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JAMES TAYLOR OF KENNEDY VII. T.E, MD., TAKEN FROM JAIL AND LYNCHED.—IIIS CRIME.James Taylor, the negro who assaulted 10-year-old Nellie Silcox at Kennedyville, Md., last Sunday morn ing, was taken from Chestertown jail Tuesday night by a crowd of over 500 people, and swung up to a tree. An attempt the previous night to do the same thing had proved unsuccessful, the sheriff having secretly placed his prisoner on the tug Gracie and steamed down the river, but ever since he had been back in the jail at 5 o’clock Tuesday morning the place had been closely watched. The crowd had been thwarted in their purpose once, but they did not propose being served in the same way again.At 9 o’clock a posse of 700 persons, including soma of the best people of the neighborhood, gathered around the jail and demanded of Sheriff Plummer the prisoner Taylor. Their request was refused and after repeated demands the Sheriff was finally overpowered, and the doors of the jail broken down. Proceeding to Taylor’s cell they secured him and dragged him out into the street. There he was given opportunity to confess his guilt but he refused to say anything. At 9.25 he was strung up and left hanging until 11.20 o’clock.All day Tuesday groups of excited men could be seen on the streets and the excitement was intense. Men were seen watching the jail all day and it was generally known that when night came another and more determined effort would be made to lynch the brute. Soon after sundown men were seen coming into town from all directions and by 9 o’clock a crowd estimated to be between 500 and 1,000 men were congregated around the jail, in the court house yard and in the street, from the Rockwell ftouse to the Crawford House.At 9.30 a body of masked men marched out of the Crawford house yard armed with a sledge hammer, axes, guns, muskets and pistols, and wently directly to the side door of the jail, the same door out of which Tom Thompson walked to his death. The crowd demanded of the Sheriff that the door be opened, but this not being complied with the sledge hammer was brought into use and the door was soon broken open.Taylor’s cell having been located the men commenced at once to break the door open. It offered a stout resistance, but finally gave way and the crowd rushed in and quickly overpowered Deputy Sheriff Plummer, Officer Kelley, A. G. Dugan and the others who were on guard.A light was procured and Taylor was seen seated on the bed with his coat and shoes off. Having fully satisfied themselves that they had the right man a rope was quickly put around his neck and he was pulled down the steps and out the jail yard into a cross street. When the crowd reached a point between the Rockwell house and the old Armstrong hotel the rope was thrown over the limb of a tree and. Taylor was seen swinging in the air.The whole affair was over before 10 o’clock and the crowd quickly dispersed. Some one hung a lantern in such a position that the light shone on the body, and it was viewed by many persons, who shuddered as they saw the body o
Newspaper Details
Middletown Transcript
Middletown, Delaware, US
Thu, May 19, 1892
Page 2
Full Page
Clipped by
Leah D.
USA 19 Apr 2025
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