Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1898-07-15
JOHN JAMES HANGED.
THE NEGRO ASSAILANT OF
MISS HOTOPP MET BY A
MOB
Of Is Or 50 UlDaSkGd Men
THE TRAIN WAS FLAGGED AT WOOD :
STATION, THREE MILES THIS SIDE
OF CHARLOTTESVILLE, AND THE
NEGRO TAKEN FROM THE
TRAIS-RIDDLED WITH
BULLETS,
From Stanton News, July 10.

The expected has happened. John
Henry James colored, was taken from
the 1920 c. & o. local train yester
day at Woods Crossing, three miles
this side of Charlottesville, by a body
of % or 80 men without masks, and
was hanged to limb of n small loo
ust tree about 20 feet from the rail
road track, and his body perforated
by about Is bullets from revolve rs.
Yesterday mornings News gave
an account ofthe bringing to Staun-
ton the night before of james, who
on Monday criminally assaulted Miss
Julia Hotopp two miles out from
Charlottesville, and of his being I'D
ged in Jail here for safe keeping over
night by Sheriff Watts of Albemarle
and chief.ofpolico Parish of Char
lottesville.
Yesterday morning they took
James on board the 1920 train for
Charlottesville, that he might be
brought to trial at once, special
grandjury and petit jury having been
summoned for the purpose. Lynch.
ing was in the air and every one of
the large crowd that followed the
party from jail to the train expected
it. The officers were advis ed to take
the fast train at ll:06 which made no
stops. Several Stanton gentlemen
who felt their would be \ lynching
got on the train and went along to
see it.
At Woods Crossing the tram was
tagged by some one, and a number
of men armed with revolv ers entered
the smoking car in which were Off
GERS and prisoner. They presented
their revolvers aud announced their
purpose to take the negrs, which they
proceeded rapidly to do, no one Of
fering any resistance. As they step
ped off the train a rope was thrown
over his neck, and he was quickly
pulled and pushed up the bill a short
distance to a small locust tree, and
tie rope thrown over a limb. Being
asked as to his guilt or innocence, he
admitted that he was the right man.
The sheriff who had followed the
crowd was asked what he had to say
and make talk to them, begging
them to let the law take its course,
as everything had been arranged to
give him a speedy trial, The state
ment was made that Capt. Micaj h
Woods had said there would be no
difficulty whatever to convict, rs the
evidence was conclusive. This being
so. the crowd thought there was no
reason for delay, and they decided to
lynch the prisoner, who then begged
for his life and protested his innocence
but without avail. He was given a
short time to pray, which he improv-
cd, ahd, his hands having already
been chained behind him, lie was
drawn into the air and the rope tied
to another tree. Not muscle
moved nor was there culver OF the
flesh so far As could be seen. In few
moments the crowd emptied their
revolvers into the body, then mount
ed their horses and dashed away.
Tha whole proceeding had occupied
only few minutes. The body was
left hanging until halfpast three when
it was removed.
The first telegram that left Char
lottesville in reference to the AFFAIR
was to the News, and the people Of
Stanton knew oft as soon as those
Of Charlottesville.
While this scene was being enact
ed the special grand jury was exam
ming in reference to the crime, and
preparing an indictment. II. c. Mar
chant, president of the Charlottes-
vile Wood Mills, and one of the fore
most citizens of the state, was fore
man of the grand jury. He stated to
representative of the News that the
evidence was overwhelming and left
not shadow of doubt of the guilt of
the accused.
The fact that there is no..doubt of his
guilt makes the people of Charlottes-
vile he artiIy approve the lynching
as in this way the innocent victim is
spared the terrible ordeal of being a
prosecuting witness.