March 15, 1885: Thomas Jones and Eliza Taylor

Today we learn of a lynching of a brother and sister in Nebraska. We learn the details from the Alton Evening Telegraph (Alton, Illinois) dated March 17, 1885:

An Unjustifiable Outrage.

OMAHA, NEB., March 17.—About one o'clock Sunday morning fifty masked men went to the house of Thomas Jones, of Clay County, in this State, took out Jones and Mrs. Taylor and hanged them to the railroad bridge near by. Four other occupants of the house were securely bound and guarded till daylight, when they were ordered to leave the country. William and John Jones were also ordered to leave within thirty days.

The bodies of Jones and Mrs. Taylor were left swinging from the bridge until two o'clock Sunday afternoon, when they were cut down and an inquest was held.

The parties were suspected of numerous robberies committed in that vicinity, and also with being implicated in the murder of Edwin Roberts a month ago. Public sentiment is against the lynching.

A small mention of the lynching can be found in The Ottawa Daily Republic (Ottawa, Kansas) dated March 18, 1885:

Mrs. Eliza Taylor and her brother, Thomas Jones, were lynched at Fairfield, Neb., on account of a murder committed by Mrs. Taylor's two sons.

Thank you for joining me and as always, I hope I leave you with something to ponder.