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1 The Lynching of William Barker at Lexington, Kentucky 481 (1858)

handle is hein.death/lyncwb0001 and id is 1 raw text is: 
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VoL. 1.-No. 83.]                                        NEW        YORK, SATURDAY, JULY 31, 1858.                                                             [PlICE FIVE CENTS.


              CONTENTS.
     I. TE LYNcamGOF WIeLLIAsM BarKa AT LEX-
         IGTOc, -NENTUOiYo, aITn AN eLLUSTRATION.
    It. EnmeoumAi .
    lI Tom Loucce.
    IV. TuE LTE ZGENERAL QUIMAN, WVIn A Po-
         TRAIT.
     V. T BsERI E ATLirOADcACQIPE'NT, WITi TWO IL-
         LUSTRIOS.          • is.
    Vt. LiTERARY.
    ViIt tIDOMiSTI( ITNELUlGENC.
  Vl l.Foacts NEvs.
    IX. Tne Mbo'6, AND ,IOW we ErE IT, srITn A
         SPLENDID ILLSerATION.
    X. NOTHING NEW.
    X. ThE DELECTA1SLE STORY OF IEL 0 Beon.
    XLI. A CeROWN Os' Sornow.
  Xt1. ULvr'5AnAT     I]PL L DO WITn ITt'-
         Continued.
  XIV. t'aSAN DANCING-GIRLS, WITHn A FINE ILLUS-
         TSATION.
   XV. -MtSseLLAN.
   XVI. TloNGS WISE AND OTaIsERN\VIe.
 XVI. MARKT ANt) FINCIamx BEPORTS.
 XVIII. COaMmCAUTIES.


 TILE :LYNCHING OF WILLIAM BARKER
      AT LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY.
  WE csubjovinanexcellcnt picture of the execution,
by a mob, of Wiliam Barker the murderer, at
Lexington, Kentucky, on 10th inst. The picture
is from a Melainotype, taken on the spot by Mr.
J. C. EatO of that place-an riarist who, we can
readily imagine, ranks very high in his profession
its the West.
  Mr. CeiARuLEs E. MooxaY thus Writes concern-
itg thee aflair:
    Ol thee orimg of the 10th instant William


Barker, one of a notorious gang who have infested
Lexington for some time, was engaged in an alter-
cation with another person, andhad his knife drawn
as if to strike. Joseph Beard, the City Marshal,
was at that time in the market-house across street,
making some purchases. His attentiin being at-
tracted to the fracas, he went over, and, seizing
Barker by the arm, started with him to the watch-
house; they had proceeded but a few steps when
Barker uptripped Mr. Beard, and, as he was fall-
ing, stabbed him in the bip; the murderer then very
deliberately turned his victim over and thrust his
bowie-knif in his breast, drawing it toward hit and
twisting it around in the wound. Mr. Beard died
instantly, and the assassin fled, but was arrested
and placed in jail. The enraged citizens would
at that time have visited sumneary punishment
upon Barker; but it was too early in the morning,
and but few were present.
   About seven o'clock A.. the court-house and
fire-bells were rung simultaneously, and in a re-
narkably short space of time hundreds of the best
citizens had assembled at the court-house.  A mo-
tion was made to proceed to the jail and take out
the murderer and hang him. The proposition was
received with an assenting shout; in a few mo-
ments the multitude had reached the jail, forced
the key s from the jailer, and secured Barker; te
was taken to the court-house, out of the second-
story window of which a beam was thrust.   The
rope was then placeq qround the wretched man's
neck, and the other end fastened to the beam ; his
hands were then tied, and he was let out of the
window as gently as possible; but the rope proved
too weak-it snapped, and the murderer fell to the
pavement. Another rope was procured, and lie
was supported until it could be Yastened; he was
then swung off. He remained suspended for over


an hour.  Thus ended the fearful tragedy. That
such demonstrations of popular indignation are to
be deprecated all will readily admit, but that
Barker deserved death no one will deny ; and it is
only because the people have seen for years their
best citizens slaughtered, and the murderers per-
msitted to go unwhipped of justice, that they re-
solved, in this instance, to show their determination
not to be insulted by mock administration of law.
   The following account of the same affair is by
the correspondent of the Baltimore A mer;can :
   William Barker, the murderer, just discharged
from prison upon a charge of theft, a notorious nial-
efactor and rowdy, had a difficulty at early dawn
with a person of the name of M'Chesney. Barker
drew a knife, and made several attempts to stab
M'Qbesuey, without serious result. Captain Beard,
the murdered man, just from his home arid bed, at-
tempted to arrest Barker by clasping the arm whose
hand contaiied the knife.  The individual of the
knife was possessed of a stalwart person and supe-
rior physical powers, and wrenched his arm out of
Captain Beard's grasp, then grappled with him,
threw him on the pavement, and, with his foot on
him or leg thrown over him, raised his knife and
stabbed hite to the heart. Several citizens saw the
deed done.  Barker had previously threatened to
kill Captain Beard.  He was knocked down, by
way of a warrant, and lugged off to jail. The bells
rang, the citizens assembled, and I, with a desire
to hear more of the affair, joined the rapidly accu-
mulating throng in front of the jail.
   No questions were asked; no second consider-
ation formed a part of any person's mind present,
perhaps, except my own.    The purpose was to
lynch him.  The inmnene crowd, embracing citi-
zens of great respectability, seemed to regard mat-
ters very quietly, and I looked in vain for the earn-


est eyes and clenched hands that to me seemed an
indication of so awful a purpose.
   The brother of the murdered man stood silent-
ly and collectedly apart from the crowd. Like a
person of honor called to the field, he seemed to
have left the entire management of this vengeance
to his friends ad fellow-townsmen.
    No doubts were entertained of the result.
   The affair now began to assune an import so
terribly soleiin to one whose sympathies, by rea-
son of knowing no one concerned, were not enlist-
ed, that I bethought me of getting away until all
was over. Just at this moment an insnsense cheer
and cries of'I They've got him!' passing from mouth
to mouth from the dense mass around the jail door,
announced a more explicit demonstration.  Forth
they came by twos and threes, and now I saw the
countenances of determination that I had previous-
ly looked for. Presently I had a moinentary glimpse
of the doomed personage, as bareheaded, with open
collar, he was hurried away by the crowd to the
court-house. The fascination of the occasion, which
can only be explained by likening it to the serpent's
charm, drew iie with the rapid moving crowd.
Over the fences, through the gates, came the eager
assemblage, as the foremost ones hurried him from
tree to tree in the court-house yard, with a rope of
the consistency of a well-used bed-cbrd, seling
vainly for some limb sufficiently strong to sustain
his guilty weight. An officer of the law'made a
sort of demonstration with his hat frini the steps
of the court - house. 'Friends, fellow- citizens 1'
'Hang him, hang himI!' 'Mly friends, I entreat-'
I Hang him! ' 'No mercy, no trial-hang him!'
  During this temporary outbreak, to which at-
tention was directed, I had a fair opportunity to
observe the doomed man-a burly, healthy-look-
big personage, with a not unhandsome face, clear


TlEl' LYNCIIIlt4 OF ,WILLIAM BARKER AT LEXINGTON, KENTUCKT.-Ve:oam A MFLANOlYru aY J,,C. ELROD, or Laxxn'Tot.J

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