Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1896-01-02
A M0D'S WORK.
An Awful Tragedy Enacted by
Judge Lynch.
WOMAN and Her plRANOUR BURNED
The Man Made Break for Liberty but
Was Riddled with I3ullsts-Ths Mob
Watched While the Couple
Roasted.

LEBANON, KY, Dec. 30-Within two
miles Of this city last night relent.
less mob burned TO death q woman
who was In a delicate condition and
riddled with bullets her gray-haired
paramour. The blackened and disfg.
ured corpses Of the victims-Mra
Thomas West and William Deveres-
were found in the ruins OF the woman's
home yesterday by the l4.year.old
daughter Of the murdered man. The
tragedy was one Of the most brutal
ever enacted under the gruesome sway
Of dread Judge Lynch. Despite the
pleadings for her fathers life Of q half
clad, frightened child and the prayers
and tears Of the i'll and helpless
woman, the mob went through with
Its work with cold-blooded, cruel de-
liberation, and only left when certain
that both the man and woman were
dead.
The affair was the out0rowth Of the
old story Of faithless wife and venge-
full husband. Several months ago
Deveres, middle-aged widower, was
accused by Thomas West, prosperous
farmer, Of intimacy with Mrs. West.
Quarrel followed quarrel throughout
the fall, until West instituted divorce
proceedings and declared Deveres
must die. The men met at Lebanon
and West snapped his revolver, which
missed FIRE, and Deveres killed him on
the spot. On the plea Of self-defense
the murderer secured bail and scandal
lied the neighborhood by immediately
taking his two daughters and moving
into Vests house. The relatives Of the
murdered husband swore vengeance
and Saturday night 1t came. Close to
10 o'clock band Of men rode up to the
West homestead and demanded I'D.
mittance. tom West Is dead. Now
it's your turn" the spokesman called
and Deveres and the woman awoke to
fnd their house surrounded. Mrs
West rushed to darkened window
and began wild, hysterical plea for
mercy. A dozen bullets answered her
cries and the demand for immediate
surrender was repeated. Deveres, too,
asked for q hearing, but his request
was greeted with shower Of shots
We'll give you ten 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 nightrobe,
baretooted and unprotected, she brave.
ly walked out into the moonlight and
sobbed out prayer for her white.
haired fathers life Get out. You're
liable to be shot Yourself" rutfian
said, and thoroughly panic-stricken,
the child fed to the cabin Of negro
neighbor.
Mrs. West then appeared at the door,
and referring to her con dition, made
last appeal for mercy, 1t was unavail-
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 fire.
just before the roof fell the woman
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 dash for lib
erty, but score OF bullets stopped
him half dozen steps from the door.
This morning the little girl led her
negro protector to the scene and there
the bodies, scorched beyond recogni-
ton, were found, untouched by the
lynchers. There is but little doubt
that the members of the mob will be
captured, as they were without masks
and made no attempts at secrecy.
The scene of the horror was visited
by crowds of curious people yesterday |
and it was we'll towards noon before
the bodies were cared for by an under.
taker Mrs. Vests corpse was charred
almost beyond human semblance
Overcome by the flames, she had fallen
into the large old fashioned fireplace .
Of the living room and the head was
almost burned from the body. De.
vere's body was pierced by at least
IS bullets Before his desperate dash
for liberty he had been frightfully
burned and would probably have died
without the gunshot wounds. His
hair and beard were burned off, his
clothes were in charred shreds and his
face blistered and blackened. No ar
rests have so far been made, but de.
yelopments are expected TODAY.