Democratic Sentinel, Volume 8, Number 26, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 July 1884 — MOB VENGEANCE. [ARTICLE]

MOB VENGEANCE.

Infuriated Citizens of Owensboro, Ky., Lynch a Negro. The Jailor Shot Down, and Two of the Mob Killed. [Owensboro (Ey.) telegram.] An armed mob attacked the County Jail, killing the jailor, W. J. Lucas, breaking in the doors of the cell-room, and taking Richard May, a negro, out and hanging him to a tree in the court house yard. The oourt house and jail are surrounded by crowds of people, discussing the outrage and deploring the loss of a brave oonnty officer, who died at his post of duty. The negro who was hanged was charged with attempting assault on the person of Miss Kelly, daughter of a farmer living a few miles above Owensboro, about ten days since. The mob had organized on several nights during the past week, bat did not attempt to carry out their deigns. Last night about midnight, as your correspondent was returning to the city, he was halted by five masked men near the gravel road toll-pate, but suffered to pass without molestation. Many persons in the city were on the lookout for u Sunday night visit from the mob, and they were not disappointed. They entered the city about 1:30 o’clock and surrounded the jail. The jailer called to his wife to have his pistols in readiness, and refused to open the doors of the jail. They demanded of him the keys. He replied that “he was an officer of the law and intended to do his duty.” They replied “that he would give up the keys and then do his duty.” He replied that u he would do his duty or die,” and some one in the crowd cried, “D it, die then!”

The jailer was at this time np stairs on a beck porch on the north side of the jail, and just between the jail and the residsnoe. The mob then began fir* ing, and the fire was returned by the Sheriff and his son Thomas, a boy aged* about 16. They fired thirteen shots, the mob firing, in the opinion o( some, as many as 100. Jailer Lucas fired from the porch and his son from the front windows. Two of the mob are reported a» killed, eye-witnesses saying that they saw one man fall shot by Tom Lucas, and that he was placed on a hoiße and quickly carried off. After firing six shots from the porch th« jailer wns shot, the ball entering his right side, near the nipple. He W’as carried to his room, still refusing to give up the keys. His wife took n pistol and tried to repel the mob, but they crowded up the stairs and forced her to give up the ceil keys. The outer dooi was battered down with a sledge hammer. They then took*May fiom his cell and hung him to the only available limb in the Court House yard. It was stated they had ropes prepared for two otto r victims. The rop« was a new one, and the knot a regular hangman's knot. The jail premises are l>adly riddled with bullets. Thp jailer carried «» lantern in his hand and afforded a good tar* get for the mob. After hanging their victim the mob departed, leaving a number of masks about the jail premises. It is stated that among them were a number of negroes and that a portion of them came from Indiana, opposite Owensboro, where the girl’* father once lived. May was the third negro hanged in th« court house yard by a mob and the fourti victim of the gallows in the county. Th« outrage of last night is universally condemned. Jailer Lucas, in spite of prompt alleviation, died at 7 this morning. He wal a Virginian, a brave ex-Confederute offloer. The report of two of the mob being killed has not been confirmed. One of the mot was heard to say as they left, however, that two of their number had been wounded The excitement has continued all day and late this evening it was reported that the negroes were organizing to mob Kelly, the father of the girl, for they think ho raised the mob.