From The Nashville Tennessean, Aug 12, 1890
Aug 12, 1890, The Nashville Tennessean pg. 6
LIGHTNING’S STROKE
Delivered With Deadly Effect
in Weakley County.
One Man Instantly Killed and Others Rendered lnsane.
A. Negro Man Stricken Speechless- The
Agonized Wife Who Vainly Tried
to Restore Her Dead.
From reliable parties your correspondent learns the following concerning the result of last Saturday’s storm about three miles from Palmersville, a small village, twelve miles from Dresden, in the northeastern part of Weakley County. Mr. Erastus Webb and a number of h!s neighbors have formed a beef club, the members alternately furnishing a beef to be divided among the members. Saturday afternoon the club was slaughtering a beef at the farm of Mr. Webb under a large tree not far from his residence when a storm came up, accompanied by severe lightning and wind, Mr. Webb was heard telling one of his neighbors that his horse had broken loose and the man started to catch it. He had gotten but a short distance away when lightning struck the tree he had left and all the men under it were felled to the earth, the man who had gone to catch his horse being the only one that escaped a serious shock.
He returned to his companions and found Mr. Webb dead, some lying as if dead, and one man, named Pentecock, was found standing with the butcher-knife clinched in his hand, but his mind seemed dazed and he was unable to speak.
Mrs. Webb was sent for and came running with restoratives, which she at once applied to her husband, who she thinks breathed a few times. Webb leaves six children and was a prominent man in his neighborhood.
George McWherter, who was severely shocked, has lost his mind completely. Mr. Eanes’ hat, which was on his head, was consumed by the lightning.
A negro who was helping had his clothes completely burnt from his body, but, strange to say, was not killed.
Mr. Webb was buried yesterday afternoon. Another man, whose name could not be ascertained, has, it is thought, had his mind seriously impaired.
Palmersville Historical Society 