1
10
2
-
https://drvk.createuky.net/news-articles/files/original/76b5bbeb7fa9e741c1bf3c4060c64fd3.jpg
c692f308c16472de47af37633586669f
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Fleming County
Still Image
A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Thacker, The Lexington Herald, July 16, 1903.
Subject
The topic of the resource
Thacker, William
Charge, murder
Mob, hanging
Mob, 20 members
Description
An account of the resource
<h3>Mob<br />Hanged White Prisoner.<br />William Thacker Dragged From Jail At Flemingsburg And Strung Up.<br />Had Twice Been Given a Life Sentence For Murder of John Gordon and Was Awaiting Third Trial.</h3>
FLEMINGSBURG, Ky., July 15. — William Thacker, a white prisoner, was taken from jail here shortly before 1 o’clock this morning by a mob and hanged to a tree on the edge of town, about three hundred yards from the jail and court house.
It was the second attempt made to get Thacker within two weeks, and was not unexpected by many citizens here, though no action had been taken to prevent the lynching.
Citizens in the vicinity say there were about 20 men in the mob, which came from the direction of Foxport, where the crime of which Thacker was charged took place.
Mob Puts Out Pickets.
The mob on arriving to the jail immediately put out pickets to prevent anyone from coming near. Several men then approached the door of the jail residence and knocked. Jailer Morris had a lamp lighted in his room, as, he says, he was expecting several parties to come after their horses and buggies, which were put up at his livery stable adjoining the jail. He opened the door and was immediately grabbed.
While some held him others went into the room and secured the jail keys, which were lying on a stand. The cell keys were also soon found in his pants pockets.
The mob then went into the jail and secured Thacker without further opposition. The prisoner pleaded with the mob, but in vain. He was dragged from the building, while his cries could be heard all over the neighborhood, many people being awakened by them
Struck With a Stone.
His cries attracted so much attention that finally some of the mob struck him in the face with a stone, rendering him partially unconscious. He was then carried and dragged to the place of execution, after which the mob quietly left town.
The body was cut down an hour or so afterward and brought to the jail, where it was prepared for burial. The face was disfigured considerably by bruises, but otherwise the features were natural.
Two weeks ago last night the first attempt was made to get Thacker. Several men called Jailer Morris to the door and grabbed him, but were driven away. It was at the time supposed by some that it was an attempt by Thacker’s friends to release him from jail, but the prisoner at the time contended that it was an attempt of his enemies to do him harm, though no precaution was taken to give him further protection.
Thacker was fifty-seven years of age and was twice given life imprisonment for the killing of John Gordon, a young man at Foxport, three years ago. Thacker was recently granted a new trial by the Court of Appeals and was in jail here awaiting a third trial, having been brought from the penitentiary at Frankfort, where he had already begun serving his sentence pending the action of the higher court.
Thacker was under the influence of liquor at the time of the killing and was in a quarrelsome mood. After some words with young Gordon a fight between Thacker’s boy, who was present, and Gordon ensued and Thacker shot Gordon, killing him instantly. Thacker claimed self-defense, but feeling has always been strong against him in the community where the crime occurred.
Everything is very quiet. Very little sympathy is expressed for Thacker, though the laxity of the authorities in failing to afford the prisoner proper protection is deeply regretted by many. The mob was made up of about twenty persons and could have been dispersed, it is believed, with a little resistance.
Thacker had some money and was able to command the support of some influential men, and it was feared that he might escape punishment all together.
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Newspapers.com
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
The Lexington Herald
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1903-07-16
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Katie Craig
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Image.
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Fleming County
1900-1910
1903
Fleming County
Katie Craig
Thacker
Transcribed
-
https://drvk.createuky.net/news-articles/files/original/ff5ce6c66e35471423e0642ac08b0e9a.jpg
ff745ce34d257eec2c4573080db1794b
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Fleming County
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Smith, The Bourbon News, April 2, 1920
Subject
The topic of the resource
Smith, Grant
Charge, rape
Mob, hanging
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a href="https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-bourbon-news-lynching-of-grant-smith/83204728/">Newspapers.com</a>
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
The Bourbon News [Paris, Ky.]
