Williams, Louisville Courier-Journal, August 7, 1897

MOB LAW

Threatened in the Case of the Williams Trio in Knox County.

The (illegible) Offender in Jail.

A Report That a Brother Was Lynched Not Verified.

Barbourville, Ky., Aug. 6. - (Special.) - General Williams was brought here and lodged (illegible) to-day.

Jake, (illegible) and General Williams, three brothers, kidnapped Lida Bays, a deaf mute, at her home on Brush creek, ten miles from here, last week and fled with her to the mountains between Tennessee and Kentucky and have since been in hiding there. Some weeks previously General Williams made a criminal assault on the girl, for which he was arrested and bound over to Circuit Court. In order to make a defense he, with his brothers, kidnaped the girl and forced her to marry him. Finding he had committed another offense he fled to the mountains at the approach of the officers. 

When found in the mountains this morning the girl was almost nude, having been dragged through the woods for more than twenty miles. She is without shoes. As her friends started home with her she went into hysterics, and has never recovered her mental equilibrium.

Jake Williams is a lawyer. Thomas Williams has always passed as a Baptist minister. General Williams has been frequently in trouble heretofore.

Efforts were made this morning to form a mob to lynch General Williams, and the county officers are on a close lookout for any violence that may be attempted to-night.

There was a report in circulation to-day that Jake Williams had been lynched by a mob near Jellico, but this could not be verified. It is also reported that Tom Williams was shot and wounded yesterday while making his escape from a (illegible).