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Title
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WOMEN HUNG Gagged by TWO Handkerchiefs, were the Girls who Fought for Life. Horses Were Then Driven From Under Them and the Wretches Left Danglint From a Limb. CONFESSED TO HAVE POISONED A WHOLE FAMILY IN ALABAMA.
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Source Type
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Newspapers
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Publisher
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Morristown Republican
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Publication Place
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Morristown, Tennessee
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Publication Date
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5/22/1897
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Transcript
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WOMEN HUNG Gagged by TWO Handkerchiefs, were the Girls who Fought for Life. Horses Were Then Driven From Under Them and the Wretches Left Danglint From a Limb. CONFESSED TO HIVE POISONED A WHOLE FAMILY. IN ALABAMA. Birmingham, Ala.; May 12. A farmer passing ion'g the t road leading from jeff, Ala., to Huntsville at daybreak this morning discovered the lifeless forma of two negro girls swin g. ing from the same limb of an oak tree. An examination show- ectilie bodies,. which ' were not yet cold, to be those of Mollie Smith, aged 18, and Amanda Franks, aged 19, both of whom had ben servants in the em- ploy of the family of the late Joshua a Kelly, of Jeff, The double lynching was the sequel of a series of crinies which have startled the state for two months, and to ferret out which proved a most difficult task. Three times within eight weeks the .Kelley family have been poisoned. Not until the last poisoning, on Friday of last week, did the finger of sus- picion point to one of the girls as the leader of the foul plot. The capture and confession last i evening of Amanda Franks was followed by the speedy lynch- ing of the pair at an early hour this morning. Twenty men did the work, which was conducted so quietly that few persons 'else knew of it until the lifeless forms were found dangling side by side from a tree a mile from the town at daybreak this morning. The confession and lynching, when both became known, pro- yoked intense excitement, and before another sun rises others who figured in the plot for the wholesale destruction of human life may be swung into eternity. Two months ago Joshua - O. Kelley, his wife and six child- ren were taken violently ill one night after supper. They suf- fered from awful pains and 'spasms. All the physicians in luntsville were summoned, and at once pronounced it a case of poisoning. '7,The -elder Kelley died in great agony. The others re- covered after a long and chi- ficult siege. It was at first thought that the poisoning was in some 'ay accidental, but on the night after it occurred, when II of the watchers' friends and relatives of the family, who were sitting up with the corpse of Kelly, were taken ill after a lunch, the belief at once obtain- ed that the work in both in- stances was the result of :I care- fully planned plot to murder the family. ' Kelley's body was buried while all the members of the family and i I friends and rela- lives who had watched over the corpse lay writhing in paiti . No more deaths occurred, but it was only by the greatest ex- ertions that the victims were saved.. Last Friday morning witness- ed the third. poisoning. Soon after partaking of breakfast the several remaining members of the Kelley family, together with I. O. Patton. a traveling sales- man from Cleveland, Tenn., who happened to be the guest of the household over night, and six colored laborers, who were fed from the kitChen, 14 persons in all, were thrown in- to voilent convulsions. Neigh- bors summoned all the physi- cians for miles around, and panic took possession of the en- tire community. Again the lives of the victims were saved by the timely use of pumps and emetics, but several were left in such a state that they are still unable to leave their beds. This last act arous the citizens of Jeff to a pitch wildest frenzy. Every man a time became a detective, a: , an organized effort was put foot to ferret out the diabolic plotters and bring the conspir tors to justice. - The Kelley family, one the most prominent in Madisc county, was known to be wit out enemies, and on that a count the motive of the de was inexplicable. It was co eluded that ' the deadly WO had been clone or instigated some vay by a negro man wl because of his general wort lessness had been dfscharg, from Mr. Kelley's employ weeks ago, and who had be driven out of the community the Kelley boys because of I insolence to their father. - This clew was followed uni yesterday when suspicion w, directed to Mollie Smith, ti colcyed ehambermaid of 0 family because of the fact th on ,Monday she had sudden' disappeared. A band of me last night captured her whi she was making rapidly for 0 Tennessee State line. It w: then concluded to arrest Aina: da Franks, who was also a se vant in the family. She w; found at her home. When take into custody the Franks gi made a clean breast of the crim She said that Mollie Smith hi. placed arsenic in the food of ti Kelley& Mollie had poison( the coffee two months ago the purpose of killing the enti family. As only one death r suited she determined to repe the effort the night afterwar when she placed poison in sau age which the watchers ov Kelley's corpse ate. Amanda said that she hers1 poisoned the flour from whi the biscuits were made 1; week, and that it was done u der the direction of Mollie. S did it while carrying the lo from the pantry to the kitchc The Slinith girl denied the tru of her companion's conlessi and disclaimed any guilt. S wept bitterly. Last night t two girls were held under gua to be taken to jail at Iluntsvi this morning. Their arrest created inter excitement, which grew as night passed. An hour befi daylight this morning 20 mat, ed men, heavily armed, bre into the room in which the pi oners were held, and, overpo ering the single guard, plac the girls on horses, led th, hurriedly out of town and do' the road toward II untsville. 