The French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1896-1912, 1906-08-09

Salisbury, N. c., Special.-A mob
OF over two thousand determined
men entered Rowan county Jail short
ly after IL O'Clock Monday night, re-
moved therefrom Nease and John
Gillespie and Jack Dillingham;, chare-
ed with the murder of the Lyerly
family at Barber Junction, July 18th,
and marching them to the edge of
town, strung them up to a tree, rid
ding the dangling bodies with bull
lets.
George Erwin was taken from his
cell with his associates, but after
closely questioning him, the leaders
of the mob returned him to his cell,
Before getting in its work the mob
gave the three victims an opport0ni-
ty to confess the crime. Dillingham;
and Nease Gillespie refused either
TO confess or deny the crime. John
Gillespie, in tears, maintained his in
nocence to the end. firing of efforts
to get confessions from the negroes
and needless of the pleadings of cit
liens who urged that the victims be
spared, the crowd hurried the victims
to the baseball field near. Col. John S.
Henderson, residence and eomplet-
ed their work. AT midnight, less
than an hour from the time of the
final attack on the Jail the three bod
les were swinging in the moonlight
from the limbs of a big oak.
Fireman McLendon: an employee of
the. Southern Railway, was shot and
fatally wounded presumably by a
stray bullet from a weapon in the
hands. of some member of the mob
during the riotous scenes around the
Jail, and Will Troutman, anegro
drayman, was also seriously wound
ed by a stray bullet. Both we're sim.
ply interested spectators OF the pro-
eeedings.
Judge Long, Solicitor Hammer,
Mayor Boyden, Senator Overman and
other prominent citizens did all&in,
their power to persuade the lynchers
to desist. Their appeals fell upon
deaf ears.
AS the clock struck IL the mob
came out of the. Jail with Nease and
John Gillespie and Jack Dillingham;
and lead them out Main street to-
wards Spencer. The yelling had
ceased and the crowd was solemn. The
negroes were walked along in the mid
die of the streets, each one between
two strong men. There were about
1000 people in the crowd that fol-
lowed the l~ynchers. The crowd grew
as the procession marched.
The party that went in the Jail
was about so strong. Hodge Krider,
the jailer, was the last man to give
way. He argued in vain. When 81
lence fell on the mob it was evident
that a serious lot of men had taken
control>of the lynchers. The mystery
is where the leaders came from, for
hone of the Salisbury officers knew
their faces. 1t is believed that they
came from Whitney.
IL 80 o'clock: At first it was
thought that all six of the accused
negroes, Nease and John Gillespie,
Jack Dillingham;, Henry Lee and Geo.
Erwin and Della Dillingham;, had been
taken from the Jail but it develops
now that the mob left Henry Lee
and Della Dillingham; in their cells
and brought George Erwin back after
questioning him as to his guilt. Nease,
Jack and John were lynched. Tt is
considered fortunate that Henry,
George and Della were left unmolest-
ed for it is generally believed that
the two men are innocent and Della
is a woman. So soon as the process
sion marched into Main street and
turned toward the country, the town
took on a calmer aspect. Many men,
sick at heart, went to their homes
and their beds. The officers here did
all they could except shoot to death
the members of the mob.
II O'Clock: just at midnight the
mob halted beneath a large oak tree
at Henderson baseball ground neai
the home of the Hon. John S. Hender-
son. Instead of killing the men III
once the leaders tired to maze the
prisoners confess to the murder. Ont
, Of the lynchers, had climbed a bis
tree and was sitting ON a limb smok
ing a cigarette, waiting for a rope
The negroes were obstinate. A re
port to the effect that they woult
i be burned came to town, but thu
' proved to be a false rumor.
Nease and Jack said that the.
would neither deny nor W tina
they did it. John held out to tn
last that he was innocent.
MI. w. J. McMahon, of Pittsburg
e Pa, was at the scene of the deatf
He did all that he could to stay tn
mob, and his words of counsel wer
heard, but not needed. Little job
, chung to his arm and begged him
5 save his life. Ed. Barber, a relatly
! of the murdered people, begged tn
5 crowd to listen, but it was bloodthir:
: ty. Each negro's feet were tied I
HE bnad ha was drawn nm TO the tin