The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-08-22
Awaking She is Brutality Bea-'
ten and Stabbed.
THE NEGRO THEN LEAVES HER FOR DEAD
She Receivers Consciousness, the Coun-
ty is Aroused, the Negro Captured.
He is Hanged, Riddled With
Bullets and His Body
Burned.
Especial to News and Observer)


Hough, a negro, was lynched at McFar-
land, this county, this afternoon and thus
paid the penalty for the commission of a
crime without parallel in the history
of this section.
Miss Lena Keith. who resides with her
brother near the South Carolina line, was
Perhaps mcrtally assaulted and outraged
by Hough today about 1 o'clock. She is
now scarcely alive and it is thought that
she cannot live.
Miss Keith was asleep in her home by
herself when her room was invaded by
the negro. She awoke and found herself
in his grasp.
The negro seized a chair and pounded
her into insensibility and then accom-
plished his nameless purpose. After hav
ing done this he cut her throat, chest.
face and head and left her apparently
dead.
She survived an hour or more after
wards and made an effort to reach the
house of a neghbor. She gained the
door and fell upon the floor unconscious,
and remained in this condition for some
hours
The cause of her condition was imme-
given, messages sent to near by towns
and soon scores were making haste to
the scene of the tragedy
A message was sent to Florence for
blood hounds and they were soon brought
On special train.
Before their arrival dog was obtained
the negro's trail. He was traced to
house half mile distant
The negro upon seeing his pursuers ap-
proach closed the doors and windows and
refused to be arrested. but the doors
were battered down and he was taken.
Blood was found on his clothing and
some of the hair of the young lady on his
coat
He was carried to Miss Keith. who
at this time had regained consciousness
She recognized him and gave a brief de-
soription of the assault. The negro then
made a confession and gave the details
of his dastardly deed
By this time perhaps three hundred
citizens from this county and from South
Carolina were on the scene, and a large
number of negroes were also present. The
brute was carried to limb a short dis
tance from the place of his crime
lynched and his body perforated with bull
let's. The negroes present endorsed all
that was done
The negro was about twenty years of
extremely insolent
The young lady is twenty-five years of
age and possessed of beautiful charac-
ter. The wounds on her neck and head
are thought to be fatal
Later.-We learn that the body of the
negro has been taken from the limb and
burned. =;
SECOND REPORT.
Wadesboro. n. c., August 21.-Iuke
Hough was lynched by mob tonight and
his body riddled with bullets for out
raging Miss Lena Keith this afternoon at
her home near Mcfarland The negro
went to her house and struck her in the
head with chair while she was asleep.
committed his crime and afterwards tried
to cut her throat Miss Keith has Just
regained consciousness but is too weak
to tell of the affair. Hough confessed his
crime and the mob carried him about a
half mile from the scene of the deed,
near the South Carolina line to hang
him.
ASSOCIATED PRESS ACCOUNT.
Charlotte. N c., August 21.-Luke
Hough, a negro, was hanged near
Wadesboro, N. c., tonight by crowd
of enraged citizens. His body was then
riddled with bullets. His crime was
criminally assaulting Miss Lena Keith.
He attacked his victim while she slept
and broke chair over her head and
then tried to cut her throat. The negro
admitted his guilt.
The Keiths are prominent people and
as soon as the crime became known the
entire community began a search. The