The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-12-30
BY A RELENTLESS MOB
One Of the Most Brutal Lynchings
Ever Enacted.
A MAN AND WOMAN BURNED
The Little Daughter Braveiy Walks
Out. Barefooted. and Sobs Out
Prayer for Her Father. But
Is Met by HIdeous Cries.

Louisville. KY, Dec. ga special to
the Commercial from Lebanon, KY.
says: Within two miles of this city last
night a. relentless mob burned to death
pregnant woman and riddled with
bullets her gray-haired paramour The
blackened and disfigured corpses of the
victims. Mrs. Thomas West and Will
liam Deveres. were found in the ruins
OF the woman's home to-day by the IA
year old daughter of the old man. The
tragedy was one Of the most brutal ev-
er enacted under the grewsome way of
Judge Lynch. Despite the pleadings for
her fathers life of a half clad, fright
ened child and the prayers and tears of
the Ill and 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.
The AFFAIR was the outgrowth of the
old story of faithless wife and venge-
full husband. Several months ago De-
veres. a middle-aged widower. was ac-
cused by Thomas West. a prosperous
farmer. of intimacy with Mrs. West.
Quarrel followed quarrel throughout
the fall until West instituted divorce
proceedings and declared Deveres must
die. They met in Lebanon. West snap
ped his revolver. which missed fire,
while Deveres killed him on the spot.
On the plea of self-defense, the mur-
derer secured bail and scandaNzed the
neighborhood by Immediately taking
his two daughters and moving into
Vests house. The relatives of the
murdered husband swore vengeance.
and last night it came. Close to 10
a Of 70 he
West homestead and demanded admit
tance.
Tom West is dead; now It's your
turn" the spokesman called, and De-
veres and the woman awoke to find
their house surrounded. Mrs. West
rushed to a darkened window and be-
gan wild. hysterical plea, for mercy.
A dozen bullets answered her cries and
the demand for surrender was repeat
ed. Deveres, too, asked for a hearing,
but his request was greeted with
shower of shots.
We'll give you 10 minutes to open
up. Then you burn" said the mob's
leader and his men quietly retired from
the door. A hurried consultation was
held inside the house and then, white
and terror-stricken, the little girl of
Deveres was thrust out to plead with
the mob. Clad in her night robe, bare
footed and unprotected, she bravely
walked out into the moonlight and
sobbed out a prayer for her white
haired fathers life.
Get out; you're liable to get shot
yourself" a ruffian said, and the thor
oughly frightened child fed to the cab
in of a negro neighbor.
Mrs. West then appeared at the door
and, referring to her condition, made a
last appeal for mercy. 1t was unawail-
ing, and in another moment the house
was fired. The shrieks of the impris-
oned wretches failed to move their tor
turers who. after the flames reached
the living room. could see the man and
woman in the agony OF death by the
fire. Just before the roof fell the wo-
man 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 the
last moment, made a dash for liberty.
but a score of bullets stopped him half
a dozen steps from the door.
This morning the little girl led her
negro protector to the scene and there
the bodies. scorched beyond recogni-
tion, were found, untouched by the
lynchers. There is but little doubt that
the members OF the mob will be cap
tured, as they were without masks and
made no attempt at secrecy. The child
of Deveres. who was a witness to the
tragedy, is dangerously Ill as the re-
suit of fright and exposure, but upon
her recovery she may be able to identi-
fy some of the lynchers. The scene OF
the horror was visited by crowds of
curious people to-day. and 1t was well
towards noon before the bodies were
cared for by an undertaken. Mrs. West
corpse was charred almost beyond hu-
man semblance. Deveres' body was
ralarcad leaat hlallata