West and Dever, Maysville Public Ledger, December 30, 1895

 Burned Alive. 

A Mob Wreaks Vengeance on a Faithless Woman. 

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They Attack the House in Which She and Her Paramour Resided. 

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Failing to Get the Couple Out They Fire the Dwelling--The Man, Attempting to Escape, is Shot to Death--The Woman Perishes in the Flames. 

Lebanon, Ky., Dec. 30.--A mob inflicted horrible vengeance on a faithless woman and her paramour Saturday night when they burned Mrs. T. J. West alive and killed W. A. Dever, her paramour, at Mrs. West’s house on Cartwright’s creek on the Springfield pike, three miles north of this city. 

The mob is said to have numbered about seventy-five and it was about twelve o’clock when they appeared at Mrs. West’s house. Mrs. West, Dever and his little daughter were the only persons in the house, and when the mob called to Dever to come out Mrs. West and the little one responded, but Dever remained inside. Just as Mrs. West reached the door several shots were fired at her and she ran back, but the child remained on the outside. The mob then fired several shots into the house, none of which took effect, and after several attempts to get Dever to come out the mob fired the building. Intense heat finally forced Dever to run out, and with pistol in hand, he started to a cornfield, a few steps from the house, where he took shelter behind a corn shock and was shot to death. Mrs. West perished in the burning house, and Sunday morning her remains were found in the chimney where she had taken refuge. Her legs and the upper portion of the body were almost entirely burned off. The little girl gave the alarm Sunday morning, but meager information can be gained from her.

W. A Dever [sic] is the man who shot and killed T. J. West, husband of the burned woman, December 7, at Beaver Green, on Cartwright’s creek. Dever had a preliminary hearing and was released on the ground of self defense. The killing is thought to have been caused by intimacy on the part of Dever and West’s wife. After Dever was released he was charged with living with the woman as his wife. It is said that Dever had been warned that he would be killed if he did not leave. He is from Knoxville and leaves a widow and several children. Mrs. West also leaves a large family, but none were at the house at the time of the horrible tragedy.