The record-union., 1896-12-19
One, Who Defed the Mob, Killed in
His Cell.
The Other Two, Father and Son,
Taken From the Jail and Hanged
to Tree, the r1Ob Refusing to
Listen to the JaiIer's Plea for
1ercy for the r1en.

RUSSELLVILLE (Ky), Dec. 1S-A
blood thirsty, armed mob Of men from
Logan County, half of whom came
from Adairville, reached this town after
midnight this morning, and lynched
three prisoners who were in Jail wait
ing trial on charges of murder and
conspiracy. Arch Proctor, who mur-
dered Aaron and DOC" Grafton at
Adairville on October 4th, was taken
from the jail with his father, "Dink"
Proctor, charged with conspiracy in the
Grafton case, and both men were
hanged to the same tree just outside
of the town. "Bill' Proctor half
brother of ''Dink'' and classed as be-
ing real desperate, who had terrified
the Adairville district for a number of
years, was riddled with bullets in his
cell, defying the mob to take him out
alive, and curSing them with his last
breath.
The man-hunters were pitiless, and
were we'll organized. They refused to
allow Arch Proctor to see his mother,
who was sleeping in neighboring no.
tel, before being deprived of life. The
jailer pleaded with the mob not to
lynch the men, and then made a special
plea for 'Dink' Proctor, who had al
ways been a quiet citizen, the Grafton
murder being the first trouble he had
been mixed up in. But the only an
swer of the leaders was Dead men tell
no tales
The Adairville mob came to town
about 100 strong and attacked the jail
at 1:30 O'Clock. The door of the main
entrance soon gave way before the on
slaught of sledge-hammers. The keep
er of the Jail was forced, on the peril
of his life, to deliver the keys of the
Proctor cells to the mob leaders.
The victims had been apprised of the
coming of the lynchers and their inten-
tions, none of the three being in bed
at the time their cell doors were opened
They faced an excited cursing mob
Of men.
'Bilr' Proctor, who was a powerful
man, showed his desperate character
when brought to bay. He swore no
one should take him from his cell alive
and no one cared to engage him in a
test Of physical strength to get him out
alive. One Of the mob gave the signal
for the murderer to be killed where he
stood by shooting him. A charge of
buckshot entered the desperado's body
the next second and he fell AS he
lay on the floor writhing in pain a
Volley Of bullets was fired at him.
When he was apparently dead man
entered the cell, and placing a pistol
barrel at Proctor's head pulled the trig-
ger to make sure that the most feared
and murderous man of Logan County
was dead.
Then the mob turned towards the cell
OF Dink Proctor and his son Arch. They
were taken from their cells without re-
sistance. The jailer's pleas were un-
needed, and the hands of the victims
bound.
By this time there were fully 200 men
IN the mob, and no attempt was made
to interfere with their lynch-law
plans The prisoners were taken to a
three-Hmbed cedar tree on the Nash
Vile road. The empty limb was in
tended for Bill Proctor, and upon the
other two limbs were strung father
and son without giving either time for
speeches. confessions or prayers.
Mrs. Proctor, the wife and mother
who had come to attend the examining
trial to-day, was sleeping in hotel un-
conscious of the tragedy which was be-
| ing enacted close at hand, and by order
of the leaders the procession to the i'm
provised gallows was not allowed to
stop at the hotel to grant the last pitt
ful plea of Arch to see and say good
bye to his mother.
The bodies, swinging side by side,
were cut down this morning, and big
crowds came to the jail to see the three
bodis laid out there for the Coroners
| inquest.
The mob on its way from Adairville
cut all the telegraph wires leading
from that place. in order to prevent no
tice of their coming being given.
The law w-abiding citizens of Adair-
Vile congratulated each other that Bill
and his nephew had been put away but
the people of the county generally say
that Dink was not deserving of death
The brothers were acquitted of the
charge of killing Aaron Crofton. and
Arch was held for trial in $1,000 bonds
The trial was set for to-day on another
murder case. Bill had killed several