Buckles, The Owensboro Messenger, November 18, 1902

 Was Hanged By Mob

Harlan Buckles Had Been Given Life Sentence in Prison– Jury’s Verdict Did Not Please Them– Was Hanged Sunday Morning– Jailer Patterson Was at Depot Loading Stock When Mob Made Raid On His Bastile

Elizabethtown, Ky., Nov. 17– Harlan Buckles, who was Saturday sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of Robert L. Reid, was hanged by a mob about 2 o’clock Sunday morning.

The mob consisted of from fifty to seventy-five men, some of whom are supposed to have come from Larue county. On account of their number they had little difficulty in getting Buckles from the jail.

He was taken to the court house yard and hanged to a tree, after which the mob dispersed.

A coroner’s jury met Sunday afternoon and returned a verdict that the negro was hanged by unknown parties.

Dan Patterson, the jailer, was at the depot loading stock when the mob arrived.

Attorney Hewett Nall, who represented Buckles at both his first and second trial, feels very bitter toward the people of Hardin county.

“Reid was killed in a free-for-all fight,” said he, “and it was not even proved that Buckles shot him. In fact, the evidence showed that Reid was shot from the side, while Buckles was in front of him. The bullets which killed Reid were from a 32-caliber pistol, while Buckles’ pistol was a 38-caliber. It was but a case of manslaughter at the most, but in my opinion Buckles was not proved guilty and should have been given a fair trial.”