A TERRIBLE EXPIATION

Illustration in Indianapolis Freeman, November 2, 1895.

Cortland Evening Standard, Thursday, October 17, 1895.

A TERRIBLE EXPIATION.

Tortured, Mutilated, Lynched and Beheaded.

PENALTY METED OUT TO A NEGRO.

Jeff Ellis, Confessed Ravisher and Murderer, Punished by a Mob at the Scene of His Numerous Crimes in Tennessee.

   MEMPHIS, Oct. 17.—At Clifton Summit Crossroads, in full view of passengers on the Louisville and Nashville railroad, pendant from the crossarm of a telegraph pole, swaying gently to and fro with each passing breeze, hangs the battered and mutilated corpse of Jeff Ellis, colored. Suspended by the feet, the head missing, the clothing nearly torn from the body, portions of which are horribly mutilated, the fingers of both hands severed, leaving the bloodstained stumps groping wildly as the body swings round and round, it remains a ghastly monument to the savagery of an infuriated mob and a terrible warning to the evildoer, while upon the tattered and bloodsoaked garments is pinned a placard bearing these ominous words:

   "Death to the man who cuts him down before 6:30 this evening."

   The mob, with their prisoner, reached the home of his victim, Miss Prater, soon after midnight. The young woman identified him as her assailant. As soon as this was done an armed squad of men took Ellis from Constable Farrow and started with him for the scene of his crime.

   A fire had been built at the place and around it the mob gathered in a circle. The handcuffed negro was on his knees before the fire. The leaders of the mob told Ellis to pray, but he only looked at them in a stupid manner. Being told that he was about to die, he raised his voice in a negro hymn. By the time he finished the mob was looking ugly. The fiercer element were in control. Cries of "Burn him!'' were heard on all sides. Even this fearful fate would have been mercy to the negro, as subsequent events proved. Amid the shouts of the mob a man jumped to the negro's side with a drawn knife in his hand.

   "Cut off his ears!" they cried.

   "Give me a finger!" shouted one man.

   "I want a thumb!" cried another.

   The better element in the crowd drew off at this time and said they were not in favor of doing anything but hanging the negro.

   The protests were not noticed. Being urged on by the fiercest in the crowd, the man with the knife cut off the negro's right ear and held up the bleeding trophy in full view of the crowd.

   The negro screamed, but his other ear was cut off a few moments later.

   The mob became wild at the sight of this work, and those who were mutilating the negro found ample encouragement. They next cut off all of his fingers and, tearing away part of his clothing, they mutilated him in a horrible manner.

   The negro was covered with blood, and his head looked as if it had been scalped. The mob was not even then willing to end their victim's agony. They made him stand up so that all the crowd could see him.

   Finally, fully 35 minutes after the torture of the negro began, the rope was put around his neck. The telegraph pole was 75 feet away. The rope was a very long one. The free end was taken by a man who climbed the telegraph pole and threw it over the crossarm. The crowd jerked the negro to the foot of the pole, and while the mob shouted, the bleeding and mutilated form of the negro was swung to the crossarm.

   The negro was lowered to the ground and his head was cut from his body with pocket knives. The noose was then put over the feet and the headless body was again swung up. It is intended to send the head to the family of the little girl the negro attempted to assault last Saturday in Mississippi.

   The mob dispersed after doing its work.

   Jeff Ellis, on the afternoon of Oct. 5, criminally assaulted Miss Bettie Prater in the presence of the latter's two little sisters. He escaped from a mob which had gathered to lynch him that night, but was captured Monday near Mount Pleasant, Miss. He confessed to the assault upon Miss Prater, to the outrage and murder of a Mrs. Wilcox of the same neighborhood two years ago and to an attempted assault upon a little girl In Mississippi while he was trying to escape from the mob.

Negro Shot by a Mob.

   NASHVILLE, Oct. 17.—Eugene Vanney, a negro living near Manchester in Coffee county, was called out from his cabin by a crowd of white men and shot to death. He was charged with keeping a young white girl named Daisy Copeland at his house. The girl is an orphan and half-witted.

A VISIT TO THE SLUMS.

Social Purity Women In The Haunts of Vice.

PROCEEDINGS OF THE CONGRESS.

