Omaha daily bee., 1897-09-27
MOB HANGS A BRUTE
@etes Out Speedy Punishment to Negro al
Hawesville, Ky,
DEATH FOR AN ASSAULT ON A YOUNG GIRL
Determined Men Take the Fellow from
Custody in Broad Daylight.
AXE NO ATTEMPT TO CONCEAL IDENTITY
Women Station Themselves on Nearby
Hills and Urge Them On.
BRUTE CoNFtSsEs AND PRAYS FOR PARDON
Tells the Leaders that This Was Hts
Third OTcnse-oficials Arc
Powcrlcss to Pro- =
tcct Him.

CINCINNATI, Sept. ga special to tho
Commercial Tribune from Hawesvile Ky.
says:
In the broad open glare of Sunday sun,
In the middle OF protracted revival not a
| mask to be seen, and in the presence of 100
infuriated people, Raymond Busherode, a
negro, this evening at 5 o'clock was made to
pay the penalty of his hellish assault on tho
person of 14-yeNr-old Maggie Roberts He
was swung from limb in the court house
yard.
Bushcrode was from Rockport Ind Sew
cral months ago he was taken in and treated
kindly by Willis Clark, farmer in the upper
part of the county, only to betray Clark and
steal his watch For this he was released
two weeks ago from the county JAIL after
having served sentence of 1866 days. He
was in town yesterday and drinking In
| the Afternoon he set out atoot, going west
on the Texas railroad Three miles below
town, near Petri station, he encountered poor
! little deferseless Maggie Roberts, daughter
of Ben Roberts, prominent farmer. He ran
hCr down and criminally assaulted her In
addition to this he beat and bruised her with
an iron coupling pin and left her on the
railroad grade to die.
The news of the revolving outrage spread
and searching parties were sent in every
| direction. Guards We're sent to every skiie
! for twenty miles and his escape to Indiana
was well nigh impossible. Failing in his at
tempt to cross at Tell City he made back
| over the railroad and was captured in hiding
| under the waiting station at Falcon, a min
| ing town four miles below the scene of tho
| crime Busherode fell in with n fortunate
| crowd of four, who brought him quietly to
| Hawesvile and surrendered him to the jaier
while the town was deserted searching for
! him In the meantime the officers got wind
| of mob and he was secretly guarded in
| the graveyard on the hill until morning,
when he was again locked up. But the peo-
pie had been determined all day They
| came foot on horseback, in wagons, and
| they were impatient for darkness to cover
| the ground 1t was rumored that militia
would arrive at 4:4O from Owensboro for his
protection.
PLAY INTO THE MOBs HANDS.
The angry crowd would not stand this and
they placed trusty sentinels on the hill over
| looking to give signal II the train bore
such protection. They failed to come, but at
| this time the officers thought 1t opportune to
| play ruse and the mob, already furious,
was led to believe that he had escaped from
| behind and a hot pursuit followed. The trail
/ was followed only Square when the broad,
| open attempt to spirit Busherode over the
| hill and out of town was discovered few
well chosen guards however, stayed at the
| Jail and as he was brought out the mob
formed in front and the officers were made
| to yield.
The excitement at this time was intense.
| CanneltoN, Ind, had outpOured upon us and
promptly at o'clock the march to the court
| square, but a few steps away, was begun.
| Hating in front of n great shady poplar with
| limbs and twigs overhanging the most public
street in town, a selection was made. Some
delay was caused for want of a rope, but
directly a brand new half-inch powltne was
furnished and everything was in readiness
| for the first lynching in Hancock county.
In the meantime Busher0de was given an
opportunity for confession and prayer. His
| confession was complete He stated that he
, was guilty and this was the third offense.
one successful effort having been made upon
| his 6O-year-old aunt After Offering up his
| last suppiCation. a long and feryent prayer
| on bendcd knee the signal to haul away was
given, and with plnioned arms behind and
| legs beneath, he was dangled between brick
and tree. The applause as he went up was
deafcnng It only showed the determination
Of the people.
In about four minutes he was pronounced
dead and Coroner Michell, viewing the body,
cut 1t down and summoned jury, who sew
orally declared that Busherode to his
death at the hands of unknown parties.
OFFICIALS WERE POWERLESS.
During the day, and at the critical time
the county officials did what they could for
the prisoners protection but public opinion
was too well defined. Judge Adar advised
with Circuit Judge Owen by telephone, but
nothing came of It, Identification of the
cused was complete He was taken before
the girl last night and no doubt remained.
Four others also added their strength TO
Identification. After the lynching the mob's
leader an Indiana man, made little talk,
in which he pointed to the gruesome corpse,
saying:
Here is the protection We offer our wives
and daughters"
After a great deal Of idle curiosity was
gratihed the crowd quietly dispersed and
there are not tonight three men In Hancock
county that are ready to say that wrong
has been done, No action by the authorities
against any members of the mob is likely.
During the entire time of the lynching not
less than 200 women were on the hill and
hillside overlooking the public square, and
when his dangling form went up cheers from
them rent the air.
! All through the day Busherode gave evi-
dence of intense anguish. He was told and
he fully realized that his time was close at
hand to die, and he gave some evidence OF
sorrow In the march to the place of lynch
ing it was almost impossible to prevent his
being killed by infuTiated men. Twice he
was knocked down and 1t is believed by
some that he was unconscious when strung
up.
A special to the Commercial Tribune from
Owensboro, KY. says: Henry Richardson.
colored is in Jail here for criminally as
saultlng Julia Smith, colored, 10 years old.
His trial is set for tomorrow If not pro-
tected by military lynching will, be scarcely
avOidable. Excitement is intensified by to-
days event at Iawesylle, only thirteen
miles from here.