Griffey, Evansville Courier and Press, October 16, 1894

A Mob Endeavored to Make the Punishment Fit the Crime.

PRINCETON, Ky., Oct. 15. – Willis Giffey, the fiend confined in jail here, has paid the penalty of his crime. Sunday night at 11:30 o’clock a mob of 100 or more men entered Princeton from the northeast, well mounted on horses, went ot the jail and demanded of Jailer Poole the keys. He positively refused to give them 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 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 is a negro, married, and was brought here from Hopkinsville for safekeeping. 

On September 3 while Miss Lena Berry, an estimable young lady living near Lafayette, was returning from Sunday-school, Griffey pounced on her and dragged her into the woods and assaulted her person. She lay unconscious in the woods for several hours until searchers found her. Griffey fled, and the matter was kept quiet. One weak later he was captured near Madisonville, and then the story came out. He acknowledged his guilt, but through fear of mob violence, he was transferred from Hopkinsville jail to Princeton.

The negro was hanged to a beech tree 3 miles from here. The body was horribly and namelessly mutilated and generously perforated with bullets. The mob was undoubtedly from Christian county.