Griffey, The Cincinnati Post, October 15, 1894

And Entering the Cell Dragged the Negro Out,

Took Him Three Miles Down the Road

And After Riddling Him With Bullets

And Mutilating Him in a Horrible Manner

Left His Dead Body Swinging From a Tree.

Princeton, Ky., Oct. 15. –(Special.) Willis Griffey, the rape fiend confined in jail here, has paid the penalty of his crime.

Last night, at 11:30 o’clock, a mob of 100 of more men entered Princeton from the southeast, well mounted on horses, went to the jail and demanded of Jailer Pool the keys.

These he positively refused to give up. Pushing him aside they searched the house and found them. In the cell of Griffey a struggle ensued, but he was overcome, taken out and placed in a covered hack, and then the procession formed and started out the Cadiz Road.

They entered the fair grounds, but after a brief search turned out and went on their way. The mob wore no masks and were strangers to the jailer. Griffey was a burly negro, married, and was brought here from Hopkinsville for safekeeping.

On Sunday, Sept. 23, while Miss Lena Berry, an estimable young lady living near Lafayette, was returning from Sunday-school, walking leisurely along reading her Bible, Griffey pounced on her and dragged her into the woods and assaulted her. She lay unconscious in the woods for several hours until a searching party found her. Griffey fled and the matter was kept quiet.

One week later he was captured near Madisonville and then the story came out. He acknowledged his guilt, and through fear of mob violence he was transferred from the Hopkinsville Jail to Princeton. Some of the mob were clamorous for Griffey as soon as he was taken from jail here, but the leader shouted: “Back to Lafayette!” The affair was done so quietly and quickly that Princeton had hardly an intimation before this morning of the mob.

Three miles from Princeton the negro was hanged to a beech tree.

The body was horrible and namelessly mutilated and perforated with bullets.

The mob was undoubtedly from Christian County, the leader being barely in his teens.