ANOTHER LYNCHING IN UNION

May 1895 
Hopkinsville Kentuckian 

THE STURGIS LEDGER give this account of an affair near Caseville that led 
to a lynching: 

About two miles from Caseyville Thursday morning, CLAUDE TOMPKINS alias 
KENNEDY, a negro boy from 15 to 18 years old attempted to rape MILDRED 
GRAY, a little white girl about 11 years old. 

MILDRED GRAY, in company with MARCELLA OAKLEY, a friend about her own age, 
left home for MR. JOHN WHITEHEADS, at Dekoven, a half mile away.  they had 
not proceeded far when they met the negro Tompkins.  They became frightened 
and started to turn back but the negro told them to go as he would not 
bother them.  They then passed him and had only taken but a few steps when 
the negro ran up behind them and caught the little Gray girl by the 
shoulders and drew her to one side of the road.  Throwing her down on the 
ground he tried to accomplish his diabolical purpose and would have 
succeeded had not assistance came in the person of MR. SAM BLANCHARD who 
was at tracted by the screams of both girls, having met Miss Oakley a short 
distance from the scene of the crime.  When he was nearly to them he 
had --oed and the negro got up and ran.  Mr. Blanchard started after him 
but the negro escaped.  A posse pursued him and a few hours later he was 
captured and put in the calaboose at Caseyville.  About 10:30 o'clock that 
night he was taken out by a mob of 50 to 50 men and taken to the scene of 
his crime and hanged to a tree.  The body was cut down the next day. 
Tompkins begged piteously for his life while the mob was taking him away. 

Submitted by: Betty Sellers 

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