Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1898-08-21
LYNcH|NG Of ALLEN
--
a Tragic Event Of Sixteen
Years Ago. ".
FOOLED SHERIFF CURTIS
"A Quiet Execution in warwick Count,
Which Caused Intense l:xcitc:u..nt in.
i:o,i, \. port New. anu
Hampton in 1874. /. -" .4
SHERIFF CURTIS

The excitement caused in Newport
News !.ursday night by tie deterrnin.i-
tioh Ut the angry Indiana sJ!uier- to
Wre;.is Vengeance on S:tpi Hal, iha
S:n"uield dive Keeper, who stot n:.t:
KILLED Private Andrews, recalls i "a, u
bnl turi'i!,'y tragic event. wh!ct, ocru.-
rtu III arW.cil nearly seventeen years
ago. There is hardly enc at The ode :
citizens or Ncwpofl NewS-lhusl w.:,
are rsclloned aln4l,@ the pioneers o: Tie
toWn-%ho does not rclnGinbsr Saa,tul
SCATTER, 4 good i..ttulcd, i:~ardw0rkiug.
WHY itiie man Who, i'll the days WHEN
washington avenue was bat little mJle
oli;iil 4 winding cu"puth through II c.r-
est >ni weeds ard tangled una@lE"uwth.
iiscu Il in,i. beyond The corporate Tim
its OF Tie l"eseut Thrifty city. work
mad Just been commenced on TIL. Iii.
cry dock. and the principal buildings
bS Which il is surrounded. ana hun
drsdS ri l4cn We're pouring in for the
purpose oi~ securing employment. There
We're but lew families l~-tuins in lh..
neiShb"fh"od ;.i;d Mir. Scatter. ;l!v.ng
a good stuusc and Il wife >vii., knew how
G" MAKE the i!sost Of .~ile:a..rc facilities,
wisely concluded thai money could IL.
Mai:tse by o~pcniu.s Il boarding establish
l%''''st- This; he Gid. a:id i, u short ti,4e
ne had as 4lany boar,lers as h.. could
aGSt!i,i:ludatc. .# "-" ". @
Inc distance from RI. s~clater's house
To The slipN:ii'd was something tt5er.
than a :!,:!.. and as Tie unl- convey
aace he possessed MAS !; clumsy ,oad
cart. :! icSra named John Allen. VINO
lived iiai'c Ny al..t WHO owned Il fairly
feSi'sttabi;i c3"viaS". WAS employed to
carry TIE men to ana fruua their wolk.
Alien came down in The nlornia. with
his vehicle ai;.i tot:k them to the ship
yard and il, The evening ut tn. close OF
the lays wo.i; drove them nuck. Slsv-
eral tilars, when the II gro would fail
10 make his Appearance. Sir. oclattl
fltched ilis horse 10 the road t3i:,. amt
did tn. VIII: for him. In tlsi:i Way TIE
summer ana autumn months s,,,.,i BY
aud the wi:itr! drew or, the uuHiry
boarding house IN i,e meantime. ,lai y
growing III popularity. much /" the sat
eisfaction OF Ike obi sing i,rnprictnr. lie
had had some slight un;le:iS-.n ti.usS
with Alien. bnt il was regarded as a
matter and hence Was soon .for-4
gotten.
When Nj. s:clatcr's hoarders lef, the
stlipyard on tn. evening. Or Deceuib@,
4. 1881. :" gar :'' ~: 6Hvts 4llnrryiEg
across the ,t,.l couHtry from tie
North. and TN. B #t AID l;iIi.. il. : ,.l>irg
Alien's carlia@r. Which N5nS nNtaiIi:.
