Hill, Winchester News, December 18, 1908

Confesses Crime and Mob Sings Hymn Before Hanging Murderer.

DANVILLE, Ky., Dec. 18. – Elmer Hill, confessed child-murdered, paid the death penalty for his crimes Wednesday night. As the hangmen were looping the rope around his neck, he broke down and confessed his guilt, declaring that death was his just punishment and requested that the mob which had hi min charge sing one of the old familiar songs that he had often heard in the little meeting house at Russell Springs and then offer prayer for his soul.

The mob leader stopped proceedings and the determined men, at the request of the prisoner, sang, “Jesus Lover of My Soul,” while one of the members followed with prayer. Hill then told his executioners that he was ready to die and his body was jerked into the air. The rope being securely fastened the mob quietly dispersed.

Mob Members Give Details.

Persons residing in the vicinity where Hill was hanged heard the singing and praying, and the exact facts afterwards leaked out from members of the mob, which is backed by the whole citizenship of Adair and Russel counties.

When the mob appeared at the jail in Monticello, Hill prayed to his Savior, begged for mercy and vigorously declared his innocence of the awful crime, but deaf ears were turned to his entreaties. He continues to plead innocence until the rope had been looped around his neck.

The crime for which Hill was hanged was one of the most heinous ever committed in Central Kentucky, and stirred Russell and surrounding counties to fever heat.

Victim His Own Cousin.

On Tuesday evening of last week he intercepted his cousin, twelve-year-old Mamie Womack, on the county road at a lonely spot in the vicinity of Russell Springs as she was returning to her home from school at Mt. Olivet. 

After assaulting his little relative, he choked her, then beat her brains out with a club and carried her body two hundred yards into a dense thicket, where her dead form was covered up with leaves. The body was found at 10 o’clock at night by a searching party, whose members feared that the little girl had met an evil fate. Blood hounds were hurried to the scene of the crime from Hustonville. They reached there the following day at 9 o’clok.

Murderer at Victim’s Home.

In the meantime Hill had visited the Womack home, had seen the remains of his victim and appeared to be visibly affected. A bystander remarked that the murdered would be burned at the stake as soon as trailed down by the bloodhounds, and that the dogs were coming. Hill, who had not been suspected, hastened from the house and fled into the woods of Russell county.

The bloodhounds arrived and were taken to the scene of the tragedy and given the scent from the club with which the little girl had been beaten. From that point they went into the thicket where the body was found and thence followed the trail to the residence of Hill’s grandfather, where he had spent the night. The trail was followed to the Wamock home, and then the long hunt of five days through the woods began.

Murderer Found in Adair

The murderer was frequently heard of in advance of the hounds, but each time succeeded in eluding the officers who were sent ahead. Finally after covering a distance of ninety miles over mountains and through dense thickets, the fugitive criminal was found in an old barn near Sano, Adair county, where he had fallen asleep from exhaustion. He was captured last Sunday morning about 9 o’clock. 

The officers hurried Hill to Jamestown, the county seat of Russell county, where he was placed in jail. Notwithstanding the fact that it was Sunday, Judge H. H. Dunbar called a special term of court and entered upon the examining trial of the prisoner, but so many determined men began gathering in the little town that the trial was stopped and the prisoner returned to jail and a guard placed around him.

Officers Warned of Mob.

Before 9 o’clock Sunday night the officers began receiving messages to the effect that a mob was forming and would attempt to take Hill from the jail at Jamestown. He was quickly taken into the woods several miles east and held until the following morning. In the meantime the jail at Jamestown was visited by a mob, an hundred strong, the doors were broken down and finding that Hill had been removed, the mob began a search of the residences of the town.

Fearing the mob, the Russell county officers, instead of returning with the prisoner, took him overland fifty miles away to Monticello. On Monday  night it was learned that a mob was on its way to Monticello and Jailer Ramsey and Sheriff Wright removed the prisoner from the jail and started for Lexington with him. They were intercepted, however, and informed that the mob had gotten as far as the Cumberland river and being unable to cross, returned home.

Thought He Would Be Safe.

It was then felt that Hill would be safe at Monticello and he was returned to that point. Parties were stationed at the most favorable river crossing the notify the officers at Monticello, but the mob evidently knowing of the action of the officers, took an entirely different route, reaching Monticello at 11 o’clock Wednesday night at an unexpected time. 

Practically all of the people were asleep and knew nothing of the presence of the mob until this morning. The jail was visited by twenty-six armed men who called Jailer Ramsey to the door on the pretense that they had a prisoner. The officer was covered with Winchesters and forced to unlock the door and point out the cell of Elemr Hill. Crouched in a one corner Hill begged the mob to show him mercy and to spare his life.

Confessed at Last Moment.

He was placed behind a member of the mob on horseback and carried to Greasy Creek, where the rope was looped around his neck and thrown high over a limb. Not until this was done did he confess his guilt. He was twenty-seven years of age and came of good parentage.

Some years ago he was arrested on the charge of assaulting a school girl, but broke jail and eluded arrest for two years. When he returned the matter had died out and he was not tried.

His body was cut down at 10 o’clock yesterday morning by the Coroner of Russell county. The mob which hanged Hill rode fifty miles over mountains and through thickets for the purpose of accomplishing its object.