Pioneer history of Ingham County, compiled and arranged by Mrs. Franc L. Adams, secretary of the Ingham County pioneer and historical society.

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PIONI'EER HISTORY OF INGIIAM COUNTY

time assured the committee that there was no danger, as he had
an efficient force of deputies, well armed, sufficient to protect the
jail. On this assurance the citizens went to their beds satisfied.
"At about eleven o'clock that night several wagon loads of men
drove into town. The men alighted and marched in a procession
to the jail. There were nearly 100 men, and some of them carried
guns. A man named Norton, from Lansing, was their captain
and leader. The mob was met at the jail steps by the sheriff and
two deputies, who inquired their business. The mob then demanded the negro, Taylor. The sheriff replied that they could
not have him, that he was safely locked in the second cell, and he
had the keys in his pocket. With drawn revolvers the officers
ordered the men to leave. As if by a previous understanding
that the men were harmless, the mob boldly approached the
sheriff, throwing him down and taking the cell keys from his
pocket.
"With a sledge they then broke down the outer door, unlocked
the cell, rushed in and seized the negro and dragged him out. A
rope was placed around his neck and he was dragged to a beech
tree near the railroad freight house, and the rope thrown over a
limb. A man named Cook, from Eaton Rapids, then told the
victim to pray, for he had but a few minutes to live. The frightened negro did pray, and prayed so fervently that Capt. Norton
became so affected that he refused to have anything further to do
with the proceedings. Cook then assumed command and made a
blasphemous prayer, calling upon God to "damn the nigger's
damned soul and send it down to the hottest corner of hell, etc.'
He then gave the command and the terrified creature was drawn
up, when the inhuman Cook and two or three others fired shots
into the struggling body. After carousing around for a half hour
under the tree the lifeless body was taken down and dragged down
the Lansing road for three and one-half miles, until near the
James Harper farm, where they dug a shallow pit and after cutting
off the head and otherwise mutilating the body they threw the
remains in and partly covered it with earth. The mob then
separated, a young doctor from Lansing taking the head as a
trophy of the night's work.
"And thus ended the scene for which Mason got the blame, notwithstanding but two or three Mason men were connected with