Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1896-12-08
TWO MEN LYNCHED.
Charged With Numbering a Woman and
Two Children.
The Jail Doors Were Battered Down
by Mob and the Prisoners Taken
Out and Hanged-The Husband
Of the Murdered Woman Admit
ted His Guilt.

LEXINGTON, Mo, December AT
about / o'clock this morning mob Of Ray
county farmers broke into the county Jail
here. secured Jesse Winner and James
Nelson. held for the murder of Mrs. Win
ner and her two babes, and lynched
them.
The Jail was not heavily guarded. as no
warning had been sent ny the authorities
at Richmond TO prepare for mob. The
mob was composed of $50 men, all unmask-
ed. They were a very orderly set OF men,
but clearly showed that they meant busi-
ness So quietly did the lynchers approach
the jail that no one connected with it
knew how the mob crossed the river upon
the banks OF which the institution stood.
They ovyrpoWered Jailer James Goode,
without any ado and demanded the keys
10 the cells OF Nelson and Winner.
Goodc had hidden them. and when one
of the mob said to him: "There is one
way 20 make you give them up. the jailer
coolly replied: You can't make dead
man give them up, so shoot me II you
want to-"
The leader said they were prepared with
plenty of tools TO effect an entrance, and
displayed a quantity of dynamite, sledges
and chiscls Notwithstanding this Jailer
Goode remained firm and the mob went
about 10 gain their end in another way.
The other prisoners We're told not TO make
any break for tho.r liberty as they would
Le severely dealt with if they did. Then
the doors were battered down and the
prisoners tied and led out. one of the
mob acted as captain directing the lynch
ers not TO shoot as long as the jai!cr "be-
havcd." as they expressed it.
The demolition of the doors proved but
the work of % few minutes. When an en-
trance had been made two dozen men
rushed direct to the cells of the two muir
derars. who cowed ard skunk into the
corners of their mcagre quarters, begging
ritoously for mc-c.. None was shown.
but the two mon were led triumphantly
out into the open. Winner, the husband
and father. came out trembling with fear.
and looked the picture of distress. Nelson
stood mp better than Winner under tho
strain but said not a. word. As he passed
his cell. Winner told one of the other
prisoners that he was guilty. The cap
tain. when the river was reached. was
asked where he was going to hang the
cuiprits. and replied that they were going
to Ray county. just across the river. The
river was crossed at about 2 o'clock and
the men quickly dispatched.
Ion Lacl5ey, who has also been an jaii
here under a charge of completely in the
murder. was taken to Richmond Satur-
day. which fact alone saved his life, ~
he would certainly have been lynched with
the others. The probabilities are that
vengeance will bc meted out to him later.
Several attempts were made TO lynch
Winner and Lackey while they were in
iaU at Richmond. which led to their re-
moval for safe keeping Nelson has been
I'm ian here only since Saturday. having
been arrested on the strength of a confess
sion Of Miss Maggie Katrone. who made
a sworn statement that she Winner. Lack
ev and Nelson committed the murder.
The crime for which Winner and Nelson
we're lynched was the brutal murder Of
Mrs. Winner. wife of the lynched man.
and of Clara Winner. aged three years.
and Perle Winner. a boy aged eighteen
months. The Winners lived northeast of
Richmond. on October 26 Winner left
home for q day or so. and the next day
Mrs. Winner and her two children We're
found with their throats cut
Winner looked weak and disheartened
all yesterday and it is thought he would
have made an open confession before
long.
The Winners came to Ray county about
five years ago. coming from Upton.
Pauldinr county. Ohio. where his wife re-
sided. Both were well connected, she hav-
ing two brothers back in Ohio who are
considered very wealthy.