The Denison Herald says:

A correspondent of the Galveston News, from Waller county says the reason why the Lynch family were murdered and burned up was to cover up the crime of killing of their father — which was attempted — because he had wanted to correct the misdoings of a company of vigilants gotten up in his neighborhood for the purpose of stopping cattle thieving.  It seems they were afraid Lynch would "blab".

If that correspondent knows so much he ought to be arrested and made to divulge a little more.

"Reason for Lynch Murders." Tri-Weekly Herald (Marshall, TX), Thursday, November 06, 1879, p. 4, col. 1.