Henley and Thornhill, The Washington Post, October 17, 1916

Paducah, Ky., Oct. 16– On the heels of two lynchings here today, Paducah prepared for possible further trouble tonight by ordering its saloons to remain closed, and by swearing in extra peace officers.

The authorities, it was stated, feared the lust for blood among the employes [sic] of a large railroad might be whetted by the summary execution during the day of two colored men, whose bodies afterward were burned. One of them was charged with attacking the wife of one of the employes; the other expressed sympathy for him and, it was said, lauded his act.

Brock Henley was charged with an attack upon Mrs. George Rose, wife of an Illinois Central shipman, at her home on the outskirts of the city Friday.

Henley was dragged from the jail and the other victim, Jesse Thornhill, was seized on the streets. Followed by a crowd estimated at 6,000 persons, large part of them in automobiles, the two men were taken to the home of the woman, about 2 miles away. While Henley was presented to her for identification the other was taken to a tree, a rope thrown over a limb, his neck encircled in a noose and an automobile hitched to the other end. As soon as Henley had been identified as the assailant of the woman he was led to the same tree and the process repeated.