Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1906-08-02
SWIFT JUSTICE
FOR MATHIS.
Maytield Brute Tried, Con-
victed and Hanged
Within an Hour.
KENTUCKY'S EXAMPLE.
Within Six Days After the
Crime Was Committed
Negro is a Corpse.
KENTUCKY'S EXAMPLE.

Mayfeld, KY, Aug. 1.-THE hang
ing Of Allen Mathis. the negro who
criminally assaulted Miss Ethel Nc
Lane here last Wednesday night,
took place at 8 o'clock last night in
a legal manner in the yard of the
county Jail.
Fully 10000 people were on the
scene, but only few hundred could
see the execution, although almost
the entire fence surrounding the
scaffold had been torn down by the
citizens while the trial was going on.
1t was only fifty minutes from the
time the jury was sworn in until the
negro was pronounced dead.
Mathis arrived here at GAO last
night from Louisville, in charge of
Deputy Sheriffs Oscar Elmore and
John Galloway and the militia COM
pany of Hopkinsville. The local
military company met the train and
the negro was marched to the court
house.
Several attempts were made to
seize the negro brute, and he was
twice in the possession of the in
furiated mob. The soldiers quickly
surrounded the negro and a number
of members of the Hopkinsville com.
pany were compelled to draw their
guns and threaten to use them un.
less the mob fell back. The negro
would have met his death by lynch,
ing, but the crowd decided to let the
law inflict the punishment after il
had proceeded that far.
Judge Bugg yesterday morning
called the special term of court t
order, and Immediately adjourned
until Z o'clock last night.
When court was opened at
o'clock last night and the negro
was brought before Judge Bugg
the Judge asked him if he had any
thing to say. he said: Il want some
one to pray for me.
The court appointed w. S. Foy
one of the local attorneys, to repre-
sent the defendant, and after min
ute or two of consultation it was
agreed that Mathis should plead
guilty.
When the Judge asked him
Guilty or not guilty." he respond
ed, guilty"
The jurors were ordered to theil
room and after being out 20 minute.
they returned with a verdict OF
guilty, fixing his punishment al
death.
The Judge then ordered the pris
oner to stand up and asked him il
there was any reason why judgment
should not be passed upon him. The
prisoner answered none"
Judge Bugg then passed sentence
and ordered that Mathis be taker
to the Jail and executed at once
The soldiers took charge of him
together with the Deputy Sheriff
and the Jailer, and carried him amid
great excitement through the streets
packed with people to the Jail, en-
tering it at the north door.
Mathis was hurried into the Jail,
where the necessary preparations
were made before he was taken out
of the south side of the building onto
the scaffOld.
1t is considered probably the quick
est time ever made in the trial, con-
viction and execution of a man.
MATHIS AWFUL CRIME.
Mathis on last Wednesday GRIM
inally assaulted Miss Ethel McLane
at lonely spot on the Illinois Cen
trail railroad about one-half mile
from here. Miss McLane is an
operator for the Cumberland tele-
phone company and was on her way
to her home in the outskirts of the
city when assaulted. Mathis bragg
ed her over an embankment and ac-
complished his purpose and proba-
bly, would have killed her but for
the fact that her screams attracted
the attention of a passing negro
teamster, who drove her assailant
away.
Mathis was captured onlThursday,
and narrowly escaped lynching. the
officers hurrying him away to the
Paducah Jail. A part of the mob
followed him to Paducah. and it was
not deemed safe to allow the pris-
oner to remain there. On Saturday