The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1896-01-04
A Woman and Man Burned to
Death.
NO MERCY WAS SHOWN THEM
The Bloodthirsty Mob Stood by and Saw
Their Victims Perish Amid
the Flames.

Louisville. Dec "a special to the
Commercial from Lebanon, KY, says:
Within two miles of this city last
night relentless mob burned to death
a pregnant woman and riddled with
bullets her gray-haired paramour. The
blackened and disfigured corpses of the
victims, Mrs. Thomas West and Will
lin Deveres, were found in the ruins of
the woman's home To-Day by the 14-year-
old daughter of the old man.
The tragedy was one of the most bru-
tai ever enacted under the gruesome
way of Judge Lynch. Despite the plead
ings for her fathers life of a half-clad,
frightened child, and the prayers of an
i'll and helpless woman. the mob went
through with it's work with cold-blood-
ed elaboration and only left when GER
tain that both man and woman were
| dead.
The affair was the outgrowth of an
old story of a faithless wife and venge-
full husband. Several months ago De-
veres, a middle-aged widower, was ac-
cused by Thomas West, a prosperous
farmer. of intimacy with Mrs. West. A
quarrel followed, which continued
throughout the fall until West institus
ted divorce proceedings and declared
Deveres must die.
The men met in Lebanon. West
snapped his revolver, which missed fire.
while Deveres killed him on the spot
| on the plea of self-defense the murderer
| secured bail and scandalized the neigh
borhood by Immediately taking his two
daughters and moving into Vests
house. The relatives OF the murdered
husband swore vengeance, and last
night it came. Close to 10 o'clock a
band of men rode up to the West home
stead and demanded admittance.
tom West is dead. Now 1t is your
turn" the spokesman called, and De-
veres and the woman awoke to find the
house surrounded. Mrs. West rushed to
a darkened window and began a wild,
hysterical plea for mercy. dozen bull
let's answered her cries, and the demand
for surrender was repeated. Deveres,
too, asked for a hearing, but this re-
quest was greeted with a shower of
shots.
wen give you 10 minutes to open up.
e Then you burn" said the mob's leader,
D and his men quietly retired from the
D door, A hurried consultation was held
! inside the house, and then the white and
| lcIIOI-SlIlCktn lllllG 6lil VI 1CfOANS "N1
e thrust out to plead with the mob. Clad
in her nightrobe, barefooted and I'M
I protected, she bravely walked out into
the moonlight and sobbed out a prayer
for her white-haired fathers life.
7 Get out; you are liable to get shot
- yourself" a ruffian said, and. thorough
ly frightened. the child fed to the cabin
a OF negro neighbor.
: Mrs West then appeared at the door
e and, referring to her condition, made q
g last appeal for mercy. 1t was unavail
: ing, and in another moment the house
Is was fired. The shrieks of the imprisoned
d wretches failed to move their torturers
2, who, after the flames reached the living
o room, could see the man and woman II
s, the agony of death by the fire.
lie Just before the roof fell the woman
m was seen to reel across the room ant
K plunge headlong into the fireplace
among the burning Goals, and there sh
ID died. Wild with pain, Deveres at tn
lie last moment made a dash for liberty
ID but a score of bullets stopped him half
dozen steps from the door.
Hhis morning the little girl led he
q negro protector to the scene, and ther
p, the bodies, scorched beyond recogni
ton, were found, untouched by tn
{, lynchers. There is but little doubt tina
III the members of the mob will be car
~ tured, as they were without masks an
- made no attempt at secrecy.
- The child of Deveres who was a wi
- ness to the tragedy is dangerously i'll q
= - the result of the fright and exposur
- but upon her recovery she may be alb
80, 70 to identify some OF the lynchers.
~ The scene of horror was visited h
TN crowds of curious people today, and
was well towards noon before the bodi
were cared for by an undertaken. Mr.
I'd Vests corpse was charred almost b
ev yond human semblance. Deveres' boo
was pierced by at least 25 bullets.