Year: 1879




by TELEGRAPH TO THE HERALD


Coal VALLEY. W. Va. July Q. 1879.
few days ago Clark Lee negro man. who has
inquired to some extent in certain circles of colored
society in Richmond and who is probably well known
to Chastine Cox, committed most atrocous assault
upon Mrs. Settle. wife Of the County Treasurer of
Fayette county. W. Va. Mrs. Settle had the courage
to resist him. and before Lee could overcome
her he had broken one of her legs
and her collar bone and pulled out her
tonsils. The screams of the lady drew her children
to the room and their outcries frightened off the
villain The outrage. of course. occasoned great
citement and dozens OF mounted and armed set
out IN pursuit of the fugitive. Fsyette county is
the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad. and partly in
the Kanawha Valley. The county is wild and rugged
and the mountaineers do not know the use of the
galows. One has not been erected in that
section for years. Whenever such an offence
as this is committed the people 'turn out"
the constabulary "turn in" sapling is selected
and lynch law in all of its merciless promptness and
severity administered. Lee knowing the popularity
of the West yirginians in this respect. fed for
dear life. BY almost superhuman excrtions and
after considerable suffering. he got far Parkers-
burg


JUST IN TINE.


There on Saturday last he captured and the
Fayette authorities notified just in time to the
life of another negro. believed to be Lee. who
was in the hands of mob down in the county. and
who would otherwise have been hanged Monday.
In fact a great crowd was already in
attendance awaiting the event. Lee put under
tho custody OF an officer and sent from Parkersburg
to Huntington by an Ohio River steamer. His move
ments We're well known. and upon his arrival at
Huntington he met by about two hun
dred men. These. formed an escort for him
ON mis- homeward trip. He was put upon
the Chesapeake and Ohio train at Huntington with
the ostensbe purpose of being conveyed to Fayete,
but 1t was we'll understood that judge or jury
would be required in his 1t is probable that
if he had made no admissions he might have
been taken to Mrs. Settle for Identification; but lie
got frightened out of his and confessed the
OF Mrs. Settles children became loud. This was
enough. 1t was determined that he should no. live
another day.


NO MERCY


At Coal Valley. which is coal mining centre, Lee
was escorted from the train and met by thousand
more miners who seemed to know the design of the
escorting party. and who were ready to cooperate
IN avcnging their outraged countrywoman. Lee
taken by the mob. If orderly and methodical
party of West Virginia gentlemen properly be
so designated, some distance from the station and
hanged 1t Is said on one hand that his prayers
Tor mercy were piteous indeed, and that he be-
sought the lynchcrs to do anything they might
with him. so they left him life. On
the other hand 1t is represented that after commend
ing his soul to the Almighty he bore himself with
the utmost Indifference. The exact truth will prob
ably never be known to the great public. for the
people here while among themselves free
in their talk and justification of the affair
somewhat reticent in the presence of newspaper
men. but the long and short OF the matter is, the
offence was most barbarous one, the punisbm ment
was swift terrible and deserved and while there are
some who lament the necessity for the people taking
the law into their own hands all agree that if
mob violence pardonable at all it in this
instance. Lees father and mother said to reside
in Richmond, near the JET Davis mansion.