Interesting Papers Read and Addresses Made—Answers to Problems of the Day Regarding the Social Evil. Gatherings Here and There.

   BALTIMORE, Oct. 17.—Mrs. Charlton Edholme of Chicago, a missionary in the Florence Crittendon missions for the rescue of fallen women, headed a party of fifteen ladies and gentlemen to visit the houses on Josephine street after the purity meeting was over. A policeman and a number of newspaper men accompanied the party. From the purity meeting the party went to the city hall and from there to the Western police station.

   It was near midnight when Josephine street was reached. The "slumming' party" then divided itself into two sections, one for each side of the thoroughfare, and entered each house as they went along. The policemen in most cases led the way into the parlors, which the members of the expedition took possession of, singing and praying with such of the inmates as did not seek refuge in flight to other rooms.

   In many instances they were laughed at, and in one case a girl said:

   "I know you mean well in coming here, but I don't know how much good it will do. Instead of coming here you had better go around to some of these factories and shops that grind a poor girl down to $2 a week and get them to pay better wages. It's no use, a girl can't live on what she gets. You had better put in your efforts there."

   In another place Mrs. Edholme urged one of the inmates to leave the place.

   "I would like to," she said, "but I cannot. I have two children that I have to support and pay for their schooling. One is 11 years old and the other 13. They are not in this city. My children are the purest, sweetest things on earth. I would not have them know about me for the world. I want to leave this life, but I can't. You don't know how it is."

   The last thing done before the close of the session of the congress was the reading and answering of a number of questions sent to the congress by the Chicago civic federation. The questions were read by the president and the answers were made by prominent workers. One of the questions was as to whether it was wise to limit immorality to certain districts. President Powell said "no."

   Another question was to whether it was practicable to stamp out the social evil altogether. One of the answers was: "It is practicable to do anything that is everlastingly right."

   Mrs. Webb of Ohio said it was practicable. She said it had been done in a city in Ohio. The men were sent to jail and the women sent home.

   "Some Causes of Present Day Immorality and Suggestions as to Practical Remedies," was the subject of a paper written by B. O. Flower, editor of The Arena of Boston, and read by Mrs. Pauline W. Holme, one of the vice presidents.

   Rev. C. W. Walsh of Brighton, Ont., who was introduced as "the only foreign delegate to the congress," spoke of "Purity Work in Canada." He said in part: "We have no struggle over uncertain divorce laws, for we have neither a divorce court nor a divorce law, except in one of the smaller provinces. To procure a divorce with us requires a special act of the Dominion parliament. The result is that for the past 10 years there have been but 48 applications for divorce, 40 of which have been granted."

PAGE TWO—EDITORIALS.

Don't Fail to Register.

   Friday and Saturday of this week are now the last and only days when voters in this village can register, and this registration must be done in person. Saturday is the last and only day when voters in other parts of the county can register, either personally or by having their names put on the registry list by some other person. Hundreds of voters in the state will lose their votes this fall simply because they have been too careless or too busy with other matters to attend to this all important duty. Every one who has not already registered should make sure that he does not neglect to do so this week. It is the last opportunity, Every Republican, especially, owes it to the commonwealth, as well as to his party and himself, to see to it that the control of both the state offices and the legislature is continued in Republican hands, that the good work of reform, purification and economy may not be checked. Don't forget the obligation! Don't neglect the duty! Remember that the registry places in each election district are open from 9 o'clock in the forenoon till 9 in the evening, with only two intermissions allowed of one hour each.

Voting Schools.

   The great number of foreign and ignorant voters in this country and at the same time the adoption of the so-called Australian ballot in many of the states have necessitated in the large cities actual schools of instruction on how to vote, not so much on what the voting is about as on the actual business of folding the ballot and putting it properly in the box.

   Each of the great political parties has its own schools of instruction. They meet in the evenings and, unfortunately for the credit of this country, in a beer saloon or barroom generally. The heelers and ward politicians gather the men, set up a blackboard before them and to the clinking of beer glasses and in the growing haze of rank tobacco smoke, drill their new recruits in the science and art of voting.

