Obituary - A. B. and T. L. Norris

The Ouachita Telegraph
Friday, June 19, 1874
Page 2, Column 4

LYNCHING IN FRANKLIN.

Two Young Men Hung by Maskers.

In the early part of May, a most horrible murder was committed on the Bayou Macon, on the person of a man named Arbuckle who was in the Bayou with a trading boat. Two young men, A. B. and T. L. Norris, and a young man named Henry Lewis, fell under suspicion as the perpetrators of the crime of murdering Arbucble (sic), to which was added the crime of robbing the dead man of $1500. The two Norisses were arrested, Lewis escaping.

A preliminary examination before Judge Buie of Franklin resulted in sending the accused before the District Court. The testimony was strong against both the accused, Tom Norris being identified by Mrs. Arbuckle and her brother, both of whom were on the boat. The accused offered no witnesses, behaving on the trial, according to the Franklin Sun, with indifference and even levity. A strong guard was put around the jail to insure the safe-keeping of the prisoners. What followed is this narrated by the Sun, of the 13th, which narrative we preface with the remark that the two young men were of a respectable family and had been reared with tenderness and fatherly care:

On Saturday night just before twelve o'clock, between sixty and seventy five armed men appeared all at once around the jail, and demanded of the guard to surrender. Of course they had no alternative left but to do so. The party then demanded the keys of the jail, obtaining which they immediately entered it. They accosted the Norris's, as they are said to have accosted their victim Arbuckle, demanding their money! Then they proceeded to take off their chains. Those of A. B. Norris were first loosed, and he was led out, and on reaching the ground attempted to run, but was soon secured, and a rope being tied around his neck, was hung to a thorn tree.

In the mean time parties were busy with Thos. L. Norris in the jail, who made a desperate resistance while the process of unchaining him was going on which was attended with considerable difficulty. He said among other things that he would give all the particulars if they would not hang him. When he was taken out, no attempt was made to hang him on the same limb with his brother, who was already apparently dead, when it broke and they both fell to the ground. The two were then run up on another branch and placed back to back, in which position they were left. The following placard, in well formed Capital letters, was stuck in some thorns right beside them:

"THE MURDERER'S AND ROBBER'S REWARD! HONESTY IS THE BEST POLICY.
YOUNG MEN, BEWARE AND TAKE WARNING FROM THEIR EXAMPLE."

With the exception of some cries made by the unfortunate men, every thing was carried on very quietly, and their work being accomplished, the parties dispersed as suddenly as they appeared.

The bodies hung in the position they were placed, until about 11 o'clock on Sunday morning, when Coroner McVey arrived and held an inquest over them, when they were delivered to their relatives, dressed, decently coffined and taken down to the family grave yard for interment.

---

Contributed 2021 Sep 27 by Lora Peppers loradpeppers@hotmail.com

---