Lewis, Louisville Courier-Journal, December 17, 1918

Hickman, Ky., Dec. 16– An infuriated mob broke down the huge iron doors of the county jail here early morning, forcibly took Charlie Lewis, a discharged negro soldier, out of his cell and hanged him to a tree two hundred yards from the jail. Saturday night two discharged negro soldiers held up two negroes several miles west of here while they were waiting for a train and robbed them of $52, telling them it was no use to call the Sheriff, as they belonged to Uncle Sam and no officer could bother them.

At 11 o’clock last night everything was apparently quite [sic] and it was thought the trouble had blown over. Shortly after midnight Jailer Charles Murchison telephoned Sheriff Swayne Walker that crowds were collecting around the jail. He asked instructions. Sheriff Walker immediately got in touch with Circuit Judge Bunk Gardner and requested his advice. Sheriff Walker hurried to the jail, where he pleaded with the mob of between seventy-five and eighty men. He was covered with a gun. The mob then told him they were going to have Lewis. Walker had to stand by and see them hammer down the iron doors and beat off the locks with sledges.

Jailer Murchison was unable to hold back the surging crowd, but fled with the keys, refusing to turn them over to the mob.

The mob went through his quarters, battering open the lower iron doors, proceeded upstairs and broke another iron door open and then broke into the cells, beating the heavy iron doors off the hinges and piling them on the floor.

Sheriff Walker followed the mob to the tree across the railroad, still begging them not to proceed. The rope was soon fastened around the black’s neck. Lewis was soon dead. 

Every man in the mob wore a mask. Lewis’s body hung until 9 o’clock this morning. Hundreds of persons viewed the body. Feeling was intense here all day yesterday. Lewis killed a white man six years ago.