Denton and Haughton Examiner, etc. — 1886-01-16 (Denton, Greater Manchester, England)

HANGED BY TEXAN VIGILANTES. A correspondent of the Nilo l'oek Herald, writing from Montgomery (Texas), on December 22nd, nays: Andy Jackson, the brutal mulatto who committed the double murder at Mink's Prairie on the night of December 11, suffered the extreme penalty Saturday, according to the old Mosaic law, "An eye for an eye." There has probably not been a lynching picnic ia 20 years in Texas held under such peculiar circumstances as that on Saturday. Usually such gatherings take place at night, and each guest wears a mask or handkerchief over his face. But today's gathering was in the bright sunlight, without disguise, and the entire population turned out to witness the tragedy. Jackson nas been a doomed man from the moment the bloodhounds "treed" him, the third day after the murders. He was immediately identified as the murderer, the little girl Smith having before she died described the lecherous negro and called his name. Afterwards, when Mrs. Smith had a lucid spell she also stated that Jackson was the negro who assaulted her. Beside, this testimony, many other facts were deduced to prove beyond the shadow of a doubt that Jackson was guilty. Sheriff Adair has be-n in a great quandary ever since Jackson was captured. He was certain that Vigilantes were perfecting the chain of evidence preparatory to attacking the gaol. He cast about for means to protect the prisoner, and concluded Friday night to try and escape to Houston with Jackson and leave the latter there until the time of trial. Accordingly about midnight, with a strong guard, the sheriff took Jackson, strapped him to a horse, and started for Houston. After going about two miles the sheriff's party ran right into a regiment of vigilantes, who surrounded the officers and got the drop of them. Seeing a conflict was useless, the sheriff surrendered Jackson without bloodshed. The vigilantes left with the prisoner, and nothing more was seen of them until Saturday at noon. At about 10 o'clock it became noised about the streets that the vigilantes would publicly execute Jackson on the Houston waggon road about a mile and a half from the town, where Whiteman was hung many years ago. The entire town turned out, marched to the spot and waited. About one o'clock far down the road came a cavalcade riding four abreast, each man., carrying bright - gleaming Winchesters or shotguns. In their midst was the prisoner, who seemed frightened nearly to death. The cavalcade drew up, formed a circle around which was a crowd of nearly 1000 people. An old store box was improvised as a scaffold, and a coloured preacher exhorted Jackson to confess, and read to Mtn from the Scriptures. This was too much for Jackson. He Confessed he was guilty, and said his object was robbery. He only found a few dollars. He said when he struck Mrs. Smith and the two little children on the bead with the iron he supposed they were all dead. After exhorting the coloured portion of the audience to live good lives, Jackson said he knew he ought to hang for what he had done, and told them to go ahead and hang him. With this the box was kicked from under Jackson, and at the same instant a couple of strong men yanked the rope, and the murderer flew up likes bird, kicked his heels for 10 or 15 minutes, and was finally let down, stone dead, having been strangled to death. Considering the size of thecrowd, it was very orderly. The lynchers comprised all the leading planters in the county.  Cormsay explosions cost more lives in 1885 than for five previous years. At home 322 persons perished m tea explosions of fire-damp, six other outbursts happily not proving fatal ; while abroad fifteen fatal explosions occurred, causing 128 deaths in Europe, and 100 in America. PISRSONAL resemblance entails like characteristics of mind and disposition. A DISTRESSING accident is reported from the village of Uzmaston, near Haverfordwest, where an old widow lsly, Mrs Eynon, and three of her grandeteldren have been burned in a shocking manner through the explosion of a benzoline table lamp. The grandmother was in the act of lighting the lamp when, it is supposed from too close contact with the lighted taper, I the can of benroline exploded. The grandchildren were standing near and were frightfully burned, together with the old lady, whose eyesight, it is feared, is totally destroyed. The eidest child succumbed to her injuries, and the others ars in a critical condition.