The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-02-12
TRAGIC LYNCHING THAT
 OCCURRED AT FLORENCE
BY H. M. BUNTING.

FLORENCE, February 1-(Special)- That Florence is an unlucky towr
 \ for criminals many of the frater- nity have learned to their sorrow, for since her foundation in the early years of the last century to the present time many a chequered career has come to a close here, either by the individual being turned over to the minions of an out ragged law or meeting with more sum mary justice, as in the case l am about to relate.
 It was a short time after the close of the civil war, that two well dressed men
 late in the afternoon, drove into the woods mile or two from Florence and htched their horse. They were stylishly dressed, wore silk hats lnd their gold mounted harness and other parapher- nalia gave them the appearance of being men of wealth and distinction.
 They had scarcely settled themselves for a few hours rest after their hard days drive. when Florence, then ham, let of about twelve hundred inhabitants, was thrown Into a state of excitement by the arrival of the sheriff of Athens with seven deputies armed with shot guns. number of Athens houses had been entered the night before by burgla IFS who had helped themselves to all the iewelry they could find and suspicion pointed to the we'll dressed strangers. The officers had followed them al Jay looking for an opportunity to arrest them, but they were on the alert and their es- cort had not cared to hazard a battle,
 That night one time-honored custom was religiously observed. It Is safe to say that not q woman in Florence went to bed without first taking a peep under neath Firearms were brought out and one citizen in particular polished up his six-shooter, as he said "to catch a bur glar" That night while he slept his room was entered and the burglars, unmo- tested, appropriated his watch and his wife's jewelry. A number of other houses were entered and the burglars with great bravado had breakfasted in the jail.
 It was about 9 o'clock the next morn ing when four young men, William Barks, William Edward Blair. William Joiner and William Wasson. i.-e former still resi- dent of Florence, animated by spirit of adventure, and without any definite idea beyond seeing where the burglars would go, mounted IOuf IdSt llol5SS anu Stdittu in pursuit.
 Barks and Blair rode at the rate of eight miles an hour and at noon overlook their men in front of a farm house twenty miles west of Florence. While they reconnoitered the burglars alghted and commenced unhitching their horses with the intention of taking dinner at the farm house. So unconscious were them of danger and so absorbed in their occupa- ton, that Barlks and Blair who had come up from opposite sides. were upon them before thev had time to draw their weapons They were disarmed in mo- ment and one of their captors stood guard while the other made a search for the stolen jewelry. Nothing was discovered and the men were about to be sent on their way when Barks chanced to glance up. and there. sticking through the lining of the buggy top was the pin to gold ornament. The stroke of knife did the rest ana into the bottom of the buggy came tumbling watches. rings. pins and ornaments of all kinds in sufficient quan- titv to stock a small-sized tewelry store. and s400 in money.
 After partaking of nasty dinner the nartv started on the return journey to Florence. the burglars fin the buggy with RIair fin front leading their horse while Parks rode in the rear to thwart any at- tempt to escape
 Arriving in Florence they were met hv the sheriff and his party from Athens, who claimed the men as their prisoners. They were given the laugh. even the pur-