The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1897-08-28
.LYNCHED THIN NEGRO.
Bill Bemby Hanged by a Mob
at Belleyille.
CONFESSED HIS CRIMES,
his Deeds Were Of ths ofavsst Chas'
aotsF which Excited the People
90 . TFsnsy-rhs Lynohing
was speedily Carried Out.

AMN AH'nAMN VI hA' NANN MAAH
Before day yesterday morning win
Bembry. alias Will Bonner. was sum
marily executed by outraged citizens
who. excited 10 frenzy by deeds Of un-
prallelod atroeliy. laid aside that re-
spcci for law and order for which this
county has long been noted and storm
ed the stout prison house recently
erected by them.
After nightfall Wednesday quiet ap-
parently reignod In the streets Here
and there groups Of three or four men
would gather converse In a whisper
and then dlsperse Many Of the eiti-
Eens went 10 sleep. believing that no
attempt would be made 10 capture the
prisoner during the night However,
the iall was under constant auryeil-
lance Ny men who were determined
that The prisoner should not be taken
In hiding by the officers.
Il soon became known that the San
a Fe night train would BRING more
men. The train arrived promptly AZ
II o'clock and brought 90 or 70 men
from the lower part Of the county.
These nolseleasly moved up 10 the jail
and within a short while probably 200
men and boys had collected.
But few firearms were In evidence.
No one wore a mask. but many Of the
men who had ridden hard all day were
IN their Jumpers and oyeralls.
AZ ii;25 p. m. whispered signal
was given and the lynchers stationed
themselves At the side entrance TO the
JAIL which was wrapped In utter dark
ness and when no reply came 10 the
invitation TO open up a few blows Of
a slodgchammer demolished the win
dow.
The lynchors Immediately attacked
the strong iron grating Of a window
which led 10 the room at the foot Of
the iron stairs a. this point County
Judge Blake addressed the lynehers
aud endeavored to persuade them 70
ie, the law take its course. His earn
eat pleadlngs were of no avail and his
voice was drowned BY the constant
olang OF great iron hammers welded
on the grating.
No further attempt a. resistance was
made BY the oficers sheriff Palm. who
had been previously waited upon several
times by delegations and been request
ed TO deliver the Jail keys. had at
tempted to summon a posse and failed
believing that the best citizens Of the
county would not attack the Jail and
hoping that the rumor that he slipped
oi with the prisoner would hnd Gre
donce. he quietly ahsented himself
with the lail keys
lie was mistaken In his belief and
the single deputy and the ooustabls
who were on the outside Of the jail
were entirely helpless. After an open
ina Of sufficient sizc 10 permit passag'
Tor a human body had been made IA
the grating. the heavy Iron door Al th'
foot of the stairway was pried open
The trap door leading to the uppel
story was found unlocked and the up
per floor was reached. The lock o.
the outside door OF the run-aroun,
was cut and then only the door Of n,
prisoners cell separated him from thl
crowd
The bolts of this lock. too. were cut
The husband Of one Of the victims. {
negro who knew Bembry well. Al
others Identified him repeatedly b.
oandle-llght. while ave other colore,
inmates Of the jail looked on trembling
and fearing that they, too. might b
taken. but they were In no danger
nembry was tied hand and foot. ~
was carried down stairs. lifted througl
the broken window and silently re
moved TO the place Of execution.
small grove half a mile east OF town
lie repeatedly confessed his guilt. bu
dld not seem TO be frightened much
A suitable tree was found. but a ne,
rope that was brought for the purpos
was found 10 be too short. and a cat
tlomans larlat that had seen much SCI
vice was produced and tied around N
neck Of the negro Ia a sklllful hans
mans moose.
In the meantime a BIG Gre OF mos
and dried limbs had been klndied. an
threw a hlokoring and uncertain llgl
on the weird scene
Previously n few reckless boys be
made the suggestion that the negr
should be tortured. but this was frowI
cd down by the men. who said the
had come 10 put brute out OF a
way, but not 10 hrutallre themselves.
The negro. on being questioned one
more, Il said TO have withdrawn h
confession IN part. and only aumitts
the stealing Of a watch. he was pull,
up till his feet were fully six feet abo'
the ground-a few c0nt0rtions. a des
body swayed In the summer breeHe an
the crowd dispersed.
Il is reported that Mrs. Kuna. u
venerable old lady assaulted, had su
cumhed 70 the shock. but the repo
lacks confirmation. Il Il learned. hov
ever. that Mira, Suhr who was cruel
4, maltrealed and bitten through n
Z cheek and arm. h In a critical eond