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1920-04-02
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Micah Lynn
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Image
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Paris, Bourbon County; Mays Lick, Mason County; Fleming County
Description
An account of the resource
<h3> Negro Taken From Paris Officer Is Lynched</h3>
<div dir="auto"></div>
<div dir="auto">When The News closed its report Monday night if the action of a mob of men in taking officers at this point Grant Smith, colored, wanted in Fleming county, on a charge of criminal assault, it was not known what disposition had been made of the prisoner. Conflicting reports came from different sources, and, as communication had been cut off from Flemingsburg and other places, it was impossible to learn the negro’s fate that night. Press dispatches the following morning indicated what his end had been.<br /><br /></div>
<div dir="auto"></div>
<div dir="auto">The revolver and handcuffs belonging to Chief of Police Link, which had been taken from him at the time were returned to him in a mysterious package Wednesday from a mysterious source, without comment or a message of any kind.<br /><br /></div>
<div dir="auto"></div>
<div dir="auto">One of the most ridiculous stories regarding the affair was that printed in Tuesday’s issue of the Cincinnati Commercial-Tribune, in which it spoke of a mob of “Bourbon county mountaineers,” “At this writing the body of the negro is swinging from the end of a rope at the L & N railroad bridge near Millersburg,” etc. For misinformation and a lack of knowledge of this section of the country the Commercial-Tribune’s statement takes the whole bakery, and then some.<br /><br /></div>
<div dir="auto"></div>
<div dir="auto">__</div>
<div dir="auto"><br /><br /></div>
<div dir="auto">Smith’s victim attended college in Millersburg, where, after a time, the teachers learned of her trouble, and her parents took her home. She was there a week before the negro left. She was later sent to a hospital in Louisville. She told her parents that the repeated threats of death made by the negro had kept her silent until she could no longer do so, and had to tell them the truth. Smith, fearing that his threats would have no effect after the girl had informed her parents, left for parts unknown the day after the first attempt to lynch Lockett at Lexington.</div>
<div dir="auto"><br /><br /></div>
<div dir="auto">__<br /><br /></div>
<div dir="auto"></div>
<div dir="auto">The Coroner’s jury returned a verdict stating that Grant Smith, negro, lynched on the Maysville pike for alleged assault on a girl, met death at the hands of persons unknown.<br /><br /></div>
<div dir="auto"></div>
<div dir="auto">Whether a grand jury investigation of the lynching will be held has not yet been announced. Deputy Sheriff George W. Powell, from whom the beg to was taken at Paris, said on his arrival at Flemingsburg, Tuesday, that he was unable to identify any of the members of the mob.<br /><br /></div>
<div dir="auto"></div>
<div dir="auto">The body of Smith was cut down from the pole Tuesday and turned over to the family of the mob’s victim.<br /><br /></div>
<div dir="auto"></div>
<div dir="auto">__</div>
<div dir="auto"><br /><br /></div>
<div dir="auto">Governor Edwin P. Morrow, who was in Louisville, Monday night, remained up until long last midnight waiting definite word from Fleming county, where a mob lynched Grant Smith.<br /><br /></div>
<div dir="auto"></div>
<div dir="auto">The Governor referred to the enactment by the recent Legislature of the law requiring removal from office of peace officers who surrender their prisoners to mobs and declared while the law is still inoperative (it does not take effect until June) there is no doubt as to the moral responsibility of the officers in allowing Smith to be taken from their custody.<br /><br /></div>
<div dir="auto"></div>
<div dir="auto">“The incident is most regrettable,” said the Governor, “and the law should have been allowed to take its course.”<br /><br /></div>
<div dir="auto"></div>
<div dir="auto">“Summary justice dealt to Will Lockett at Lexington recently should leave no doubt in any honest mind that Kentuckians know how to deal with criminals of this type.”<br /><br /></div>
<div dir="auto"></div>
<div dir="auto">__</div>
<div dir="auto"><br /><br /></div>
<div dir="auto">A Paris newspaper man, who had followed the trail of the men who took to negro, Grant Smith, from the officers here, and started toward Fleming county, where the crime was committed, found at 3:30 o’clock Tuesday morning the dead body of the negro suspended from the cross-arm of a telephone pole on the Maysville pike, six miles from Mayslick, swaying in the wind.<br /><br /></div>
<div dir="auto"></div>
<div dir="auto">The negro was taken to a point near Mayslick, Mason county, but within the borders of Fleming. On his way to the scene of the execution, Smith is said to have made a full confession to his captors, admitting he had forcibly taken advantage of the young girl on two occasions, and that “he didn’t know why he did it.”<br /><br /></div>
<div dir="auto"></div>
<div dir="auto">When the self-appointed executioners arrived at a point six miles from Mayslick, they were met by the delegation which had been on watch in Maysville. The two parties combined and the negro was asked if he had anything to say. He asked for time to pray and was granted five minutes. Those who heard the prayer say he confessed his sins to God, asked to be forgiven and then told those personally in charge of him that he was ready. <br /><br /></div>
<div dir="auto"></div>
<div dir="auto">A hangman’s noose, made from a piece of new rope was placed around his neck. Some one in the crowd had brought along a pair of climbers, used by telephone linemen. Taking the end of the rope he rapidly climbed the pole, threw the end over the cross-bar and as he was descending the pole the negro’s body was being hoisted to a distance of twenty feet.<br /><br /></div>
<div dir="auto"></div>
<div dir="auto">Smith slowly strangled to death. He was muttering, “Lord, forgive me,” as the rope tightened about his neck, shutting off his power of speech. As soon as the negro was dead, the party dispersed, going in opposite directions. The dead body of the negro was left with only a baying dog as its companion.<br /><br /></div>
<div dir="auto"></div>
<div dir="auto">From early daylight until 10 o’clock Tuesday morning the road leading to the scene of the lynching was blocked with vehicles of all descriptions, many coming from Lexington, Paris, Maysville and other river points. At 10 o’clock the coroner of Fleming county arrived, and with the assistance of several men, cut down the body, placed it in a wooden box and took it to Flemingsburg, where it will be buried by the county. Smith is survived by his wife and four children.<br /><br /></div>
1920
1920-1930
Fleming County
Mays Lick
Micah Lynn
Paris
Smith
Transcribed