The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1898-02-03
FURTHER PARTICULARS
Of the Gruesome Tragedy Near
BramWeII w. Va.

The Blueiield Telegraph yesterday
printed the following:
The further details Of the killing of
Harry Draper, the watchmen at east end
tunnel, anu the subsequent lyncniur of
his SLAYER are rather meagre.
1t seems that the officers expected tron
BILE, but did not think an attempt would
be made until later in the night. AS it
was the mob came fefcre the arrival of
No. 3 The lynchers seemed to come from
the direction of Coopers. They were very
quiet and the citizens did not know Of
thei" presence until after the cell had
been broken into and the prisoner was in
the street in front of the Jail. when sew
eral shots were fired. A crowd gathered
at the depot. but none ventured among
the lyncherS
The members of the mob kept firing
their pistols as the procession moved
along. This was presumably to prevent
any of the citizens from following How
ever, boy followed and mixed with the
mob Instead of taking their man to-
wards Simmon: they went in the direc.
tion of CoopeIs. and it Is thought they
intended to take him to the railroad
bridge and there hang him. After hav-
ing gone about fifty yards from the Jail
the man fell, but was jerked to his feet
and hurried On. Again be fell and the
mob fired at him, number OF shots tax
ing effect They dragged him to the side
of the track aud there left him. The mob
went in the direction OF Coopers and n
number of the citizens Of Bramwell fol.
lowed down the track until they came to
the PROSTATE body of the negro.
There s no clue to the identity of any
of the mob, aud their footprints were
completely obliterated by the drifting
snow.
The lyncheu man went under several
aliases. sam Newton, coloreu man
here, said his knew him when he worked
in the broom department of the West Vir-
GINA penitentiarv. He was convict NO.
3037 and was there for housebreaking.
He was wanted IN Mcdowell county for
shooting II driver boss ut Lick Branch
coliery Christmas two years ago. He
was known at Lick Branch ~ Will Jones
and at Mill Creek as Vim. itch.
| The mob was armed with Winchesters
and gurs in addition to revolvers They
fired several shots through the door of
the room occupied by Policeman G Cd
| frey, Magistrate Rumberg, Constable
Hilton and Deputy Bell.
| In conversation with his guards Bill
Jones. alias Bill Bailey. alias VIM. Fitch,
said that This was not the first time he
had got his man, but would make no
| a.
| per he said that he would make it before
the Judge. Some one told him he had
better be praying instead of laughing and
he said he was ready to die.
Jones was in his stocking feet when
killed, having removed his shoes before
the mob came.
It was Impossible to get any colored
men TO carry the corpse and after several
efforts had been made in that direction
several white men bore the body back to
! the mayors Office.
The lock on the cell door was broken
off and carried away - the lvnchers.
Il: tody Of Bailey will ue Inferred to-
day at Sinlmuns.
NO further particulars of :he killing
have been learned except that little boy
who Was standing near begged Bailey not
to shoot Draper again and Bailey said
"lll put him out of misery
MIR. Little. one of the men whn ran tc
the scene of the shooting from the Mill
Creek tipple ordered Bailey TO throw
up his hands and covered him with an
en- PITY gun. The bluff worked
| The rope that was around Railev's
neck bad been drawn so tight that the
moose, which had to be cut away, was no
| larger than Il mans wrist. This liz prom.
ably what caused hi n to fall while being
led 10 the bridge When Bailey was
asked why he killed Draper he assigned
no reason except that he was deter mined
| TO 90 through the tunnel With cut regard
TO consequences. The conversation that
occurred batKeen Bailey ard Draper, and
WAS quoted in yesterdays rclegra phi,
MAS civ n hv BAILEY to the Telegraph >
repre- sentative at Bramwel The rope
that was about the lynched mans neck
WAS cut 10 pieces and carried away by
curiosity seekers The moose with The
knot can ha seen in the window Of the
business Office Of the Daily Telegraph.
1t il said by the onlookers that scarcely
five minutes elapsed from the time the
mob appeared at the Jail until the terri
BILE deed WAS done and the mob was dis.
persed.
The remains of Harry Draper were
taken east on No. yesterday morning
and will be buried at his old home in
Giles county.
it is a rule of the company to rake
per ons who come through the tunnel
go hack. An instance of few days ago
is cited, where Draper escorted a mining
engineer back from the east end tc the
west portal.
THREE MORE vANDALs CAUGHT.
Leader of the Wholly Cody Gang Ar
rested at Willamsport.
Hagerstown, Feb. 2-Three more
members of the Whooly Cody gang, nc.
cused of vandalism in Riverview Gem.