The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-04-08
Fnpn ! y|NCHED
...,.IiERST GO.
Swung to q Tree and His Body
RiddIed With Bullets.
TWO HUNDRED MASKED MEN
coronor's Jury Decide that He Came
to His Death at the Hands of an I'm
known Mob-A Well Organized
and Quiet Affair.
tspceisi DISPATCH to Tie Times.)

H ~
jspeeial Dispatch to Tle Times.)
AMHERST. VA. April THE young
negro. James Garter. oged seventeen
years. who was intercepted at Amherst
al; the depot on Friday afternoon ana
iracarcerated here for the attempted as
sassigaiit,n on Thursday right OF M..
Don Thomas, who lives near New Gas
gov. in This county. was Saturday night
s between eleven and twelve O'Clock taken
from the jail by q lawless mob OF IN
known persons and hanged to locust
tree alongside the road. hardly without
the outskirts Of our village.
The iaiier Jollr II. Jones. gives a mar
ratirc of the affair about as follows:
He had been warned during the day
to be on the watch as 1t was openly
remarked around town that a mob was 10
,.e formed in the iaeighborhocd. in winch
Thomas lived. 10 arenge the crime com
mitted by the negro: that last night about
eleven O'Clock he left his home to look
about the jaiI. which is only a few hun
tired yards ti,erefrom. At the jail ne
found ali quiet, but as he was return
ing home he was grabbed by a crowd OF
disguised men. who. with arms presented.
forced him to conduct them to the jail
ard open the various doors leading TO
the steel cage. which is not easily en-
tered. except 10y one who has a, Knowledge
OF the jntrlcacy OF inc locks.
TWO HUNDRED MEN.
The taller said that 10 him there APP
pearcd 10 be a hundred and fifty or two
hundred men in the mob, VINO after
they secured the prisoner desired. they
made him then lock the other prisoners
up: that he was greatly excited and ter
rified by tho mob.
This morning Justice Edgar Whitehead
summoned jury of SIX. composed OF
Frederick ]. Harris, r. N. Cox, ). v.
kearfott Dan Kent. J. Clarence Alien
and a D. Beard. to hold an inquest over
The body. which was still dangling in
1o.dair. The Jury, after viewing the re-
mains. which were fearfully lacerated and
riddled with bullets, reached verdict
that the deceased came to his death by
violence at the hands Of an unknown moo.
stte DEEPLY DEPLoRED.
The people of this community deeply
deplore and resent this nncailed for ac-
ton. feeling that the opprobrium which
always attaches to such law1ess conduct
will in measure be visited upon
them. while they desired that the law
should taken its course. and that there
was no earthly reason why justice would
not have been given sthe prisoner Tor the
commission of the offense.
The affair has created intense excite
mert and il is stated that the negroes
throughout that section have been very
much stirred UP by the affair. carter
shot and seriously wounded MI. Don
Thomas. and his crime was one of the
most atrocous and coid-blooded that has
ever beer. known In Amherst county. The
nero Hss arrested on Friday, by Sheriff
j. r. Beard, and was taken to Amherst
Courthouse where he was placed in JAIL
Worked QGtiLS,
At the tine of his rest ard TO- several
hours thereafter there vas no indication
of public excitement, and the authorities
did not anticipate any trouble. 1heN
counted however. without their host,
for even while the negro was being sscur-
ed in a strong cell. plans were on foot
for the formation of mob.
The shooting of Mr.. Thomas occurred
near Clifford. in the New Glasgow neigh
borhopt. oroat seven miles from the
courthouse and it was in that vicinity
that the indignant citizens formed an or
gariza.;cn at least two hundred strong.
and in a body marched to Amherst court
house. The night was dark and under
any circumstances the members Of the
mob would hardly, have been recognized.
but to prevent any possibility of identi-
fication they wore DISCUSSES of various
descriptions. many Of them having their
faces BACKED
?
The entire crowd was on horseba ok.
and the tramp of hundreds of hoofs was
a strange sound along the usually quiet
roads. The seven miles TO the court
house was soon trayersed. and through
the village the caHaicad de wendell its silent
way. So quietly had this mob been or
Ganized and SO metllodically and sys-
tcmicaliy were the plans carried out. that
few persons at the courthouse became
aware OF the tragic occurrence that was
taking place.
RIDDLED WITH BULLETS.
A big locust tree. heavy limb OF
which projected over the turnpike, was
selected as a gallows. Absolute silence
and even in the last chapter of the dark
tragedy. there was 40 outcry and not a
sign of disorder. A moose was quickly
made and thrown over the negro's head,
and in q few moments willing hands had
pulled him up. Then. and only then.
was silence broken. Guns and pistols
were levelied at the swaSing. struggling
body, and a rafting volley with scores
OF bullets cut short the negro's death
agony. Their work completed. the lynch
ers remounted their horses and turned
and rode away. So quietly and orderly
vas the deed accomplished that it was
Sunday morning before residents Of the
Courthouse knew of wl1as had taken
) place.
THE CRIME.
The crime for which Carter was
lSnched was committed on last Thurs
DAY night. One OF the outhouses' or the