Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1896-01-03
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.

commercial from Lebanon, Ky, says:
Within two miles of this city last
night relentless mob burned to death
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 today by the 1i-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
Ill and helpless woman, the mob went
through with its 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 &C
cused by Thomas West, a prosperous
farmer, of intimacy with Mrs. West. A
quarrel followed, which continued
throughout the fall until West institu-
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 1t came. Close to 10 o'clock a
band of men rode up to the West home
or 1Afl
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
darkened window and began a wild,
hysterical plea for mercy. A 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.
l. We'll give you 10 minutes to open up.
Then you burn said the MODS leader
and his men quietly retired from the
door. A hurried consultation was held
inside the house. and then the white and
terror-stricken little girl of Deveres was
thrust out to plead with the mob. Clad
in her nightrobe, barefooted and I'M
protected, she bravely walked out into
the moonlight and sobbed out a prayer
for her white-haired fathers life.
Get out you are liable to get shot
yourself" ruffian said, and, thorough
ly frightened the child fed to the cabin
of a negro neighbor.
Mrs. West then appeared at the door
and, referring to her condition, made a
last appeal for mercy. 1t was unavail-
ing, and in another moment the house
81 ,l,,
wretches failed to move their torturers,
who, after the flames reached the living
room, could see the man and woman in
the agony of death by the 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 liberty
but score of bullets stopped him half
dozen steps from the door.
Hhis 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 cap
tured, as they were without masks and
made no attempt al secrecy.
The child of Deveres who was a wit
ness to the tragedy is dangerously Ill as
the result of the fright and exposure,
but upon her recovery she may be able
to identify some of the lynchers.
The scene of horror was visited by
crowds of curious people today, and it
was well towards noon before the bodies
were cared for by an undertaken Mrs
Vests corpse was charred almost be-
yond human semblance. Deveres' body
was pierced by at least 25 bullets.