just before the train Jeff Greenville that night the sheriff of the county came into town and reported that in passing Buckalow plantation-three miles from town, he had found flve negroes-three men and two women-hanging by their hooks to some trees and their bodies cold and they evil dently had been dead some hours
 News also reached Greenville of the bru- tai murder near Butler, in that county, of Watts Murphy. a popular young white man, by the negroes. Murphy was a prominent young farmer, being a nephew of the late Governor Watts of this city. After murdering him the negroes placed his body on 8 brush heap and burned the heap. The debris was examined, and the teeth, liver and heart of the victim were found. the balance of the body having been consumed.
 An investigation was instituted. Three negroes were arrested. Finally one of the negroes gave way and confessed the crime, duplicating two other negro men and two women. The officers secured them and were closely guarding the prisoners when last heard from.
 The report does not give any of the de- tails of how the mob secured the mur- derers except that they were taken by force. A telegram from Greenvills oon- firms the story.
 The confession was made by Rattler. who implicated the others. Butler Springs is 16 miles from here A posse of men who had charge of the Ave prisoners left there about Il o'clock at night to bring them to the jail here for safe keeping. The route was lonely one, and the trip was neces- sarily slow.
 At lonely part of the roadway the par ty was suddenly surrounded about 8 o'clock Sunday morning by armed men, who seemed to spring up from both sides of the road The posse was covered by rifles. and under pain of instant doath was halted.
 Reports say there were about 100 men in the attacking party, all heavily armed and all cool and brave They made short work of it.
 Hanged One at . Time.
 
 Taking the five negroes, they tied their hands, and then they were taken one at a time and were hanged to limbs of the trees that lined the road. The five bodies were found hanging there in the morning by churohgoers.
 The affair has created @ great deal of ex- oitement here, but 1t is declared there is no doubt whatever of the guilt of all of these victims of lynch law. There is nc disgusting the fact that the majority of the residents of the county believe the fate of the negroes mot was deserved.
 There is considerable mystery as to the cause of the murder of Watts Murphy. In fact, no two stories from the scene agree. One story Is that a negro. who escaped, concocted the plot and planned the mur- der in revenge for an imaginary wrong oi a trivial nature
 The confession which implicated tho other men and women was full and ex plioit. It is reported here that the mob o lynchers was made up of the most promi nent farmers and merchants living neal the scene of the murder but it is believed this is an exaggerated statement of tn, situation. There is little doubt. however that the prominent citizens oondone tho affair.
 There is some talk about the negroes be ing highly wrought up over the affair They are especially indignant over tn, hanging of the women. Whether tn, women had hand in the actual killing or only knew of the plot, as the neRroei now assert is not definitely known. Thor, may, howeves, be trouble from them