Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-04-14
A LYNCH|NG AT Scale
Taken From Jail and Hanged to
a Limb.
REDRICK ADAMS THE VICTIM
1t Was Done Saturday Night-The JaIler Was
Deceived Mo Scale People Knew of
It--t4story of the Crime.

Scale, April 12.-(Special) -From the
limb of tree in a grove within hun
dred yards and in sight of the Methodist
church and Scale high school building, al
most in a stones throw Of the court
house and Jail, the body of Reddick
Adams, who assaulted and robbed Mr..
r. T. Renfroe last fall, was found this
morning suspended.
While the people of Scale had appre-
hended such an occurrence somewhat,
still the deed was executed so quietly
that when the morning rays of the sun
disclosed the lifeless body of Adams but
two or three, the sheriff and jailer, knew
of the deed.
Reddick Adams was the young negro
who last fall shot from ambush one of
Russell's most respected citizens, an in
dustrious and law-abiding man, Mr.. r.
T. Renfroe, who was picking cotton in
his field a quarter of mile from his
store, which was also his residence After
shooting Renfroe in the head with mixed
shot Reddick rushed up and felled him
with a blow from his gun and repeated
the murderous blows on the head until,
as he afterward confessed, he was GER
tain Renfroe was dead: robbed him of
the key to his store, went to the store
and with the key effected an entrance,
robbed the trunk of $25 or $50 and a pistol,
The deed was committed at IL o'clock in
the day. Parties passing along the road
from Scale to Pittsboro, four miles from
Scale, attracted by the shooting, discov-
cred the crime.
Renfroe, after remaining unconscious
few minutes. recovered sufficiently to
make his way home, but could give no
clue to the identity of the perpetrator.
After several weeks of suffering he
miraculously recovered, but with the loss
of an eye. destroyed by shot. He was
already very lame, delicate and feeble
when the assault was made upon him.
Great Indignation was felt by all ac-
quainted with this outrage and large
search party was organized at once to
hunt the unknown assassin. The charac-
ter of Adams, the fact of his having been
seen with a gun that day, his disappear
ance and other circumstances strength
ened the belief in his guilt. After several
days hunt posse captured him on Satur-
day night near the scene of the crime.
He confessed all.
The mob spirit ran high and early Sun
day morning a considerable body of men
carried Adams to Pittsboro, three miles
south, but cooler heads prevailed and the
prisoner was brought to Scale and incar-
cerated in the county Jail, where he has
been since
An effort was made for an immediate
trial, but owing to heavy business the
court 1Ounu 1T lIlpOSSlDle 10 grant the
request and the case was taken up at
this term of court. Attorneys were APP
pointed by the court to defend the pris-
oner, and on the charge of highway rob-
berry the case went to the jury Wednes-
day afternoon. The grand jury, at its
sitting last week. found two true bills
against Adams, one for arson in the first
degree and one for highway robbery,
both capital cases in Alabama. The jury,
after being out three days, failed to
reach verdict and were discharged by
Judge Foster and a mistrial declared.
1t is reported the jury stood eleven for
hanging and one for life sentence. This
is the history of the crime.
Mr. Will Lester, the jailer testified be-
! fore-the coroner's jury that he was
awakened Saturday night by some one
calling. He answered and found man
with a negro bound, who he failed to
recognize. The man said he had pris-
oner from the upper part of the county,
whom he wanted to lock up. Lester went
to the jail, only a few yards distant,
seeing no one else until he had gotten In.
side and unlocked the doors, when the
mob burst in on him. covered him with