The daily gazette., 1878-10-08
The Connecticut Lynohina.
HOW EDGAR FREEMAN ESCAPED DEATH
AT THE HANDS OF THE NOR

HOW EDGAR FREEMAN ESCAPED DEATH
AT THE HANDS OF THE MOB,
A correspondent at New Haven, Conn.
describes in detail the treatment by the
Ansonia mob of Edgar Freeman. t6ecoI.
ored man arrested for assaultipp a little
white girl, The correspondent saws;
freeman said nothing until he reached
his cell in the village lookup, when he
asked why he had been arrested He was
told, and in reply he sad "Jim Drake did
IT," lie was locked up to await a hear
ing this afternoon.
Jennie's fathers fellow-workmen, how
ever could moi let him rest. Early this
morning they gathered n an angry crowd
around the lookup. One Of them said
That Fieeman's greatest punishment
could be only Imprisonment for life.-
ms statement was like spark which
nres a mine. At onces cries of "Thats
not enough" Chang him. and "Kin
him." arose. Near these madmen was
Grand Juror Timothy Sullivan, with the
KEYS of the lookup in his pocket. Sud-
denly, he was knocked down, and his
Keys taken from his pocket. The mob
rushed to the door, opened it, and in a
moment Freeman, screaming in terror,
was dragged into the street. Constable
Castle and Judge Peck tried to save him,
but their efforts were greeted by jeers,
and stone hit Peck in the head and
Knocked him down. A new rope was
wound around Freeman's neck, a hum
dred grabbed the long end, and one sat
on his back holding the short end. In this
condition he was dragged through the
stony street until he reached the bridge
| over the Nagatuck. Here a moose was
made, and they prepared to hang him to
q bridge beam, but some one cried, "Take
Ia mn, 10, Hnlh ,t. a 4. Ii
front of the barn" This cry saved his
| lite, for they listened to it and dragged
him further. The blood flowed freely
from his many wounds. Up the steep
hill to where his employer lived they
pulled him, and when they stopped to get
breath he lay like a dead man. Once the
| rope tghtened on his throat, and he
threw up bis arms and groaned. At last
they reached the trees where he was to
hang, but the officers had followed them
AS Freeman lay motionless on the ground
Deputy Sheriff Whipple, VIM. j. Clark,
Constable Castle, and Warden Qillinan
strances they paid no heed, but Clark
sprang to the body, and standing across
it, cooked his revolver and cried, "I'll put
daylight through the first manwho touch.
es himW The rioters were unarmed ,and
they fell back the rope was taken from
Freeman's neck, and his battered body
was placed in wagon and taken rapidly
to the lookup in Birmingham, manu-.
featuring village below Ansonia A guard
was put before the door, but a threaten.
ing crowd soon gathered there. Colonel
| William b. Wooster addressed them Ia
the interest of good order, and with some
effect. The officers feared another at
tempt would be made, however, and g
carriage and two fast horses were brought
to the door, ana Freeman came out and
got in amid the curses of the crowd
With him were Whipple, Tucker, anC
Castle, all well armed. A swift ride
brought him to the County Jail in thi.
city. He weighs nearly 200 pounds, ant
is rather stupid in appearance. His terroI
has not yet left HIM, and he suffers mucl
from his injuries. He emphatically de
MES his guilt In this city, 1t was gener
ally supposed that he had been hanged
by the mob, and it Is a suggestive fac
that great many respectable people sale
they were glad of it, giving as a reasol
the remarkable episode of crime whicl
the State is now suffering from and tn,
great difficulty experienced in bringln,
criminals TO punishment. eve wan
more hanging In this State" said severa
"and if it cannot be legally done then lie
it be done by Judge Lynch"