The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1908-08-03
four lucky
BLACKS YNCHED.
Taken From Jail at Russell
vile ' and Strung Up.
MOB DOES WORK QUIETLY

People of Town Knew Nothing Of Al.
fair Until Daylight Revealed Bodies
Dangling From Tree-Victims Were
Members of Negro Lodge, Which, It
: Is Said, Had Approved Murder Of
White Farmer by Colored Tenant.
Russellville, KY, Aug. 3.-Four ne
groes, Virgil, Tom and Robert Jones
and Joe Ripley, were taken from Jail
here and hanged to tree on the edge
of town. r. =.
No shots we're fired by the mob,
which was composed of about fifty
men, and the people of the town knew
nothing of the affair until daylight re-
vealed the four bodies dangling from
a tree just outside Russellville on the
Nashville pike. The following note
was found pinned on one of the bod.
les:
LET this be warning to you mig
gers to let white people alone or you
will go the same way. Hugh Rogers
better shut up or quit
The negroes who were lynched were
members of lodge and at meeting
recently, it is said, they approved of
the murder of James Cunningham,
white farmer, by his negro tenant,
Rufus Browder This murder occurred
In the southern part of Logan county
and it is supposed here that the mob
was made up of men from that part
of the county.
The negroes had been in jail for
several days and while there had been
considerable unrest since the attempt
on the part of the mob to take Brow
der, the slayer of Cunningham, from
the Jail some nights ago no real trou-
BILE was anticipated and there was no
guard around the prison. The effort
to get Browder failed, owing to the
fact that he was spirited out of jail by
the sheriff and sent to Bowling Green
and later to Louisville, where he is
now confined awaiting trial.
JaiIer Forced to Give Up Keys.
The mob came into town so quietly
that not one of the residents of the
city was awakened from slumber.
Proceeding at once to the county Jail
the jailer, Jake Butts, was summoned
to the door, his residence being di-
fectly connected with the prison.
When he made lis appearance he
found himself covered by rifles and
shotguns and was given the command
to turn over the keys of the Jail or be
shot down. After short parley with
the members of the mob, in which he
tried to persuade them to go away
without doing any violence, he was
finally forced to hand over the keys.
The mob then entered the Jail and,
finding the four negroes, forced them
to go with them. Two of the men,
not being given time to dress, were
taken along in their nightshirts and
the whole party proceeded at once to
a tree on the outskirts of the city, on
the Nashville pike, where the negroes
were strung Up in row.
Contrary to the usual custom of
mobs no shots were fired at the swing
Ing victims and the mob dispersed as
soon as it had finished it's work. There
Is no clue to the members of the band,
as the jailer, the only person who saw
them close enough to get a good look,
could not recognize them.
The negroes were members of a
lodge in the southern part of Logan
county and just when the entire coun-
ty was stirred up over the brutal
murder of Mr.. Cunningham by Brow
der they held a meeting and ex-
pressed their approval of Browder's
deed. The excitement in that vicinity
ran so high for a time that it was
feared race war would result, but
the four leaders in the meeting were
arrested and brought to this city and
these were the men lynched.