Smith, The Bourbon News, April 2, 1920

When The News closed its report Monday night if the action of a mob of men in taking officers at this point Grant Smith, colored, wanted in Fleming county, on a charge of criminal assault, it was not known what disposition had been made of the prisoner. Conflicting reports came from different sources, and, as communication had been cut off from Flemingsburg and other places, it was impossible to learn the negro’s fate that night. Press dispatches the following morning indicated what his end had been.

The revolver and handcuffs belonging to Chief of Police Link, which had been taken from him at the time were returned to him in a mysterious package Wednesday from a mysterious source, without comment or a message of any kind.

One of the most ridiculous stories regarding the affair was that printed in Tuesday’s issue of the Cincinnati Commercial-Tribune, in which it spoke of a mob of “Bourbon county mountaineers,” “At this writing the body of the negro is swinging from the end of a rope at the L & N railroad bridge near Millersburg,” etc. For misinformation and a lack of knowledge of this section of the country the Commercial-Tribune’s statement takes the whole bakery, and then some.

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Smith’s victim attended college in Millersburg, where, after a time, the teachers learned of her trouble, and her parents took her home. She was there a week before the negro left. She was later sent to a hospital in Louisville. She told her parents that the repeated threats of death made by the negro had kept her silent until she could no longer do so, and had to tell them the truth. Smith, fearing that his threats would have no effect after the girl had informed her parents, left for parts unknown the day after the first attempt to lynch Lockett at Lexington.

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The Coroner’s jury returned a verdict stating that Grant Smith, negro, lynched on the Maysville pike for alleged assault on a girl, met death at the hands of persons unknown.

Whether a grand jury investigation of the lynching will be held has not yet been announced. Deputy Sheriff George W. Powell, from whom the beg to was taken at Paris, said on his arrival at Flemingsburg, Tuesday, that he was unable to identify any of the members of the mob.

The body of Smith was cut down from the pole Tuesday and turned over to the family of the mob’s victim.

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Governor Edwin P. Morrow, who was in Louisville, Monday night, remained up until long last midnight waiting definite word from Fleming county, where a mob lynched Grant Smith.

The Governor referred to the enactment by the recent Legislature of the law requiring removal from office of peace officers who surrender their prisoners to mobs and declared while the law is still inoperative (it does not take effect until June) there is no doubt as to the moral responsibility of the officers in allowing Smith to be taken from their custody.

“The incident is most regrettable,” said the Governor, “and the law should have been allowed to take its course.”

“Summary justice dealt to Will Lockett at Lexington recently should leave no doubt in any honest mind that Kentuckians know how to deal with criminals of this type.”

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A Paris newspaper man, who had followed the trail of the men who took to negro, Grant Smith, from the officers here, and started toward Fleming county, where the crime was committed, found at 3:30 o’clock Tuesday morning the dead body of the negro suspended from the cross-arm of a telephone pole on the Maysville pike, six miles from Mayslick, swaying in the wind.

The negro was taken to a point near Mayslick, Mason county, but within the borders of Fleming. On his way to the scene of the execution, Smith is said to have made a full confession to his captors, admitting he had forcibly taken advantage of the young girl on two occasions, and that “he didn’t know why he did it.”

When the self-appointed executioners arrived at a point six miles from Mayslick, they were met by the delegation which had been on watch in Maysville. The two parties combined and the negro was asked if he had anything to say. He asked for time to pray and was granted five minutes. Those who heard the prayer say he confessed his sins to God, asked to be forgiven and then told those personally in charge of him that he was ready. 

A hangman’s noose, made from a piece of new rope was placed around his neck. Some one in the crowd had brought along a pair of climbers, used by telephone linemen. Taking the end of the rope he rapidly climbed the pole, threw the end over the cross-bar and as he was descending the pole the negro’s body was being hoisted to a distance of twenty feet.

Smith slowly strangled to death. He was muttering, “Lord, forgive me,” as the rope tightened about his neck, shutting off his power of speech. As soon as the negro was dead, the party dispersed, going in opposite directions. The dead body of the negro was left with only a baying dog as its companion.

From early daylight until 10 o’clock Tuesday morning the road leading to the scene of the lynching was blocked with vehicles of all descriptions, many coming from Lexington, Paris, Maysville and other river points. At 10 o’clock the coroner of Fleming county arrived, and with the assistance of several men, cut down the body, placed it in a wooden box and took it to Flemingsburg, where it will be buried by the county. Smith is survived by his wife and four children.