The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1897-06-23

5St torn limb from llmD, was rluuleu
pistol bullets.
= Andrews was arrested Immediately after
the assault on Mrs. Kelly, and in order to
save him from the fury of the people Of
Princess Anne and Marion, near which lat
ter town the crime was committed, it was
necessary to remove hin secretly to Balti-
more, where he was kept in safety until
he was brought back to this place for trial.
During the night a number ofmen assem-
bled and agreed upon a plan of action. 1t
was fully determined that no matter what
the result of tho trial might be swift ven
geance should be meted out to the prisoner.
Shortly before noon Andrews was taken
from the Jail, where he had spent the night,
and hurried through the street to the
Court House. Howls and eSecrations fol-
lowed his passage to the Court House;
still, no attempt was made to interfere
with the officers in the execution OF their
duty. The people waited until the legal
machinery OF the State had run its course.
That the miscreant hould die all agreed,
no matter what the verdict. They waited
Until the red tape had been rolled of.
They said if he were sentenced promptly
and promptly executed they would be
satisfied.
The little court room was packed with de-
termined-looking men, many Of whom car
,ried shotguns and rifles, as the trembling
prisoner, heavily manacled, was dragged
to the bar. He was already half dead from
terror, and his teeth chartered as in reply
to the summons to plead he admitted his
guilt. Without a moments delay Judge
Page sentenced him to be hanged, and then
Sheriff Nelson and Deputy Sheriff Dryden
seized him and attempted to take him back
to the jail.
The throng made way, but just as they
reached the outer door the mob closed on
them. In an instant the Sheriff and his
deputy were brushed aside and the prisoner,
shrieking piteously, wasin the hands OF the
mob. His cries and yells for mercy were
scoffed at and stifed. Seized bya hundred
hands, he was torn and thrust, first this
way and then that, hardly a shred Of cloth
ing being left upon his bleeding n bruised
body half a minute after the moi had laid
hands upon him. There was no precon-
certed programme for this punishment.
There was not a hand in the vast throng
that did not fight for a chance to batter his
quivering body.
Judge Page ran out OF the court room n
lmplored the frenZied crowd to wait and let
Justice AXE it's course, but he might as we'll
have appealed to the winds. BLIND with
fury, the mob continued to rain kicks and
blows on the prisoner until he fell insensi-
BILE. By this time life was probably extinct,
but while some OF the crowd began to scat
ter in search Of q rope others drew their re-
yolvers and emptied them into the pros
trate body. When the mob had fully glut-
ted its vengeance 1t dispersed, leaving the
mangled corpse lying on the Court House
steps.
After it had lain there some time boys
lied @ rope round the neck and the body
was hoisted to a limb of the nearest tree,
where it again became the target for o
score Of pistol bullets. While this was 60
ing on women stood by execrating the
victim and applauding the swiftness with
which vengeance had been wreaked on
him. The body remained dangling for
hours before it was cut down and removed
by the orders of the Coroner.
No attempt at disguise was made by any
Of those who participated in the lynching,
among whom were many OF the most re-
spected citizens OF the town and vicinity.
The act Of the mob Is almoS universally
applauded in the community, and 1t is
openly boosted that no man will ever be
judicially executed in Princess Anne County
for the crime for which Andrews suffered.
The general opinion is that it is well that
troops were not sent to the scene, as this
would, as in the recent case at Urbana,
Ohio, only have resulted in a conflict, n
consequent deplorable loss Of life. No vio-
hence was offered to the Sheriff or his
deputies, but in the temperin which the mob
was there is no doubt that it would have
Jared badly with them had they offered any
serious resistance to the capture Of their
prisoner.