James Mcelroy, 1887 July 1

warrant was immediately issued for McElroy's arrest and three weeks
later he was taken into eustody in Union County and returned to Hen-
derson, The dead man's friends formed a large mob and marched on

the jail, The sheriff had heard of the imeending mbb and, accompanie
by two deputies, fled to Hopkinsville with the prisoner, being pur-
sued by the mob which fired on them several times, seriously injuring
McElroy, Returned to Henderson for trial, he was convicted and sen-
tenced to die on circumstantial evidence and the date of execution was
set for May 13. On that day, a, large crowd had gathered to witness
the execution and they became infuriated when a last minute respite
was received from Governor J, Proctor Knoff and they hanged both the
Governor and Ignatius Spaulding, State Representative from Union Co,
who had secured the respite in effigh} ‘gain McElroy was taken out

of. the county, first to Hopkinsville and then to Louisville, to pre-
vent a lynching, On July 1, 1887, he was returned to Henderson and

at 12:30 PM he was hanged before a tremendous crowd of persons, He
made a brief speech from the gallows protesting his innocence of the
murder and several black women in the crowd became hysterical while
he was speaking, In an effort to draw off a portion of the crowd wiicl

threatned to become unruly, a fire alarm was: sounded bytnone left.

LOUISVILLE COURIER JOURNAL, L_uisville, Ky,, July 2, 1887

warrant was immediately issued for McEiroy's arrest and three weeks
later he was taken into custody in Union County and returned to Hen-
derson, The dead man's friends formed a large mob and marched on
the jail. The sheriff had heard of the imsending mbb and, accompanied
by two deputies, fled to Hopkinsville with the prisoner, being pur-
sued by the mob which fired on them several times, seriously injuring
McElroy, Returned to Henderson for trial, he was convicted and sen-
tenced to die on circumstantial evidence and the date of execution was
set for May 13, On that day, a large crowd had gathered to witness
the execution and they became infuriated when a last minute respite
was received from Governor J, Proctor Knof£ and they hanged both the
Governor and Ignatius Spaulding, State Representative from Union Co,
who had secured the respite in effigpt ‘gain McElroy was taken out
of the county, first to Hopkinsville and then to Louisville, to pre=
venta lynching, On July 1,:1887, he was returned to Henderson and
at 12:30 PM he was hanged before a tremendous crowd of persons, He
made a brief speech from the gallows protesting his innocence of the
murder and several black women in the crowd became hysterical while :
he was speaking, In an effort to draw off a portion of the crowd wiic’

threatned to become unruly, a fire alarm was: sounded bytnone left.

LOUISVILLE COURIER JOURNAL, L uisville, Ky., July 2, 1887

warrant was immediately issued for McElroy's errest and three weeks
later he was taken into custody in Union County and returned to Hen=
derson, The dead man's friends formed a large mob and marched on
the jail, The sheriff had heard of the ending mbb and, accompanies
by two deputies, fled to Hopkinsville with the prisoner, bein,

sued by the mob which fired on them several times, seriously injuring
McFlroy, Returned to Henderson for trial, he was convicted and sen=
tenced to die on circumstantial evidence and the date of execution was}
set for May 13,

On that day, a large crowd had gathered to witness
the execution and they became infuriated when a last minute respite
was received from Governor J,

Proctor Knoff and they hanged both the
Governor and Ignatius uae » State Rppresentative from Union Co,
who had wecured the respite in effigy} tg&in McElroy was taken out
of the county, first to Hopkinsville and then to Louisville, to pre-
venta lyaching, On July 1,°1887, he was returned to Henderson and
0 PM he was hanged before a tremendous crowd of persons. He
brief speech from the gallows protesting his innocence of the
and several. black wonen in the crowd becane hysterical while
5 speeking, In an effort to draw off a port the crowd vhicl
threatned to become unruly, a fire alarm was aimed nor left.
LOUISVILLE

COURIER JOURNAL, L uisville, Ky., July 2, 1887

TH JURA, 4entey yoy dady 2% 2887

'McELROY, Uames

McElroy, a 2l-year-old milatto, was a native of Union County, Kentucky
A farm laborer, he had been involved in several shooting and cutting
scrapes and was generally considered a dangerous man, On the after-
noon of Sept. 29, 1886, he was in Henderson when he noticed Walter
Mart, a 20-year-old white farmer, arrive with a load of watermelons
which he sold for around #25, Mart then entered a saloon and McElroy
followed, asking him about employment. Mart instructed him to meet
him an hour later in another saloon, telling him that he would take
him to his farm and give him work, At the appointed time, McELroy

met Mart, who brought him a drink and then they degprted in Mart's
wagon for the Mart farm X4R#AXEX located five miles above Henderson,
About dusk, a traveler noticed Mart's team by the side of the road,
untended, with the horses manching grass, He investigated and found
Mart's, body, bludgeoned to deat h, lying in the bed of the wagon, The
body was taken to Mart's home where a coroner's inquest was held and a
woman neighbor told of standing in her doorway and seeing the wagon,
ragilly driven wy MeElroy, pass her house and said she noticed the
body of a man in the bed, She said that the eae entered a eee
wooded grove and that when it emerged on the other side, the horses

were traveling at a leisurely pace and the driver was missing. A

McELROY, Vames

McElroy, a 2l-year-old milatto, was a native of Union County, Kentucky
A farm laborer, he had been involved in several shooting and cutting
scrapes and was generally considered a dangerous man. On the after-
noon of Sept. 29, 1886, he was in Henderson when he noticed Walter
Mart, a 20-year-old white farmer, arrive with a load of watermelons
which he sold for around #25, Mart then entered a saloon and McElroy
followed, asking him about employment. Mart instructed him to meet
him an hour later in another saloon, telling him that he would take
him to his farm and give him work, At the appointed time, McElroy
met Mart, who brought hima drink and then they deferted in Mart's
wagon for the Mart farm X8¥AXEX located five miles above Henderson,
About dusk, a traveler noticed Mart's team by the side of the road,
untended, with the horses munching grass, He investigated and found
Mart's, body, bludgeoned to deat h, lying in the bed of the wagon, The
body was taken to Mart's home where a coroner's inquest was held and a
woman neighbor told of standing in her doorway and seeing the wagon,
ragilly driven wy MeElroy, pass her house and said she noticed the

body of a man in the bed, She said that the wagon éntered a small
ane grove and that when it wmerged on the other side, the horses

were traveling at a leisurely pace and the driver was missing. A

| McELROY, Wames

McElroy, a 21-year-old milatto, was a native of Uiion County, Kentucky
A farm laborer, he had been involved in several shooting and cutting

serapes and was generally considered a dangerous man, On the after-

noon of Sept. 29, 1886, he was in Henderson when he noticed ‘alter
Mart, a 20-year-old white farmer, arrive with a load of watermelons
which he sold for around #25, Mart then entered a saloon and NcHlroy
followed, asking him about employments i

him an hour later in another saloon, telling him that he would take
him to his farm and give him work, At the appointed time, McElroy

met Mart, who brought hima drink and then they degprted in Mart!s
wagon for the Mart farm T8¥#AXEX located five miles above Henderson,
about dusk, a traveler noticed Mart's team by the side of the road,
untended, with th He investigated and found

ny
ra

body of a man in the bed, 8

wooded grove and that when it wmeri

were traveling at a leisurely pace and the driver was missing. A