   Of course each party instructs its men as to the persons to be voted for. That is their strong point. They take little pains to explain measures and principles, even of their own side. The main point is to make the voter recognize the ticket and device of the party he is wanted to vote for and to see that he folds the ballot properly and deposits it legally, so that it will not be thrown out.

   Indeed fine points of doctrine and principle would probably be thrown away entirely on the majority of the pupils. Some of them seem as ignorant as horses. At one of the saloon schools a teacher was instructing a crowd of foreign laborers in their own language. The law required that the ballot should be deposited with the right hand. The instructor went through the whole performance even to putting the ticket in a sham ballot box. He dwelt on the necessity of grasping the paper in the right hand. At the conclusion, to be sure that they understood, he said, "Now, all of you hold up your right hands." Half of them raised their left hands.

   This kind of proceedings is a disgrace to the country. The way to make intelligent voters is to catch them young. Methods of balloting and the leading differences between the great political parties should be taught in the public schools. Every teacher with boys 12 years old ought to learn how voting is done, and then instruct her pupils just about the time elections are on. The boys would enjoy it. There could be sham ballots and ballot boxes, and the whole principle of the Australian ballot and the method of depositing it explained in such a way that the youths would never forget it. At the same time lessons in municipal, state and national governments should be added. Time could easily be made for it.

A FEW FACTS AND FIGURES WORTH CONSIDERING.

To the Editor of the Standard:

   SIR—I understand that in addition to all the efforts heretofore made to induce our village board of trustees to grant a franchise to the Cortland & Homer Traction Co. to lay their tracks and operate their road through Elm-st. from Church to Pendleton, there is being circulated among the business men of Cortland petitions asking the village board to grant the further franchise asked for, and this in view of the plain statement made at this late day by Mr. Dunston, that the company has the right and intends to exercise it, of hauling both freight cars and coal cars over the road as now laid through the residence as well as principal business streets of our town, if they shall choose to do so.

   Believing that many persons will be induced to sign this petition without due forethought on consideration of its effect upon the interests of this town as well as corporation, I beg leave, as one of the railroad commissioners of the town of Cortlandville, to lay a few facts and figures before our people, that those not fully informed may act intelligently in this matter, and not, by petitioning for said franchise, or other franchises in the future, do themselves and fellow townsmen, as tax payers, a great injustice.

   In the year 1870 the enterprising town of Cortlandville bonded itself in the sum of $250,000 to aid in the construction of two railroads, the Ithaca & Cortland for $100,000 and the Utica, Chenango & Cortland (now known as the Erie & Central New York railway) for $150,000. The former road was completed, and while the stock which the town obtained for its bonds was worthless, we as a community have reaped large benefits from that investment. Manufacturing was stimulated, factories were multiplied and Cortland rapidly doubled her population.

   Leaving the Ithaca & Cortland railroad bonded debt out of the question, let us look for a moment at the other road. The bonds were issued and passed out of our hands, the roadbed was prepared, the bridges built and the ties distributed, when the company failed. The ties were then levied upon and sold under execution, the law allowing towns to extend further help to railroads was repealed, and the enterprise went down. The charter of the company has been renewed and extended from time to time, the directors and other officers have duly elected from year to year and the company has been kept alive. Repeated efforts have been made to build the road, capitalists have looked it over and have been solicited to put their money into it, and time and again have the officers of this company been over the line with strangers and pointed out its advantages and endeavored to show the large amount of business that must come to this road if once put into active operation through the magnificent agricultural and dairy districts which lie east of us and along its line. While the company owns its right of way almost entirely, and has unconditional conveyances and titles to the same, there are one or two instances where the right of way is for railroad purposes only and contingent upon the roads being built and put in operation within a short period of time, which limit has nearly been reached.

   While the bonded indebtedness for this road was for only $150,000, we as taxpayers of this town paid, up to 1883, in the item of interest alone on these bonds $136,500 without reducing our principal debt to any extent worth mentioning.

   Up to 1893 we had paid in additional interest $75,000. We are now reducing our principal and have funded our bonds at lower interest, but still owe on the bonds of this road over $100,000. Is it any wonder that taxes are high?

