Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1896-12-22
NEGRO HANGED BY A MOB.
A Prisoner Taken From a Kentucky
Jail and Lynched.
On Two Previous Occasion He Had
Narrowly Escaped the Vengeance
of Mobs and Had Been Taken to
Different Jails for Safe Keeping.

Mayheld, Ky, December 21.-Jim Stone
colored. was taken from the county Jail
and lynched by mob this morning. He
had been brought mere yesterday morning.
having been in Louisville for the past two
weeks. Stones trial was set for to-mor-
row in Circuit Court. NJ J. Norman and
Gus Thomas had been appointed TO defend
the negro by the court. and were in close
consultation wish him during the entire
day.
stone was charged with criminally as
saulting Mrs. J. NJ. r. Greene at her resi-
dence in this city on the night of Novem-
Der p, and was arrested 10y Sheriff Cook
the day after the criue. Stone denied hls
guilt. but the evlde1cc was against him.
His preliminary hearing was set for the
18th. and the prisoner was taken to tho
county jail for safekeepng On the 25th
he was bound over to await the action OF
the grand jury. An order was received
from Judge Moss TO take the prisoner 10
Paducah for safekecping and Sheriff
Cook with a number Of deputies started
for the depot with the prisoner TO take tho
l. al freight for that place. When tho
train arrived the officers placed the pris-
oner in the caboose and a few moments
later mob Of about $50 men surrounded
the car and demanded the negro. The
sheriff refused to give up the negro, and
the mob was preparing TO overturn the car.
when DR. Greene, husband Of the victim.
1 .-f.r Of be aar
advised the crowd to lot the negro depart
in peace The troin pulled out.
That evening over 100 well armed men
went TO Paducah for the purpose of lynch
ing Stone. but McCracken county officials
had been notified OF their intention. and
upon arriving at the Paducah Jail the ne
gro could not be found. and The crowd re-
turned to Mayfed IN the morning. Two
days later Stone was transferred TO Louis
Vile IL not being deemed safe TO keep him
longer in Paducah.
Sheriff Cook left for Louisville Saturday
morning, and In a few hours his depart
ure was known all over Graves county.
When he arrived with his prisoner Sunday
morning several unknown men were at
the station and followed the officer 10 tho
county Jail and during the entire day tho
jail was closely watched, TO see that thS
prisoner was not again moved away.
Al 1:S0 o'clo,iC th.s morning mob Of
about 200 masked men assembled few
hundred yards from the court house and
marched to the Jail, and after breaking
in the doors Of the prison. entered and Sc
cured the negro. He was carried TO tha
court yard and swung up TO a limb at
o'clock. and several Of the mob fred shots
through his body.
The jailer tried TO defend the negro,
but the mob demanded him in such
manner that he was forced to surrender
him. The negro made a statement to the
effect that another negro committed tho
crime. but the men paid no attention to
his words The negro offered prayer
while knives were being plunged into his
body but 10 no avail The men were con-
vnced Of his guilt. and acted according.
ly a placard was pinned on his body an.
nouncing that he should not be taken
down until noon to-day, and also naming
several other negroes residing in the city
to take warning