March 6, 1882: Bob Sarver

The New York Times (New York, N. Y.) dated March 8, 1882:

HANGED BY A MOB

A NEGRO LYNCHED IN TENNESSEE FOR AN ATTEMPTED OUTRAGE.

NASHVILLE, Tenn., March 7.—Bob Sarver, who attempted to outrage the person of Miss Tennie Ruby, near Franklin, Ky., last Friday, was taken from his guards while they were endeavoring to take him to Bowling Green for safety Monday night by a mob of about 75 armed and mounted men. They carried the negro to the spot where the attempt was made to commit the crime, about 10 miles from Franklin, and hanged him to a small tree immediately on the side of the road. The Coroner was given notice to-day , at 1 o'clock, and, with a jury, went to the scene of the tragedy. The body was cut down, and the jury returned a verdict of death at the hands of an unknown mob. The negro was hanged with a small rope, and a hangman's knot was tied as if done by an expert. His feet almost touched the ground while suspended from the tree. He was about 18 years old, and had a fair reputation in the neighborhood. The young lady is an orphan, the child of very respectable parents, beautiful, and pure, with an untarnished name. She was attending the district school, being only 16 years old. She was greatly admired by the whole community and an especial favorite of the social circles in which she moved. Not a word of regret is heard by any one as to the tragical result of the attempted outrage, which was one of the boldest on record, being in sight of three houses and on one of the most public and frequented roads in the county.

It is easy to be mistaken as to who died in this article, they seemed to think it was Miss Ruby. It is confusing when past tense is continually used for someone still living.  Thank you for joining me and as always, I hope I leave you with something to ponder.