The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-12-07

Maysville, Ky, Dec. Orchard
! Coleman, colored, confessed murderer
| or Mrs. James Lashbrook, wife Of his
employer, expiated his crime in day
light to-day at the hands of a mob con-
slstlng OF thousands Of citizens, by
burning at the stake after suffering
torture and fright beyond description
The dreadful spectacle occurred on the
peaceful cricket grounds of this, one
OF the Oldest and among the proudest
cities Of Kentucky.
| The barbarities inflicted upon this
young negro by citizens of one of the
most hlghiy civilized cities of the state
are mostly beyond belief and can only
pc accounted for by the intense horror
created by long consideration of the
atrocious crime of which full confess
sion had>been made by Coleman.
| just two months ago Richard Cole
man, the trusted employe of Farmer
James Lashbrook. in a moment of de-
| pravlty and savagery not equaed in
| the annals of crime, murdered the wo-
man who had been his benefactor.
! Coleman was not only employed on the
farm, but had been installed as a
| house servant and was trusted i'm
plicitly by both Mr.. Lashbrook and his
wife. On the day of the murder Mr.
Lashbrook was at work some distance
from the house. Coleman was left in
charge of the house. Mrs Lashbrook
had driven to Mavsville and returned
when Coleman asked her to enter the
cabin to look at some work at which
he had been engaged -1
The Brutal Murder.
The negro locked the door on the in
side. Mrs. Lashbrook became frighten-
ed and screamed; Coleman struck her
on the head, knocking her down, but
not stopping her cries. He then seized
razor and cut her throat He picked
up the bleeding body and placed it on
the bed. He then left the room, but
returning, heard her still groaning, and
with an axe he struck her repeatedly
on the head until he was sure she was
dead.
Without any show of alarm or re-
morse for his crime, the negro calmly
washed the blood from his hands and
clothing and went to where Mr. Lash
brook was at work in the field and
told him that he had better come to
the house, as some one had killed his
wife. Mr.. Lashbrook did not take the
matter seriously until Coleman insist
ed that his wife was dead. Even then,
so great was the confidence of Mr.,
Lashbrook in Coleman, that no thought
occurred that he was the murderer.
1t was not until after the officers ar
rived that suspicion was directed
against Coleman. Blood spots had been
found on his clothing. but he accounted
for them by saying that he had been
killing chickens.
A Horrible Confession.
That night. however, at Maysvile. a
partial confession was obtained and,
knowing the result if that fact should
become known, the officers quietly i
took him to Covington, KY, for safe l
keeping. He was indicted for the MUIR |
der. Shortly after his incarceration at .
Covington he made complete and |
horrible confession of his crime to the
jailer. The story of his revolving |,
crime, including worse than murder !
was told without any appearance of |
feeling by the prisoner.
This confession, becoming public, !
aroused feeling of Indignation |
against the prisoner among the rela-
tives and friends of the victim which
made it morally certain that the off,
GERS of the law would be powerless to
prevent a summary vengeance at the
first opportunity. Still the authori-
ties at Maysville did not act upon that
basis. There was no call upon TIE
governor for troops to protect the
prisoner.
On Tuesday Sheriff Pegrine under or
ders of Judge Harbeson, with four as
sistants, went to Covington expecting
to return with Coleman on Tuesday
night, but after reaching Covington the
jailer at Maysvllle wired him not to
Maysville at night.
Stricken With Fear.
The trial was set for to-day. Sheriff
Perrine determined to leave Covington
by the train on the Chesapeake & Ohio,
which started at 7:30 o'clock Wednes-
day morning from Cincinnati and Gov
ington. Coleman had been apprised
night to prepare to return to
the scene of his crime. He was instantly
stricken with fear and begged piteously
to be permitted to remain in Covington
until after his trial. He said he ex-
pected to die, but he dreaded the VEN