CCLHP: "Killer Lynched"
Mattoon Daily Journal Gazette, September 1, 1955
First Coles County Clerk Murdered; Killer Lynched
Just six days after Mattoon was officially recorded as a city in the county records, Nathan Ellington, the first clerk of Coles County and then circuit clerk, was shot to death by his son-in-law.
His killer, Adolphus F. Monroe, was tried, sentenced to hand and was awaiting execution when a mob intervened and lynched him in Charleston.
In the following story, the material for which was collected by E.D. Hortenstine of Gays, cetain names are omitted to protect innocent persons. The material comes chiefly from newpapers in the files of the Illinois Historic Library.
Charleston, October 19, 1855 Mr. Nathan Ellington, clerk of the Coles County circuit court, was fatally shot by his son-in-law, Adolphus F. Monroe.
The first ball glanced from his skull; the second passing through is lungs. The difficulty was about Monroe’s wife.
After the first pistol was fired, Ellington knocked Monroe down and fell upon him, choking him; when the coward assassin drew another pistol and fired again. Ellington still retained his hold and would have strangled him if they had not been separated.
January 24, 1856, Monroe the murderer of Mr. Ellington at Charleston has been found guilty and sentenced to hang. There was great excitement during the trial but no outbreaks.
February 15, 1857, Governor Matteson, has granted Monroe, who was to be hanged today at Charleston, a reprieve of three months.]
February 18, 1856, (Summary of Newspaper reports) We stated last week that Governor Matteson had granted a respite to Monroe, convicted of the murder of Nathan Ellington at Charleston. In October last on Wednesday last, The Governor dispatched a messenger to Charleston with the necessary instructions to the sheriff of Coles County to grant the respite.
The messenger arrived at Charleston early Thursday morning and immediately delivered the respite to the sheriff, John R. Jeffries. The document was received by the sheriff and he immediately had 400 copies of it printed and circulated, which actions produced an intense excitement.
The sheriff however did not seem to apprehend any mob, and refused to provide any suitable force to resist such an attack, saying that he had eighty loaded muskets in the jail and did not want any more assistance.
The crowds continued to pour into Charleston all day, about 400 people arriving on the evening train, and men, women, and children arriving in all kinds of conveyances and from all parts of the surrounding country. By eleven o’clock on Friday, there were at least five thousand persons in the town, who came, as they said, “to see the fun.”
At twelve o’clock midnight the crowd commented moving towards the courthouse, led on by a man by the name of James Cunningham, a brother-in-law of the prisoner.
Mr. Cunningham made a speech in which he said, “I appear here as a warm friend to the deceased and to inform you that a respite has been granted by the Governor of the State, postponing the time of the execution of Monroe until the 15th day of May. I have always had respect for the laws: I have consulted with many of the old citizens of Coles County upon the subject of obeying the respite, and have come to the conclusion, upon reflection, to postpone the execution until the day fixed upon by the Governor for the execution, and that he shall be executed on that day, not withstanding his excellency the Governor.
Gentleman, I speak the sentiments of a part of old Nathan’s friends, whom I have conversed with, but mind you, only a part.”
The sheriff than responded that he would comply with the conditions named by Mr. Cunningham. A man in the crowd then shouted of the prisoner, “Take him out, take him out and hang him.” Then the courthouse bell began ringing which seemed to be the signal for an attack upon the jail.
The mob inflamed and excited, rushed in mass to the jail yard, where, yelling like demons let loose from the infernal regions, they began to make an attack on the north side of the jail. Some ten to fifteen minutes after they had commenced the attack, the sheriff made his appearance, and addressed the mob for about two minutes, commanding them to desist, but made no appeal to the spectators to assist him in enforcing the law. The sheriff then disappeared and made no further effort to resist the mob or to protect the prisoner.
The mob was about two hours in making a breach in the wall of the jail. Not more than ten or twelve men did the actual work, but they were encouraged by a large portion of the crowd, who used every means to keep up the excitement. During all this time were heard the sounds fife and drum, amid the demon like yells of the multitude.
Several men who were placed in the jail as guards stood in the open windows, with guns in the hand, and called upon the crowd to assist in the work, and to take the prisoner out and hang him. Some of these men were placed there by sheriff, and others were placed there by other parties, for the purpose of watching the proceedings and to prevent escape of the prisoner. A man displayed from a window a portrait of Monroe’s wife, and called upon the crowd, in a vehement manner to behold the daughter of the father, the prisoner had murdered. It is proper here to state that Monroe’s wife had always sustained him in the dreadful affair.At times during the attack upon the jail, the excitement of the mob would die away, and had the sheriff or any, prominent citizen, made the effort, he might have succeeded in quelling the excitement and restore order.
When the breach was made large enough, the prisoner was dragged through wearing only his night clothing, into the cold black winter night, badly bruised and insensible, amid the deafening shouts of the mob, who immediately moved with him towards the public square, the fife and drum in the meantime sounding. The crowd pressed around and it would have been impossible to know the position of the prisoner, had it not been designated by one who carried a long staff.
The mob then proceeded to the public square, with the evident intention of there hanging the prisoner and thus completing their hellish transaction, however, the mass commenced moving from the square and the cry immediately arose—“to the woods, to the woods” Immediately the mass moved with the prisoner, towards the woods. After proceeding about a half mile southwest of the square another halt was made, and those most active pressed the crowd back and succeeded in making a ring. In which some six or seven men held the prisoner. In the middle of the ring was a tree, against which a ladder was placed, on which a man ascended with an axe and trimmed of the smaller branches. The rope was now made fast to the tree and all things appeared ready for the blackest outrage which has anytime been perpetrated by any people, much less those who have claims to civilization.
During all the time the prisoner appeared insensible of what was going on, being unable to sustain himself alone. He appeared like a man who had taken poisonous drugs, which had taken effect upon him; (It was later learned that his business partner, who operated a drug store with Monroe had smuggled morphine to him before the attack.) he did not seem to heed the crowd, but would occasionally laugh in a wild and insane manner.
A cry was heard, “take him back to jail, will you hand a dead man?” but some demons voice was heard saying, “you cowards, are you afraid to hang him after bringing him here?” The prisoner was now placed in a wagon under the rope and again the mob hesitated. It seemed that no one could be found blood thirsty enough to adjust the rope to his neck. Finally, a tool in the hands of others, a man placed the rope around the prisoner’s neck, while others held him up. The wagon was pulled away and the awful deed accomplished, the victim, as he sung, not making a single struggle.
So ended one of the most disgraceful outrages that was ever perpetrated in our State. May its history never be blacked by another.
The body was taken down by the mob, who had not yet satisfied the brutal vengeance, and carried in a wagon twice around the public square of the town, as in triumph in their disgraceful deed.
Upon the appeal of the sister of Monroe, his body was surrendered to his relatives for burial. His wife, Nancy, while waiting for the train to arrive to take her and the body back to Kentucky for burial, sat with he club-footed son, in a defiant manner upon the coffin in front of the railroad station.