   Some two or three years ago Mr. N. A. Bundy, president of the Otselic Construction company, came into our town and looked the project over, became interested in our beautiful city and in this road, in which this town had put such a mint of money, and, in his quiet, unostentatious way, began the preliminary work (aided in every manner possible by the officers and directors of the old company) of building the road. Among the many flattering prospects along its line he saw first, lying almost at our door, the thriving manufacturing town of McGrawville, with promise of still larger things; he saw our roadbed, stationgrounds, freightyards, etc., in the center of town and convenient to the factories, and naturally anticipated a large amount of local business to come to him from McGrawville. He pushed the work as rapidly as possible, removing first one obstruction and then another, until he saw the way clear to build the road with the aid and hearty co-operation of the people of Cortland and along the line which had been promised him from the beginning.

   He now finds, as he is engaged in laying his iron and building his bridges, an active, aggressive competitor in the Cortland & Homer Traction Co., which having obtained a franchise from the village of Cortland to use our streets for a surface railroad, extends its line to McGrawville along the public highways of the town, and, having laid "T" rails over its whole line, now notifies the people that it has the right to haul freight and coal, and that it ran its line to McGrawville for this purpose, and proposes to secure, if possible, the freight business of that town from the steam railroad now being built and in which this town is so deeply interested.

   I am informed that in Ithaca & Cortland only of all cities of this state, is it permitted to lay such rails in the streets. Finding its curves too short to haul freight and coal cars over conveniently, the Traction company now asks for a further franchise on Elm-st. to enable it to connect with the D., L & W. R. R. and haul coal and freight through that street.

   If our citizens think this is what we want to do, to aid a competing company to ruin our own steam road, and, if possible delay and hinder its completion, then it is proper to grant this franchise.

   To me it seems that we as citizens have been misled into granting a franchise to a company which permits it under any circumstances to haul freight or coal through our streets or public highways."

   A steam railroad company is compelled to buy and pay for its right of way, build fences along its whole line, cut the thistles growing along its roadway, and perform many acts which are not required of a surface street railroad for passenger traffic. Had it been frankly stated in the public meetings held to consider this question, that the electric company proposed to haul freight or coal cars over its road and through our streets, I, for one, do not believe the company could ever have obtained such a franchise.

   One business man who had signed a petition to grant a franchise through Elm-st. to this company said "We might as well let the tail go with the hide."

   I, for one, do not think this is the way to look at it. The interests of Cortlandville, Solon, Freetown, Cincinnatus and Taylor are centered in the Erie & Central New York railway, and we as citizens and taxpayers, it seems to me, ought to stand by and encourage in every way its completion, instead of granting free franchises to a rival company to lay tracks and haul freight and coal through our streets as a direct competitor of our steam road.

   It is something more than a good-natured rivalry between two railroad companies. It is a question whether we will give away to a competitor, business, which by all right and justice, should go to the road in which we have invested upwards of $400,000 of the money of this town.

   Very truly yours,

   H. M. KELLOGG,

   Railroad Commissioner.

BREVITIES.

REGISTER TO-MORROW.

   —The C. L. S. C. will meet with Mrs. H. H. Robbins, corner of Park and Duane-sts., on Monday evening, Oct. 21.

   —The regular meeting of the King's Daughters will be held at Mrs. A. M. Johnson's, 54 N. Main-st, Friday, Oct. 18, at 2:30 P. M.

   —The case of the Village of Cortland against Anna Bates, charged with violation of the excise law, has again been adjourned to Oct. 21.

   —Workmen to-day raised the street car tracks in front of the Messenger House. They had sunk a few inches since the putting in of the sewer.

   —The members of Beulah Rebekah lodge. No. 115, go to Cortland on Friday afternoon to pay a visit to Brightlight Rebekah lodge of that place.—Binghamton Republican.

   —The Ladies' Aid society of the Cortland Baptist church has pledged itself to give $5 each year for five years to the Cortland Hospital. This makes thirty-one of the necessary fifty. Only nineteen remain. Who will be the next?

   —To-morrow, (Friday) will be observed as "Hospital day" in our public schools. The pupils are requested to bring gifts for the hospital. Money is preferred, but tea, coffee, sugar, starch, soap, cereals and potatoes will be very welcome.

   —Supervisor M. Q. Frisbie of Scott, Jefferson Greene of Willet, and W. G. Cardner of Cuyler, representing the board of supervisors and members of the local visiting committee of the state board of charities visited and inspected the county almshouse yesterday.

