The Prevalence of Lynching

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, 27 August 1903, Page 3

The Prevalence of Lynching

(A SAMPLE AMERICAN HORROR. The other day a cable menage atated that American newspapers no longer report lynchings, unless they preßenfcunuKiinl features, the inference being that lynchings were too common to warrant any prominence. That the American journals had ample reason for their action is apparent from recent files which every ; day contain reports of occurrences like the following:— Bluepields (Virginia), July 11. The little town of Devon, Mingo county, was the scene yesterday of an attack on a fourteen-year old girl by a negro, followed by his subsequent lynching by an enraged mob numbering over 200 men. The little girl was caught a short distance from her home by the negro and carried to a neighboring wood where her body was tied to a tree, bound and gagged. Her absence was noticed by the neighbours, who immediately formed themselves into a searching party. She was found in an almost dying condition, but was able to tell to the horrorBtricken searchers the story. Wild were the cries for vengeance when the little girl's story was heard, but after a consultation it was decided to lay in wait for the fiend. - In a short time he appeared, and the entire mob of concealed searchers emerged and made for him. He wouid have been torn limb from limb on the spot, but cool heads kept the enraged mob back, and the negro was dragged to the village common and bound to a tree.

The clothing of the negro was torn from his body, and pins, tacks, penknives and every conceivable weapon of torture was stuck into the skin of the negro as he straggled, vainly pleading for his life. He was allowed to suffer a hundred deaths with his body bleeding in a thousand places. The victim was placed before the negro's eyfs, while willing hands cut the tongue from his swollen mouth. His cries became incoherent, and before the enraged citizens could be checked, the skin was literally cut from his body and distributed among the villagers. He died with his eyes on the little girl whose life he had ruined. His heart-was then cut out with jackknives, his toes and fingers chopped off and carried away as mementoes. His body and mangle* form was then soaked with kerosene and fired.