Walter Tyler Is
Lynched On Public Highway Near Louisburg For Criminally Assaulting Mrs. W.L. Medlin.
.. . Broke In Home While Husband Was Away at Tobacco Barn. . . Admits Guilt. .
. Officers Held UP By Crowd and Forced to Give Up Prisoner
For criminally assaulting Mrs. W.L. Medlin at her home near
New Hope Church on Tuesday night, Walter Tyler was lynched three miles west of
Louisburg near Mr. Phi Thomlinson’s after having admitted his built on
Wednesday night about 9 o’clock.
From the information received in Louisburg
Wednesday and Thursday it seems that Mrs. Medlin had just returned from the
hospital, where she had undergone an operation, and that her husband was at the
tobacco barn about 200 or 300 yards from the house. Tyler evidently knowing
these facts went to the home about midnight and effected an entrance without
causing any alarm and when Mrs. Medlin knew anything he was at the bed and
threatened her life unless she kept quiet and gave way to his desires,
whereupon he accomplished his purpose,. As soon as she could do so, Mrs. Medlin
gave the alarm and a search began for the negro who had made his escape. The
rough treatment which the brute gave and the shock of the fright, caused Mrs.
Medlin to be in a serious physical condition Wednesday and was placed under the
care of the physician.
Blood hounds and officers tool up the search early Wednesday
with the assistance of many of the neighbors and friends who were badly wrought
up over the matter, the feeling in the community having worked up to a very
high pitch and several arrests were made, but there was sufficient coolness to
investigate every clue and it was found that none answered the description
until Tyler was found in a tobacco field by some citizens who immediately took
him in charge and carried him to the point near the home and identified him by
foot prints. A warrant was secured and arrest made at Haywood’s Store by
Constable P.J. King, who, seeing that it was not safe to keep the prisoner
there for a preliminary hearing as the feeling against him was taking form,
deputized Messrs. Lee Baker, Robt. Wheless and Williams Wheless and started
with him to Louisburg, driving a Grant six at top speed. Constable King tells
us that he succeeded in remaining ahead of the crowd until he reached the
intersection of the Youngsville and Franklin roads at Mr. A.J. Frazier’s when a
car shot by him. Not recognizing this to be a car in which danger for the
prisoner existed, he continued on his way to Louisburg to place his prisoner in
jail. About half a mile from that point in a little bottom near the home of Mr.
Phi Thomlinson’s they came upon a car across the road and not being able to get
by they had to come to a stop when several men with hats pulled over their eyes
and faces either blacked or masked with drawn guns demanded the negro. At this
time about 50 men well armed seemed to have come up and there was no
alternative. The officer was placed under guard as was the other deputies and the
negro taken to one side and questioned, when he admitted his crime. He was then
taken across the railroad, where he was swung up to a pine sapling and riddled
with bullets. Later on during the night the body was taken down and carried to
New Hope Church, in sight of the scene of the crime, and swung up again.
After the crowd dispersed Constable King and his assistants
were turned loose and they came on to Louisburg, where he reported the
circumstances to the Coroner and the Sheriff. The Coroner notified the
Solicitor, who visited the scene of the crime yesterday afternoon for an
investigation.
Mrs. Medlin was the daughter of Mr. John Edwards and she and
her husband are among Harris township best and most highly respected citizens.
The negro was raised in Wake County and was more or less a
stranger to the neighborhood, was about 22 years old, and bears a pretty ugly
reputation.
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