'mile away ropes were faster about the necks of the pris, ers, who, it is said, fought f iously for their lives. liowev, strong arms overpowered th, and soon their arms and were securely tied. Then the hapless ereatur it is said, begged piteously mercy, but in response to th screams and pleadings handk chiefs were stuffed into a mouths, and as quickly as p sible the other ends of the roj were secured to the limb . c big oak tree Which stands the edge of the woods, 25 1 from the roadside. Without a prayer and with a moment of unnecessary del the horses were driven from der the helpless humans, two black bodies clad in v men's clothes were left wri ing and dangling in the Neither victim had her ni their beds. This last'act aroused the citizens of Jeff to a pitch of wildest frenzy. Every man for a time became a detective, and an organized effort was put on foot to ferret out the diabolical plotters and bring the conspira- tors to justice. The Kelley family, one of the most prominent in Madison county, was known to be with- disout enemies, and on that ac- count the motive of the deed was inexplicable. It was con- eluded that the deadly work had been done or instigated in some vay by a negro man who because of his general worth- lessness had been (fischarged from Mr. Kelley's employ it) poisweeks ago, and who had been driven out of the community by the Kelley boys because of his insolence to their father. , instigaThis clew was followed until yesterday when suspicion was directed to Mollie Smith, the colered ( hambermaid of the family because of the fact that treat-on ,Monday she had suddenly disappeared. A band of men last night captured her while she was making rapidly for the Tennessee State line. It was then concluded to arrest Arnan- da Franks, who was also a set- poisonvant in the family. She was found at her home. When taken into custody the Franks girl made a clean breast of the crime. She said that Mollie Smith had placed arsenic in the food of the Kelley& Mollie had poisoned the coffee two months ago for the purpose of killing the entire family. As only one death re suited she determined to repeat , the effort the night afterwaru, form-when she placed poison in saus- age which the watchers over Kelley's corpse ate. Amanda said that she herself poisoned the flour from which the biscuits were made last week, and that it was done un- der the direction of Mollie. She did, it while carrying the food medfrom the pantry to the kitchen. The S,'rmith girl denied the truth of her companion's confession and disclaimed any guilt. She wept bitterly. Last night the two girls were held under guard to be taken to jail at Iluntsville this morning. Their arrest created intense excitement, which grew as the night passed. An hour before daylight this morning 20 mask-concealing ed men, heavily armed, broke into the room in which the pristion oners were held, and, overpowmonths. ering the single guard, placed the girls on horses, led them hurriedly out of town and down the road toward II untsville. A mile away ropes were fastened about the necks of the prison-Alf. ers, who, it is said, fought fur-colored, iously for their lives. however, strong arms overpowered them and soon their ,arms and feet were securely tied. Then the hapless creatures, it is said, begged piteously for mercy, but in response to their screams and pleadings handker- chiefs were stuffed into their mouths, and as quickly as posWhen sible the other ends of the ropes were secured to the limb of a big oak tree Which stands on the edge of the woods, 25 feet from the roadside. Without a prayer and withoUt a moment of unnecessary delay the horses were driven from un- der the helpless humans, and two black bodies clad in wo men's clothes were left writh ing and dangling in the air. Neither victim had her neck broken. Both strangled to death and when found the bodies were still warm. The. lynchers disout persed quietly,' and as usual are "unknown." The latest from Jeff to-night says that more hangings are expected to follow. Jennie Burwell, a negress, and a friend of the dead girls, says she knew Mollie Smith and Amanda Franks were poisweeks oning the Kelleys, but did not care to tell on them. She may be lynched. It is thought that the instigaThis tor of the crime was a negro man who was discharged from the employ of the Kelleys and who desired to wreck vengeance upon the family for his treat-on merit. his name is Williams. A posse is after him, and if caught he is sure to die., The citizens of Jeff are aroused to a high pitch of excitement, and open threats are made that every ne-, gro connected with the poisoning will be lynched as fast as guilt is proved. The negro population is panic-stricken and the officers seem powerless.