   —Messrs. C. F. Waldo and H. J. Drake who have been rooming at 59 Railroad-at. have removed to 48 Church-st. Tuesday night they invited in a few of their gentlemen friends for a farewell party. Cards and dancing were the order of the evening and delicate refreshments were served.

   — E. A. Powell, who was nominated for mayor of Syracuse on the Citizens' ticket left vacant by the refusal to run of ex-Congressman James J. Belden, has also declined. The Citizens' party yesterday afternoon nominated Charles G. Baldwin for mayor, and selected as their emblem a safe guarded by bull dog,

   —R. Burns Linderman was to-day arrested and brought before Justice Bull charged with the violation of a village ordinance in selling liquor without a license. The case was set down for trial on Thursday morning, Oct. 31, at 10 o'clock. Mr. Linderman gave bail in the sum of $200 for his appearance, A. J. McSweeney signing his bond.

   —Leslie H. Tucker of Cortland claims the Syracuse Post's diamond trophy by 199 points to Frank W. Knowland's 179. Both parties enter protests each against the other and the result is not yet certain. The diamond is valued at $150 and is offered for the championship of Syracuse. Tucker rides under the colors of the Century Cycling club.

   — Mrs. D. P. Griswold of South Cortland has a patch of cultivated red raspberries from which since Aug. 20 she has been picking a second crop of berries, picking a quart or more at a time.  On last Friday, Oct. 11, she picked enough for a pie, and there are green ones still on the bushes. They were large and fine flavored. Isn't South Cortland "up-to-date" with other localities?

   — While the price of potatoes is unpleasantly low, it is a fair question if the crop is not sufficiently prolific to overbalance the difference in the price. We hear that from an acre and a third on the farm at Hunt Corners managed by Lee Pulling, there were harvested this year 560 bushels of potatoes, which at 18 cents a bushel would be worth $100. Last year the yield was 150 bushels at 45 cents, being not quite $70.—Marathon Independent.

   —The new cement walk on Main and Court-sts. adjoining the premises of the National bank has just been completed by Beers & Warfield and presents a very fine appearance. The effect is much finer than stone. Many people have watched some of the former work of a similar character with interest to see if it would crack in the winter, but not the slightest prospect of it has appeared, and this seems to be the coming walk. This walk on the bank property is a great improvement over the old one.

   —It is proposed to form a company of the National Guard at Cornell, university providing the necessary men should join and assent to have it placed directly under the care of the governor, which would prevent its being ordered out during the school year. Applicants will have to fill all the requirements necessary to join the guard of the state and those under 21 years of age will have to obtain the consent of their parents. They will drill three times a week during the fall and spring terms and twice during the winter. The members will have to go to the State Encampment at Peekskill but will have their expenses paid and $1.25 per day. It is hoped Cornell can turn out the best company in the state.—Ithaca News.

SEWER CONNECTIONS.

Every One on Main-st. Urged to Connect at Once.

   The president and trustees of the village are exceedingly anxious that every one [sic] on Main-st. who desires to connect with the sewer at all should do so immediately. The sewers are now completed and can be used at once. Mr. Peter Scott, who has been in charge of the construction of the system, is still in town with a force of men and is making connections for everybody who desires it. He understands the matter perfectly and the work will be well done. He will remain here only so long as there is work to employ him. It is specially desirable that the connections on Main-st. should be made this fall. It is probable that steps will be taken before long for new paving next season.

   When new pavement is put down the trustees will very properly refuse to permit it to be torn up at the whim of any one [sic] who at that time may desire to make connections. Nor will it be expedient to have the ground torn up just before the streets are paved, as it must be fully settled before paving if the results are to be permanent and satisfactory.

   The trustees are all of one mind in the matter and will at an early date perhaps at the next meeting, pass a resolution that no connections with the sewer on Main-st. between the Cortland and Messenger Houses can be made after this fall. That resolution will be in force and binding until rescinded by another board, and so it is hardly probable that this will be done, as the idea seems so eminently wise and in every way desirable as to commend itself to any board of trustees which may succeed the present board, especially if steps toward paving are taken. Better connect at once.