The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-12-26
scottsburg Lynchinr.

SCOIISBOhOT, lnQ., Lee. E4.-MdTlOn
Tyler was taken from the county Jail here
this morning between and O'Clock by
masked mob and hanged to a tree in the
courthouse yard. Tyler was in jail awaiting
trial for shooting his wife, Nov 8. He shot
her twice and shot himself twice, but both
had recovered sufficiently TO be up
with majority condemning the mob's ae-
ton. There is, of course, no clew to the
identity of any member of the mob. Tyler
A few minutes after / o'clock Sheriff JAS
+. Goblin heard a knock at the door OF MS
residence, and, being used to calls at all
hours. went to the door in his night clothes
Three masked men with drawn reviewers
thrust the door open and grabbed him, ana
four others with double barrel shotguns
rushed in. A member Of the mob said they
wanted Tyler and demanded the keys to the
JAIL but the sheriff refused. By this time
the bedroom was crowded with masked men
and the mob's leader leveled a revolver at
the sheriff and demanded the keys in hur-
ry. The sheriff said he would die first, but
his frightened wife told the mob where TO
find them. After obtaining the keys several
members of the mob went to the room of
Deputy Sheriff Cal Goblin and with drawn
revolvers compelled him to dress and come
down stairs. Both the sheriff and his depu-
ty were ordered to lead the way and unlock
the Jail and cell occupied by Iyier. Both
refused, and the members of the family were
placed In one room and guarded while the
mob proceeded to the Jail. The lynchers
They entered the upper room OF the jan,
lighted a lamp in the corridor and placed
guards on the outside of the cell in which
Tyler and an old man were confined. The
cell door was unlocked and two members or
the mob entered, going direct to Tyler
bed They bound his feet and tied his hands
behind him. Then another stood by the
lighted lamp and tied hangmans moose at
the end of a half-inch manila rope. This
was placed oyer yer Iyes ne sex a ana he Was
dragged from the jail to the street peloW
On reaching the street Tyler was heard to
say: "Oh, my God, kill me here"
anything else during the whole perform
ance, the other inmates of the jail or mem
bers of the sheriffs family failed to hear IT.
The mob took Tyler to the courthouse yaru
two hundred yards away. The men were
drilled and to numbers tb the be-
mob selected a convenient limb on shade
tree, and over this the end of the rope was
thrown. Tyler was placed on an old door
and held up while the end of the rope was
tightly fastened. Then the door was allowed
to fall, and Tyler dropped to death oy
strangulation, with his feet ABOUT eighteen
inches from the ground.
Their work being completed, the mob
marched out the courtyard to the street ana
disappeared. All this was done so quickly
and so quietly that the town was not
aroused. AS soon as the guards were out
of sight Sheriff Goblin came from his resi-
dence, but he could find no trace of the
lynchers. From whence they came or where
they went is a mystery. Besides the sherlII
family and the old man who occupied tne
cell with Tyler, only one man has been
found who saw them. This was young
man who returned from the country with
horse which he put in livery stable. On
coming from the stable to go to mis- hotel
he was halted by three men with drawn
reVolVers. He was ordered to sit down in
front of the livery stable and keep quiet.
He remained across the street from the jail.
He says those who went into the Jail wore
long dark masks, but the men who guarded
him wore no masks that he could discern.
After the mob left the courtyard this young
man was ordered to go into the stable and
remain there half an hour under penalty of
being shot. He went into the stable, but
came out as Sheriff Goblin was passing. The
before 8 o'clock the lifeless body was cut
down and taken to an undertaker's estab-
lishment. His parents at McLeansborO, ILL.,,
We're notified, and the body will be sent
there
All thoughts of mob violence had APP
parently passed from the minds of the peo-
pie of this locality soon after the shooting
last November, and the lynching was a sur
prise. The people of this county greatly de-
plore and feel deeply the disgrace that has
been brought on the CON nunity by this act
of an unknown\mob which is generally sup
posed to have been organized outside of this
county.
This is the first hanging that ever took
place within the borders of this county.
SEYMOUR, Ind. Dec PA correspond
ent here who visited the scene of the Scots
burg lynching says the men who hanged
Tyler were evidently experts, for the knot
was tied in true hangman's style" and
everything gave evidence of careful prep
aration. He also says: ut is thought the
citizens of Scottsburg had been quietly or
ganizing for several weeks. and that the
matter was purpOsely held off until this late
day in order that the avenging of the crime
might stand out more boldly and pronounced
than IL done Immediately after the crime
George Harris, who is held awaiting another
trial, heard the noise and was badly scared
fearing he was to be the victim"
The correspondent gives the name of the
man who was stopped by the mob as John
Carlyle, of Little York.