Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-11-25
Three Negroes Strung Up
After Farce Of Trial.
Judge Of Court Imposes Death
Sentence by Agreement.
Mob Than Takes Its Victims and
Executes Decree.

Union City, Tenn, Nov. 24.--T1ptOn-
vile, bordering Reelfoot. lake, which
recently has been the scene of many
stirring incidents, today witnessed the
"legalized" lynching of three Negroes
WHO were arrested this morning for
numbering Special Deputy Sheriff Rich
ard Burros and wounding John Hall, a
deputy sheriff, on Saturday
To give execution of the Negroes a
semblance of legality, a trial was
hurriedly arranged with the under
standing that the men would be con-
demned to death as soon as the trial
was over The Negroes lynched were
Marshall, Edward and James Slime
back These brothers created disturb
ance at religious meeting near Tip
tonville Saturday night. When Officers
Burrows and Hall attempted to arrest
them the Negroes shot the officers and
escaped. 1t was barely daylight Sun
day morning before a posse of citizens
from Tiptonvihe and surrounding
towns were in pursuit of the Negroes,
but the trio eluded the pursuers until
this morning when they were sur
rounded and captured in a camp near
Ridgely. The Negroes, covered by a
hundred guns, were easily captured.
,, They had two guns, but were out OF
mmunition.
The news of the capture spread rap
idly, and soon the Jail was surrounded
by mob which had no hesitcncy in
| threatening lynching at once in broad
daylight.
One of the few citizens to mount the
steps of the Jail and to appeal to the
mob to desist was ]. L. Burnett, law
YER, who recalled the recent Night
Riders outrages which disgraced the
region He begged his hearers to let
the law take its course, promising that
full justice would be done the three
black men. This met with a long groWl
| of disapprovai, and Mr.. Brunette, evil
IDENTITY seeing that his remarks were
of no avail, pleaded with the men if
they We're determined to lynch the Ne
| groes, to wait till nightfall.
Taylor Hall, brother of the wound
ed deputy sheriff, agreed that post
ponement of the lynching until night
would be satisfactory to him. The mob,
however was restless and it was APP
parent that delay would not be brook
| tt 40 Il Ilol ISSoI OuoliSC DdNAS
| agreed to open court at o'clock,
summon a jury and allow the Ne
groes after "all available evidence was
heard, to be duly sentenced to DEATH
Meantime Governor Patterson was
advised by telephone of the situation
and he ordered a company of militia
to proceed from Union City with all
haste to Tiptonville, seize the three
Negroes and conduct them to a place
of safety.
The troops started at once, but fail
ed to arrive in time to prevent the
lynchlng. At the "trial' all of the evil
dcnce of those who had seen the kill
ing was heard and in an incredibly
snort time the ease" was given to the
jury" which, in few minutes, ere
turned a verdict of guilty, and fixed
the penalty at death.
The sentence" had barely been
passed on the three Negroes, when the
mob. with u whoop and a yell, swarmed
into the court room, seized the prison.
ers, rushed them to a large tree near
the edge of the town and duly execut-
ed the sentence of death" by hanging
them. firing volley after volley into
the air as the bodies We're drawn up
from the earth