December 24, 1890: Kinch Freeman

The Wilmington Morning Star (Wilmington, N. C.) dated December 25, 1890:

A MURDERER LYNCHED.

Kinch Freeman Hanged by Masked Men at Winton, N. C. 

By Telegraph to the Morning Star.

NORFOLK, Va., December 24.—A special to the Landmark from Aulander, N. C., bring intelligence of the lynching at Winton, in the same State, of the notorious negro named Kinch Freeman, who, on October 4th, brutally murdered Ned Atkins and his aged mother, in Bertie county, by beating their brains out with a two-pound weight, and then setting fire to their residence. He was recognized at the time by the housekeeper, who by hiding escaped his murderous blows. Freeman was arrested in Norfolk and taken back to North Carolina for trial. Last night about one hundred and thirty masked men surrounded the jail at Winton, and three of them with a fourth man, tied as if a criminal, went to the jail and said they had a prisoner to lock up. The jailer opened the door and was at once overpowered. freeman had shackles on his feet and hands, and as an additional precaution against escape was chained to the floor. The lynchers did not take time to loose him, and strung him up to the rafters of his cell, where he was found this morning when the sheriff went to the jail. The jailer was bound and gagged, and could give no alarm.

Freeman was an old penitentiary bird and his crimes were many, though his last was a most atrocious one.

Interestingly enough, Mike Jones, who was also charged with the murders, was found not guilty by a jury after 2 hours of deliberations.  Some articles place the lynching at Winton and others at Winston. Thank you for joining me and as always, I hope I leave you with something to ponder.