them an tie rurlW 81. J. ;..,.' ;ttan st,i.-
ped aboard t!i'. veiti, le t:,..y deserved
MIR. Scl:!er W:tihi.!s ,:l"... -. ri i!n.1e
and called him to i:'5!p in and rice
Not thinking that tbs r,Ag:n walll oh
jAct MI. Scl:lter began to ,.-.an into ;hc
vehicle. when Alien. in An angry tom,
OF voice. hawlcd nut 70 ;7!n! ti ge-
down. l!c did 50. but not unit he haG
addressed a series If inreetu' epith"ts
to the negro. Tho carriage vas tlrl,
driven aw;S rapidly ana Mr. Sciat,l
Continued his Journey or foot. The
thought of bcin. assaulted H.. Allen
never Tor y moment entered his mine
and II it had 1t would not naEr causel,
him the slightest Worry. .
1t Was neIiiipa tNtntT minutes beflrr
Mr.. Sct,ler reached his gate. wh-.e
so,new hat To his surprise, he Saw AL
lens carriage standing in the Highway.
The negro vas on the ground, Tie deN.l
that lurii..l in his wicked heart scemi: <
to flash from his Yes. S"later kne"
that trouble was ahead and might cas- :
~ have saved himself from assault b.!
calling for help from the house. Ent
he MAS too brave j, man 10 be frisitel:-
ed by a bruta! negru ard calmly await
Cd the attack. I:ut few words passed
BET tie two men. Alien, u power
ul. athletic fellow. beside himself with
rage, Si;ranG upon the small unat-tlrd
white man and bore him TO the ground.
There. raising 4 dagger. which ne had
kept carefullE concealed. he plunge! IL
into Sciatcr's heart. The FIRST bow vas.
q deadly one. but il was not sufficient
to aplease the infuriatcd neGr"'s thirst
for blood. With the fury of a iiuns.y
tiger feastin@ upon its prey. he raised
TIE dripping blade assii: ana again AID
sunk il TO The hilt into the body OF his
victim. Sc quickly was the tragedy en-
acted that no one in the house vas
aware OF what had happened until Al
len was about to leave. Chen tue aw-
full scena burst upon the vision OF Scia-
ter's friends and family. .".4
Allen was not permitted !e set away.
= - ~, ,-t- L.. x,v,u ",.,t - JtsNZ cd ||ifItft THO
following day. sunday. Without loss
OF time hi was taken before eN-aiiyQt
/ Walter A. Post, then Il justice OF Inv
Ss,eace, and, after. 4 brief hearing, or
Edered to be locked up in the county
hail. at Warwick Court House. to an
$SNns turned yer to Sheriff Robert Cur
lis. BY Monday the excitement caused
SssEn Newport News by the mur1S- has
8@s early died out and people settled in"!'
the belief that at the next term o:
@Juage Henley's court The negro WOULD
%be indicted tried and sentenced TO pay,
death penalty. Iu it was not 50
an Hampton. There the dead man hst
@seyeral brothers and hundreds %!
&&rier,ds. among his brothers being MI
Fl. Sclnttr. alie Of the mos; proni'
$hent citizens of itit city NJ ms iiHt
H83The plans for another tragedy were BE-
Mug Quietly aid. however. ara We're lu'-
#y completed before Monday nie;atp thf
Ath inst. Who laid them and who exc
#lted them is another question VIII
(which This history does not propose to
Zeal. But on that tight. With the moon
nd the stars shining brightly. 4 party
horaemen. perhaps q dozen in mum
ssSS#N ar. met severa miles above the tnWn
3@nd proceeded by q clrrtltnuS route
I'll, rra1eh the woods to Warwick Court
Mouse. 1t was IL o'clock before they
SSHMArew up in sight of the jail and three
their number, leading a ridcrless
Horse, called Sheriff Curtis from hl~
I'D and handed him a note signed w
lost, : directing him TO turn n prlse
88Aaler over to the three men. Ihe NOT"
plained that information had been re-
spH#7ved that a gang Of negroes had Or
t~AAk$snized for the purpose OF l!heratiIis
M8Sslen and it was deemed prudent to