Pages

Friday, August 23, 2019

Walter Tyler Lynched For Assault of Mrs. W.L. Medlin, August, 1919

From The Franklin Times, Louisburg, N.C., Aug. 23, 1919

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.

No comments:

Post a Comment