It’s May 1887 and headlines in news papers reported a brutal crime near Opposition in Lawrence County.
The Courier reported the following on May 19th 1887:
“A Brutal Deed”
“Andrew Springer In Jail At Powhatan Ark., Safe From The Vengeance Of A Husband”
“Last Saturday Mr. Montgomery, who lives at the head of Jeff’s Creek near Opposition, Lawrence County, was absent. A man named Andrew Springer called at Montgomery’s house and ask for a drink of water, which was given him. He then left but soon returned and commanded Mrs. Montgomery to lay her little infant down. This she refused to do, when Springer caught the child and threw it upon the floor, and outraged Mrs. Montgomery in a most fearful manner. As soon as her husband returned and was informed of the outrage he started in pursuit. He was joined at Opposition by a number of citizens and they finally succeeded in capturing the inhuman fiend. Springer was handed over to officers, who took him immediately to Powhatan and logged him into jail, and none too soon, for had the injured husband and father, with his friends been able to have rescued the man there would have been an execution by Judge Lynch. Mrs. Montgomery had only six weeks ago given birth to her child. Springer has made a full confession, besides being identified by the victim.”
Just days later, Headlines again echoed Andrew Springer’s name, this time it was the details of his lynching by an angry mob.
Chicago Daily reported on May 24th 1887:
“A Lynching In Arkansas”
“Powhatan, county seat of Lawrence County, what the scene of a lynching, the victim being Andrew Springer, who assaulted Mrs. Montgomery a few days since. Springer was sleeping in his cell in the jail when he was aroused by hearing the voice of persons outside demanding admittance. The jailer refused at first to give up the keys, but finally yielded, and two men entered the cell, put a rope around Springer’s neck and dragged him out. He begged piteously for mercy, and then asked the mob to shoot him rather than hang him. Several members of the mob were disposed to do this, but the leader checked them, and Springer was pushed and dragged to a tree 300 yards from the prison. He fought like a tiger. The end of the rope was thrown over the limb of a tree and he was hauled up and left suspended in mid-air. Four pistol shots were fired into the quivering body. The mob, which numbered 30 or 40 men, then dispersed in different directions. Springer is reported to be born in Cook County Illinois.”
There is no record of Springer’s burial although he was believed to be interred in an unmarked grave in Powhatan.
Note: This story of Andrew Springer was told incorrectly for decades, local versions reported Springer as being an African American male, this is incorrect and thanks to research done at the Powhatan Court House by Arkansas State Parks and Northeast Arkansas Regional Archives, we can report Andrew Springer was a Caucasian male.