The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1896-01-10
Brutal Tragedy Enacted by a
Mob in the Vicinity Of
Lebanon, Ky.
Faithless Wife and Her Para
mour Cremated in the
Woman'S Home.
LynCherS Were UnmaSked
and Their Early Capture
Is Certain.

LOUISVILLE, Dec. 30.-A special to
The Commercial from Lebanon, KY,
says: Within two miles of this city a
relentless mob burned to death a
woman and riddled with bullets
her gray haired paramour. The black
ened and disfigured corpses OF the VIC
tims-Mrs Thomas West and William
Deveres-were found in the ruins of
the womans home by the 14-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. The affair
was the outgrowth of the old story of a
faithless wife and vengeful husband.
Several months ago Deveres, a middle
aged widower, was accused by Thomas
West, prosperous farmer, OF intimacy
with Mrs. West. Quarrel followed
quarrel until West instituted divorce
proceedings and declared Deveres must
die The men met in Lebanon. West
snapped his revolver, which missed
fire, and Deveres
Killed Him on the Spot.
On the plea of elf-defense the MUIR
derer secured bail and scandalized the
neighborhood by Immediately taking
his two daughters and moving into
Vests house The relatives of the
murdered husband swore vengeance,
and at last it came. About 10 o'clock
Saturday night band of men rode up
TO the West homestead and demanded
admittance.
"Tom West is dead Now it is your
turn" the spokesman called, and De-
veres and the woman awoke to find
their house surrounded. Mrs. West
rushed to darkened window and be-
gan wild hysterical plea for mercy.
A dozen bullets answered her cries and
the demand for immediate surrender
was repeated. Deveres, too, asked for
hearing, but his request was granted
with shower of shots.
Unavailing Pleas For Mercy.
"We'l give you 10 minutes to open
up. Then you burn" said the leader
of the mob. and the 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, bare
footed and unprotected, she bravely
walked out into the moonlight and
sobbed out prayer for her white
haired fathers life.
sect out; you're liable to get shot
yourself" a ruffian shouted, and, thor
oughly panic stricken, the child fed to
the cabin of a negro neighbor.
Mrs. West then appeared at the door,
and made last appeal for mercy. 1t
was unavailing, and in another mo-
ment the house was fired. The
Shrieks of the Imprisoned 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. 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 a
score of bullets stopped him half
dozen steps from the door.
In the 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 aftlnnt aft cQoraou