No Title

The three negroes who were arrested and committed to our jail some time ago, charged with burning the dwelling house of Mr. Amos A. Ball, near Memphis, in this county, were taken out of jail last Thursday night about 2 o’clock, by a mob of masked men and hung. They had confessed the crime, and the evidence outside their confession was convincing beyond a doubt. Crimes of this character had been frequently committed in that section, and this unfortunate affair sprang out of the conviction among the people that their homes were not safe, and that an example must be made. The sheriff was seized by the mob and forced to deliver the keys. The act receives the severest condemnation of our citizens. We have grand juries and petit juries and judges fully competent to deal with such crimes, and the law is always faithfully and firmly executed in Pickens county, so that there was no excuse for such lawless proceeding. Let the law deal with such cases. The prisoners were in jail and would have been tried and condemned.

No Title, The West Alabamian, pg. 2, 1886, October