Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1897-07-21
A SET OF DETERMINED MEN
hf:er the fral Judge Had Again Postponed
the Hearing
WAYLAlD THE DEPUTIES AND MAN
Who Had So Cruelty Murdered His Sweet
heart, and Securing the Wretch, Melted
Out to Him Speedy Retribution-
Insanity Racket Didn't Go.

Atlanta, Ga, July 20-Dispatches from
Talbotton today fully confirm the report
ed lynching near there. last night OF DR..
W. L. Ryder, who murdered Mss Sallie
Emma Owen at Talbotton a year ago.
Judge Hart, on the eyid nee that Col.
Wori I'll, of Columbus, the 1eadiss
counsel for Ryder, could not be present,
due 70 sickntss, continued the case until
the regular term ia 5eptemb-r.
DR.. Ryder, the prisoner, was TO be re-
turned to Muskogee- Jail on the $50 p. m.
train and was taken t.o Waverly Hill, the
nearest aeatlon from Talbolton, for hat
purpoa.
In a few minutes after the deputies ar
rived with their pf.eoner at the sl.aitton
the mob drove up and took ne prisoner
bv force from the officers, returned with
him 20 point Just across ths county llne,
ard there lynehed him. His BODY Was
iouna hanging from a limb at an early
hour this morning. His tongue was out
and his face was horribly blackened.
Deputy Sheriff Mu phy, who was In
charge of .he prisoner says that ne, In
company with Mr. Boswell and DR.. Ry-
der, reached Wav5r rly hall just before
dark in a carriage, a'.d that the doctor
was seated on the rear seat with his feet
upon the back of the seat in front He
sat on l.he left hand sid of Ryder and
Boswell on the seat in front.
just after dark Boswell, who was look
ing out of the carriage window, eHefaim-
ed:
Lookout, there Is man on a horse"
There they ctqne," he shou@ed again,
and in an Instant the deputies, Murphy
and Boswell, were on he ground and
found themselves covered with pistols
in the hands of an infuriated mob.
Th= mob ordered them to throw up
their hands and elivsr their pistols
This Murphy refused to do at first, but
his pis1ol was snatched from his hand
Then he began to beg and plead with the
crowd for the safety of his prisoner but
was Immediately ordered to shut his
mouth. 4i i4fs -. s-s'
Ryder made but little resistance Ito the
mob, and Wnilz they were drawing him
from the carriage did not utter one word
The helpless wretch was taken to another
carriage close by and thence back to Tai
bot county and hung to a tree just over
the linz in Talbot county, near the house
of j. c. Willis.
The mob, while returning with Ryder
from WaVerly Hall, was met by Sheriff
Richards and his party, but owing to the
darkness of the night the sheriff could
not distinguish the persons, nor gain any
clue to their identity.
Richards was informed by the men who
had Ryder in charge that he was too late,
so he pushed on to Wavarly Hall. only to
HTld tndh ne nau Deen mls9eu ara u at at
that time Ryder was suspended from a
limb of tree, whers his remains were
discovered a short while afterwards.
The reason assigned today for the ac-
ton of the mob is that the people were
tired of the case being continued, but the
fact is thslt the'friends of the prosecut' on
had given up all hope of ever bringing
Ryder to the gallows by reason of his
being totally insane.
RYDER'S CRIME.
The crime for which DR.. w. L. Ryder
was lynched last night nsar Talbotton
was one of the most cruel ever commit
ted in this state
Ryder was a. young dentist, a member
of fine family, handsome, highly edu-
Gated and enjoying pros esperous practice.
He was madly in love with Miss Sallie
Emma Owen, of Talbotton, one of. the
most beautiful and povable young women
in southwest Georgia.
The fact that Miss Owen also received
ether callers besides Ryder aroused his
jealousy and, arming himself with a shot
gun on Easter Sunday night of 1896, he
went to the house of a rea tive where
Miss Owen was stopping and, firing
through the window shot her dead as she
sat in the par1or chatting with some
friends.
Ryder was speedily caught and would
have been lynchsd. but was hurried away
to Columbus for safe keeping
His first trial came up last fall Ryder
pleaded insanity. He had the best local
talent in the state, and desperate fight
was made for his life
The trial lasted many days ard wa
highly Sensational 1t resulted in Ryder's
conviction. The death sentence was i'm
posed, but an appeal was taken to the
supreme court which resulted in a new
trial being granted
Yesterday was the day set for the sec
ond trial. Ryder was taken to Talboifan
but when, the case was called a contfnu
ance was asked by the defense because
of the illness of Col. J. P. Morrill,, one of
Ryder's lawyers. The continuanes was
granted by Judge Hart until the Septam-
ber term of court. 1t was this delay that
caused the lynching,
While in jail at Columbus Ryder feign-
ed insanity and on one occasion attempt-
ed to burn the jail.
A WOMAN MURDERED