Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-12-07
Frightful Tortures Applied to MUIR
derer Coleman by a Mob of
Thousands.
EYES DUG OUT AND THE SOCKETS
With Cayenne Pepper aud Wiz
rioI-His Face Mashed in With a
Billet of Wood Before the Flames
Were Started-Tied Securely to a
SapI ng, B%rushwood Was Piled
Round Him and the Fire Started
With a Dozen Torches-Had Con.
fessed His Crime, Which Was In
humanity Heinous.

NASHVILLE, KY, December o.
Richard Coleman. colored confessed
murderer of Mrs. James Lashbrook,
wife of his employer, eXpiated his crime
in daylight to-day, at the hands OF a
mob consisting of citizens, thousands
in numbers. by burning at the stake,
after suffering torture and fright be-
yond description.
The dreadful spectacle occurred on
a peaceful cricket grounds on the out
skirts of this. one of the Oldest and
among the proundest cities of Ken
lucky.
The barbarities inflicted upon this
young negro by citizens Of one Of the
most highly civilized cities of the State
are almost beyond belief and can only
be 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 manner pecul-
iarly a~trocious, murdered the m
who had been his b~enefactor.
Coleman was not only employed IN
the farm, but had been installed as a
house servant and was trusted implic-
tily by both Mr.. Lashbrook and his
wife.
On the day Of the murder, Mr.. Lash
brook was at work some distance away
from the house. Coleman was left in
charge of the house. Mrs. Lashbrook
had driven to Maysville and returned,
when Coleman asked her to enter the
cabin to look at some work at which
he had been engaged.
The negro then locked the door on
the inside. Mrs. Lashbrook became
frightened and screamed.
Coleman struck her on the head,
knocking her down, but not stopping
her cries. He then seized a razor and
cut her throat. He picAed 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 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 mat
ter seriously until Coleman insisted
that his wife was dead. Even then, so
great was the confidence of Mr.. LASH
brook in Coleman, that no thought oc-
Cured that he was the murderer. It
was not until after the officers arrived
that suspicion was directed against
Coleman. Blood spots had been found
on his clothing, but he accounted for
that by saying that he had been kill
ing chickens.
That night, however, at Maysville, a
partial confession was obtained. and
knowing the result if that fact should
become known, the officers quietly took
him to ~Covington, KY, for safe keen
ing. He was indicted for the murder
Shortly after his incarceration at Cow
lngton, he made a complete and hor-
rlble 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. The confess
sion becoming public reused a feeling
OF indignation against the prisoner
among the relatives and friends of the
victim, which made it morally certain
that the officers of the law void be
powerless to prevent a
vengeance at the first opportunity.
Still, the authorities at Maysyille did
not act upon that basis. There was
no call upon the Governor for troops to
protect the prisoner.
On Tuesday, Sheriff Perrine, under
orders of Judge Harbeson, with four
assistants, went to Covington, expect
ing to return with Coleman on Tues
day night, but, after reaching Coving-
ton, the jailer at Maysville wired not
to attempt to bring the prisoner into
Maysville at night.
The trial was set for to-day. Sheriff
Perrine determined to leave C~ovington
by the train on the Chesapeake &
Ohio, which started at 7:30 Wednes-
day morning from Cincinnati and Cow
ington. Coleman had been appraised
Tuesday night to prepare to return to