The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1897-09-27
WAS GIVEN TIME TO PRAY
THEN RAYMOND BUSHROD VAS
LYNCHED BY A KENTUCKY MOB.


Had Assaulted n Fourteen Year-Old Girl
Confessed That it Was His Third offence
He Was Taken from the Officers by
Mob Composed of Many Prominent Citi-
zens-women Look On and Applaud.
Cincinnati, Sept. pa special to the
Commercial from Hawesville,
Ky, says:
Raymond Bushrod, the negro, who
yesterday assaulted fourteen year-old
Maggie Roberts, was lynched this eve
ming by mob of about 800 people. The
lynching occurred in the court house
square and the body was left hanging
to the limb of shade tree. There was
no attempt at disguise on the part of
the lynchers, not mask being seen in
the crowd. Bushrod was from Rock
port, Ind. Several months ago he was
taken in and treated kindly by Willis
Clark farmer on the upper part of the
county, only to reward his benefactor
by stealing his watch. He was released
two weeks ago from the county jail, af-
ter having served a sentence of 1856 days
for the theft. He was in town yesterday
and drinking.
In the afternoon he set out afoot, go
ing west on the Texas railway. Three
miles below town, near Petri station, he
encountered little Maggie Roberts,
daughter of Ben Roberts, a prominent
farmer. He assaulted her and after
beating her about the head with coup
ling pin left her on railroad embank-
ment for dead. News of the outrage
spread and searching parties were sent
in every direction. Guards were sent to
every station for twenty miles.
Failing in his attempt to cross at Tell
City, he went back over the railroad and
was captured in hiding under the wait
ing station at Falcon, a mining town
four miles below the scene Of the crime.
Bushrod fell in with a crowd of four
men who brought him quietly to Hawes-
vile and surrendered him to the jailer
while the town was deserted searching
for him.
In the meantime the officers got wind
Of mob and Bushrod was secreted
under guard in the graveyard on the
hill until morning, when he was again
locked up. But the people had deter
mined on dealing him summary justice.
Early in the day they came afoot, on
horseback, in wagons and in trains
They were impatient for darkness. 1t
wa rumored that militia would arrive
at 4:40 from Owensboro. The angry
crowd hearing this placed sentinels on
the hill overlooking the road to give
notice If the train brought any soldiers.
When the train pulled out the Jail
authorities started the rumor that Bush
rod had been smuggled on board and
was being spirited out Of town. The
mob broke for the railway and the Off
GERS then tried to get their prisoner out
of town in the other direction. The
| lookouts who had been posted by the
vigilantes discovered this move in the
game of life and death and 1t was
quickly checked. AT the point of hun
dred guns, they gave UP their prisoner
and the march to the court house square
began.
A widespreading poplar in sight of the
main thoroughfare of the town was Sc
| lected for gibbet and Bushrod was
given brief shift for prayer and con-
| fession. His confession was complete
| He stated that he was guilty and this
was the third offence, one successful eff
| fort having been made upon his sixty
| year-old aunt. After Bushrod had Of
| fered up a long and fervent prayer on
bended knee, the signal to haul away
was given, and with pinioned arms he
was soon dangling from tree. The ap-
plause as he went up was deafening.
| In about four minutes he was pro-
nounced dead and Coroner Mitchell,
viewing the body, cut it down and sum-
moned a jury, whose verdict was that
''Bushrod came to his death at the
hands of unknown parties" during the
day and at the critical time, the county
officials did what they could for the
prisoners protection, but public opinion
was too strong. The Identification of
the accused was complete.
He was taken before the girl last
night and no doubt remained. -Four
others also added their testimony to the
! Identification. After the lynching. the
mob leader prominent Indianian, made
the address, in which he pointed to the
corpse, said Here is the protection we
offer our wives and daughters" The
mob then quietly dispersed No action
| by the authorities against any member
Of the mob is likely.
During the entire time of the lynchine
not less than two hundred women were
on the hill and hillside overlooking the
public square and when his form was
seen dangling from the tree they cheered
shrilly. All through the day Bushrod
! gave evidence of intense anguish. He
was told and fully realized that his time
was close at hand. In the march to the
place of lynching there was hard WORK
to prevent his being killed by infuriated
men. Twice he was knocked down and
| it is believed by some that he was un.
conscious when strung up.