The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1880-07-31

As soon as the outrage was known many
persons assembled at the house, and they d,
yided into squads and started in pursuit oil the
hend. He was captured on Monday night
by Mr.. Zachariah Davis, near Mechanicsvilie,
taken to Jail, and a strong guard placed over
him.
The Baltimore papers OF Wednesday give
the following details Of the capture and lynch.
ing:
The capture was an exceedingly clever piece
Of business. Mr.. Davis has passed the three
score years and ten, but is yet strong,
hearty man. He says that he read fall de.
scripiion OF Diggs Monday morning, and had
impressed the same on his mind. As he
drove to Mechaniesville, on his way 10 Sandy
Springs, being on his return from German.
town, he met Digs going along the road
He says that by the time he got within one
hundred yards something told him thet the
negro was the man so many were looking for.
Mr. Davis was driving an unbroken colt in a
buggy. With him were his two grandchildren
girls and years Of age. He addressed
Diggs Familiarity :-'Halloo, John, where are
you goingT' This took him uuawares and
he answered; 81 am going into town looking
for work" Mr.. Davis saw peculiar eyideuces
Of guilt in his manner and he said, in a simple
way, SECT in and Ill take you that far, aud
will try and get you some work" The mo
ment Digs got in he was convinced Of his
being the outrager. Mr.. Davis had all he
could do to manage his colt, but he says he
concluded to risk his own and the lives Of the
children in his attempt to get Digs to Me.
Gainesville, where he could get assistance.
He managed to get him there an3 to tie him
securely, so that the remainder of his journey
was quite an easy affair, especially as he soon
s.,t fka auatotupna af HE vnp E1.w.M n.,..,
On the way to Rockville Diggs admitted
being in the employ of Mr.. Tschifely. lie
said that he left there on Saturday, and that
the few cents that he had in his pockets was
the balance of some money that Mrs Tschilfe.
ly gave him to buy food along the road until
be got work. When he was told that they
thought him to be the raysher Of Mrs.
Tschitfely, and that they intended to take
him TO the Rockville Jail he admitted every.
thing, and said - suppose they will hang
me, but that is all they can do He denied
then, as well as when the rope was being tied
up in the tree to hang him, that he struck
Mrs. Tschiaely with chair, or eyen with
anything
1t was the request Of Mr. Tschiiiely that
nothing should be done to Digs unless he
was allowed to play part in il, and Il was in
compliance with this request that the prepa.
rations for the lynehiug were temporarily sus.
pended until Mr.. Tschiflely could be present.
That gentleman, with several others from
Darnestown, arrived in Rockville about three
o'clock Tuesday morning. There were then
about thirty men in the close vicinity Of the
Jail.
A hurried conversation was had and plan
Of action agreed upon, one of the party being
appointed captain. While this was going on
all .utNk a
On duty on the outside Of the Jail. The iailer
with several assistants, was on duty inside The
Jail. The crowd fell in line about one hun.
bred and fifty yards from the Jail and marched
directly toward it.
At the door the sheriff asked what they
wanted. lie was told that there was cen.
tleman in the crowd who wanted TO see
II he could identify Digs. The sheriff an.
swered that as long as the crowd was there
the doors of the jail could not be opened.
bat that If the gentleman came By him
self in the morning he would be admitted
About one.haf OF the party wore handker
! chiefs tied over their faces one or two Ind
on regular masks, while the balance made mo-
attempt to conceal their identity. The sher
IFS stubborn refusal was the occasion of IN.
other conference. At this it was agreed IN
force the Jail under any and all circumstances.
and certain men were picked out to oyerpow.
er the sheriff and each Of the deputies. The
second attack was then made, and in an in
slant four men had the sheriff in their grasp.
He was pulled some distance from the iail and
kept there Undergrad. The deputies offered
but little resistance. The door was forced in
the face Of the protests made byth jailor. and
in less than two minutes Digs was brought
out.
The tao.;.ons ,va.a -, ill., -,
with difficulty that he could walk, Noticing
that the sheriff was following, three or four
men were sent back to keep him from infer.
/ fering. They urged on him that he had made
\ oil the resistance that he could, and that ifbe
did anything more, being as the prisoner had
been taken out Of the Jail, he did so at the
risk OF his lite that those who had charge d
him were determined, and did not propose "a
/ be intertered with; that they we're simply do.
ing their duty as citizens, in the adoption Of
measures for the protection of themselves and
their families. The sheriff was not allowed
/ to move out OF the jail.yard until word came
that the job was finished.
In the meantime, as soon as the Marty gol
Diggs out Of the jail yard inelosure. he va.
told that he would have to hurry IN, as Their,
was no time TO be lost. He asked what wa,
TO be done with him? "Hanged,r saidthelead
er, las soon as we get you out on the road ant
find tree This did not appear 10 aifec
Digs much, and he hurried along, seemingly
as anxious 10 reach the tree as any OF Ii,
party; 10 fact, he never appeared but for !
few moments to fully realize his position, and
tina. was when the rope was being put aroun,
his neck. AT one time he slowed up a little
and upon being told to hurry he said, ~ can
run with these things on my legs, and he wa
helped along.
Alta signal Digs hands we're tied behint
him. Meanwhile two men mounted the trel
and made fast one end Of running moose
which had been prepared. Tie victim wa
placed on horse and led under the noos,
and an effort made 10 insea his head in il
but without avail, owing to his fierce strug
Cling. Despairing of accomplishiog ibe7
purpose the brute was thrown 10 The ground
in order to allow the moose 10 be lowered I,
him. BY some means bis hands became nm
tied aud he sprang to his feet, SCATTERING NJ
eaptors with strength born of despair. BE-
/ fore he could make step dozen hands wer
, on him and the next instant q deadly struqpl
commenced. Suddenly one of thas.. sh
were trying TO control him gave a cry OF nal
. and held up in the moonlight his hand yhie
, was seen to be covered with blood WHARF ~
prisoners teeth had torn the aesh. Ano,he
man staggered back from the combat viii h;
arm disabled by powerful blow from Digg'
a third was knocked headlong 10 the mai
and at last the fury Of the throne bars, nno
the prisoner. Over and over IN the dast
road rolled the four or five central figures
/ with the desperate wretch in their erasn. an
again and again, with crushing force. blow
were rained on the negro's face aud bodv nm
Ill it looked as If death would rob the gaIIow
OF ils intended victim. Some Of the coolr
men interfered and prevented further yioleno
10 the prisoner, who was allowed TO regal
his feet. He was forced to the ground nndr
the moose, still struggling violently aud swea,
ing in shocking manner, and the fatal ron
/ placed in position. When the cord enrircls
bis neck the wretch appeared to resign al
hope, and relaxing his limbs, for The 6rs
} time be gave vent to piteous means like
, dumb animal in suffering. The rome wa
. drawn up about yard, aud although H. fss
, touched the ground with case be made n
effort to stand upright. One OF the crow,
, took the now half dead man ia his arm
raised him Ia the cir, the rope was drawn n
aud the body hung suspended, at 1856.
There is a supposition that Digs, nnde
the name Of Dorsey, committed several GU,
rages on females In Prince Georges count
three years ago,
About five o'clock Tuesday morning som
colored people coming into Rockville report
ed seeing the body swinging from Iimb !
the tree. Soon afterwards several huudrel
n colored people visited the scene As far a
can be- nscerfained the most az thu ,,nln..,