Bowers, Mountain Advocate, October 20, 1905.

Bowers, Mountain Advocate, October 20, 1905.

Bowers, Virgil

Charge, Murder

Mob, Hanging

Mob, Masked

At an early hour Tuesday morning a masked and armed mob of Laurel county men, at the point of guns, overcame the guards at the Laurel county jail in London and took Virgil Bowers, the self-confessed murderer of George Farris. Proceeding a short distance out of London on the Barbourville road the negro was strung to an apple tree. So quietly was the work done that few knew of the deed outside the members of the mob until daylight, when the dead body of Bowers was discovered by a hotel porter.

The lynching, the first that has occurred in that county for over forty years, has created great excitement. Last Monday large crowds from the surrounding country flocked into London. Monday evening a mass meeting was held, participated in by a large number of representative citizens, condemning the summary proceedings of the mob.

Efforts will be made to apprehend the members of the lynching party, it is said.

The murder of Farris, who was a wealthy lumberman of Grays, this county, occurred at the London fair, and for a time there was talk of mobbing Bowers. He received two trials, the last time receiving a life sentence. It said that arrangements had been made for taking an appeal.

Newspapers.com

Mountain Advocate

1905-10-20.

Katie Craig

Image.

London, Laurel County.