Brinkley, Messenger Inquirer, 23 July 1897
Dublin Core
Title
Subject
Rape
Hanging
Civilian mob, approximately 40 members
Mostly unmasked, some masked
Description
Brinkley, Messenger Inquirer, 23 July 1897
Ephraim Brinkley Hanged in Broad Daylight in Hop-Kins County.
He Was Suspected of Having Murdered a Wealthy Farmer Named Troullias.
A Georgia Negro Rapist Hanged in the Courthouse Yard by a Crowd of Citizens.
PERFECT EPIDEMIC OF LYNCHINGS.
MADISONVILLE, Ky., July 22 - Eph-raim Brinkley was taken from his home in this county this morning at 7 o’clock and hanged to a tree near the house.
The mob was composed of about forty citizens, but few of whom were masked. They were very orderly and not a gun was fired or a loud or profane word used.
They rode up to the house at the hour named and called for Brinkley. He came out and they caught him and told him what they were going to do. He begged for his life, but his entreaties fell on deaf ears, and the execution was pro-ceeded without a minute’s delay. When it was known that he was dead the party quietly mounted their horses and rode away.
Two weeks ago a good citizen named Trouillias was shot and killed at his home while eating supper. It was not known who committed the hor-rid crime, but Brinkley was suspected of it for several reasons. He has borne a very bad reputation and lived largely, it is thought by stealing chickens, hogs, cattle, corn and any-thing else he could get his hands on. Whenever there was any trouble in the neighborhood it was always laid on Brinkley and it is believed that a good deal of meanness was attributed to him was perpetrated by others. How-ever this may be the people will breathe easier, as they had become very much afraid of him since the assassination of Trouillias.
The identity of the members of the mob is not known, although they as-sembled and did their work in broad day light. It is thought, however, that at least the leaders belonged to the same gang of regulators that killed Hewlett Howton in Caldwell county two years ago. The leaders of that band, Capt. Beatty Steffy, and Jim Russell, are in the penitentiary, but the organization still exists, and their swift riders doubt-less had a hand in this morning’s work.
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