McNairy County independent. (Selmer, McNairy County, Tenn.) 1902-1969, 1913-11-21
NEGRO LYNCHED
At DYERSBURG.
CELL rs BROKEN OPEN AND BLACK
TAKEN.
With Little Excitement or Disorder, John
Tally Protesting His Innocence,
Dies at Ropes End-Pleas
of Officers Useless.

Dyersburg. John Talley, an 1S-year-
old mulatto, attempted assault on a
white woman here at o'clock in the
morning and at noon was strung up to
q locust tree by mob composed of sew
eral hundred white men.
The negro, who was driver of de-
livery wagon for grocery store, while
on his rounds making his morning de-
liveries, entered the home of Mrs. lowers
on one of the suburban streets and
handed her a piece of paper asking her
to read it for him. As she took the pa
per from his hand he put his hand to
her throat and pushed her into the house.
She struggled with the negro and
screamed. Mrs. lowers being a strong
woman and the negro small, she was able
to resist him, and as her screams would
soon draw some one to the scene, the
negro ran off and jumped into his de-
livery wagon, which he had left only a
block away from the lowers residence.
When placed under arrest he protested
his innocence. He was taken to tn resi-
denee and identified by Mrs. lowers.
He was then taken to the county jail,
and so anxious was he to get within the
strong walls of the prison, he actually
ran with the officers to the Jail and did
not look comfortable until the lock was
turned on him. He still protested his
innocence, stating that he had not even
been near the house.
As soon as the affair was known over
town groups of men gathered on diff
fenent sides of the square and many
threats were heard, but it was not till
thirty minutes before noon that the
groups all amalgamated into mob of
more than 200 angry men. There was,
however, but little excitement and not
much more than if that number of men
were on their way to political speak
ing.
The mob, finding that the turnkey,
Henry Ferguson, was not at the Jail and
that he had the keys, delegation was
dispatched to get him and the keys.
When they found him they took certain
keys away from him, but the keys to
the inside cells were hidden from the
members of the party. Another delega-
ton was sent for sledge hammer and
determined men broke the strong iron
and steel lock off of the inner doors.
The negro was found covering in the
corner of his cell, but was soon snatched
by the crowd and carried to the court
house yard, two blocks from the jail.
A new one-inch rope was placed around
his neck and men slowly and with de-
liberation threw the rope over the limb
of locust tree. The negro was again
asked if he was guilty, and he still pro
tested his innocence, and even after he
was pulled up to the limb, he was let
quickly down to give him another OPP
portunity to confess, but he was then
too weak to speak. One long pull was
given the rope, which was Immediately
attached to the trunk of another tree,
leaving the negro hanging in mid-air
some 20 feet from the ground with the
Dyer county courthouse as background
and the beautiful Confederate monument
to his left.
The mob immediately dispersed al,
quietly as they had formed. The mob
was composed of well known white men
and no effort wss made to conceal their
identity.
When the mob was at the jail Sheriff
j. P. King and Attorney General J. D.
Caldwell pleaded with them to await
trial.