The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-08-13
THE USUAL PENALTY
FOLLOWS A CRIMINAL ASSAULT
ON A WHITE WOMAN.

Rob Brackett Ly ynchod I'm Buncombe Coun.
~ for Assault on Mis- Hsndsrson-The
Jail stormed Tuesday Nlght-The Negro
Spirited Away by Oncers-Captured On
the Next Day-Hanged In the Presence Of
His victfm-Ailitary Called Ont hut Tn.
able to Prevent the Deed.
Especial to The Messenger.)
Raleigh. N. c., August 1I.-Persons
who came down on the train from
Asheville at noon today stated that a
mob took Bob Brackett. the Buncombe
rapist from that train last night at
Biltmore station and that he was car
ried toward Weaverville. They furth-
er stated that the Asheville Jail was
smashed by the use of a telegraph pole
as a battering ram and that all the
cells save one were wrecked.
Just before noon today Governor
Russell began to get kilograms. The
first was from Sheriff Worley, of Bun
combe, saying: Call out the militia
at once. 1t is reported that a lynch
ing will occur near Asheville this af-
ternoon. There are 200 in the mob"
The adjutant general ordered Cap
tain Bookhart, Of the Asheville COM
pany to place his command at the sher-
ifs disposal. The governor telegraph
ed the sheriff: Call on Captain Book
hart for force to prevent murder. The
negro can be hanged in fortnight by
a jury of your own county. If they
should not convict there would be more
excuse for lynching the jury" Captain
Bookhart telegraphed that his men
were in the armory. The governor
sent the following message to Locke
Craig and Virgil S. Lusk: Il urge you
to appeal to all good men to aid the
sheriff and military in preventing mob
murder. The negro can be hanged in
two weeks if the jury will convict. II
he is guilty and the jury refuses to con-
vict then there would be more excuse
for lynching the jury. Read this to the
people"
kilograms from the governor to Ma
jor Smith, Of the Fourth regiment at
Asheville told him If necessary to sup
press the mob to call out the Waynes-
Vile company and take command of
the battalion. He was also directed to
reason with the people and publish the
governors telegram to Craig and Lusk.
This afternoon at 5 o'clock a tele-
gram from Major Smith said: THE
Ashevflle company is at the armory,
awaiting the sheriff's orders. The ne
gro is now in the hands Of a mob. I
will comply with the regulations strict
ly'' This made it clear that the mob
had captured Bracket after his re-
moval from the Jail last night and was
holding him.
At o'clock tonight the governor re-
ceived the following telegram from
Major Smith: Il arrived on the scene,
fourteen miles from Asheville, at 2:3O
o'clock. found the negro dead, hang
ing to a tree. All is quiet The sheriff
dismissed the company Immediately"
(By Associated Press.)
Asheville, N. c., August 11.-Bob
Bracket, the negro assailant of Miss
Kittie Henderson, was lynched this
afternoon. AS announced in an Asso-
ciated Press dispatch last night, mob
broke into the Jail at this place and
commenced to batter down the steel
doors that led to the cells The doors
soon yielded and it was then discover
ed that /. Ackett had been spirited
away J. the officers. All the other
prisoners in the Jail were liberated.
Pursuit Of the officers was at once
commenced and a crowd caught up
with them at Terrell station on the
Southern railway eighteen miles east
of Asheville early this morning.
Bracket was taken from his protect
ors, but the mob could not agree as to
the disposition Of him. Some wished
to hang him there, but the stronger
party decided to take him back to the
vicinity of his crime. It was 4:35
o'clock a. m, when the party started
out afoot, leading the negro, now near
ly exhausted and seemingly only hall
conscious, though he had not been I'll
treated. Breakfast was had with a
| farmer, the negro having his share and
| then the walk Of some twelve miles was
| resumed. The route was through a
| deep ravine, between towering noun
| tains. At noon Hemhills school house
| was reached and there the party was
| informed that the Asheville militia had
| been called out and were on their way
to meet the mob. After consultation
Miss Kittie Henderson, the negro's VIC
| tim, was sent for, four and a half miles
L
hanged. When she arrived the negro
| was strung up so quietly that half the
hangers on, who had gathered from th'
country around, did not know that Il
| had been done. No shots were fired
| and the mob dispersed after a hal
hour, leaving the body hanging. A
no time was it possible for the militia
to have interferred. This is the thirt
| lynching in Buncombe county in twelv'
| years.
THE CRIME AND THE CAPTURE
A special dispatch OF August 10tl
from Asheville to The Charlotte OBJ
| server says:
On Sunday Bob Bracket. on his wa.
to Ivy township from Asheville. me
Kitty Henderson, daughter Of a well
to-do farmer living near Weaverville
eight miles north Of Asheville. III
choked her into insensibility, outrage
her. and left her unconscious. In q fey