The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-08-02
Strung Up on Same
 Tree.
NO SHOTS FIRED BY MOB
Sheriff 0vsrpowered and Victims
 Taken From Their Cells.
Mob csms Into Town 50 Quietly That Not One of the Residents Was Awakened from TAetr
 siambers.

Russel1ville. Ky. Aug I.--Four ne- groes Virgil, Tom and Robert Jones, and Joe Riley, were taken from jail here early today and hanged 10 tree on the edge of town.
 No shots were fired by the mob which was composed Of about fifty men and the people of the town know nothing of tho affair until daylight re- veaIed the four bodies dangling from a tree just outslde Rueselivilie on the Nashville Pike.
 The following note was found pinned On one of the bodies:
 sLet this be warning to you niegers to let white people alone or you will go the same way. Hugh Rogers bet ter shut up or quit"
 The negroes who were lynched were members Of a lodge and at 8 recent. meeting. 1t is said. they approved of the murder Of James Cunningham, a white farmer. by his negro tenant Ru- fus BroWder. ThiA murder occurred tn 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 sew eral days and while there hAye been at considerable unrest eines the attempt on the part of the mob to take Brcw- der. the slayer of Cunningham. from the jhfl some nights ago. no real frou- bfe was anticipated and there was no guard around the prison. The enort to ret Browder failed. owing to the fact that he was gpirlted out of jail by the Sheriff ana sent to Bowling Green. and later to. Louisville. where he is nusp confined awaiting trial
 rhe mob came into town go quietly tnAt noe one of the residents of the efty wan awakened from slumber. Pro- ceeding at once to the county jail the fAf1er Jake Butts was summoned 10 the door, his residence being directly connected with the prison, When ne made his appearance he found hinppelL covered by rifles and shotguns and vrss given Inc command Co turn over the Keys Of the iail or be ahet down. After . nhoFf barley with the members of the mob. tn which he tKiad 70 per- ' snndA khem 70 70 0wAy wEfnsut dolfi8 any violence. he was finally forced to haisa oyer the keys Tfa mob then entered sisA jail. aHd. nndlng the four negroes. forced them fo go with them, Two og the men. not being given time to dress were taken along in their night shirfs and the whole party pro- eeeded af once to a tree on the out skirts of the city on the Nashville Pike, where the negroes were strung up in a row.
 No shots Fired.
 Contrary to the usual custom of rnohs no shots were fired at the swing ing victims, and the mob dispersed as soon as 1t had finished its work. There is no clue ko the members of the band. as the jaileF the only person who saw them. failed to get q good look at them and would not recognize them.
 The bodies of the negroes were cut down this morning.
 The nsgroes were members of ledge in the southern part of Logan County. and just when the entire coun- try was stirred up over the brutal murder of Mfr. Cunningham by Brow der. they held a meeting and expressed their approval of Providers deed The excitement in that vicinity ran so high for time that 1t was feared q race war would result. but the four leaders in the meeting were arrested and brought te this city, and these were the men iynched today. The murder, which started the trouble. was one of the most brutal in the history of Logan County Browder. who was tenant on Cunningham's place. had been dis charged. and upon leaving swore ven- Keance. The next day he returned and laid in walt for Cunningham. When the latter came near his hiding place Browder fired at him. killing him in- stantiy The negro then escaped, but was captured and placed in jail at Rus sAlIYille. mob was Immediately formed but the sheriff. hearing that violence would be attempted had Browder taken into the woods for the night, and when the mob made its ap- pearance succeeded in convincing them that the negro was not in the Jail. The band disappeared, and the next morning Browder was taken to Rowl- ing Green and later to Louisville.
 The meeting of the negro lodge and it's endorsement of Browder's deed oc- cured Immediately afterwards. The tree on which the negroes were hanged has heen used before for the same pur- pose.