Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1882-05-04
JUDGE LYNCH.
THE NEGRO RAPIsT OF GALLON
a. Is CAPTURED,
Seized by an Infuriated crowd Of Deter
mined men.
And hung TO a limb Sabbath After
= noon.

city and county. Frank Fisher, the ne
gro who so horribly outraged the little
German girl. Barbara Rettig, aged only
l3 years, in the woods where he had been
choyping wood last Friday noon, and who
escaped, was captured about 5 O'Clock
this morning at Fredericktowr, Knox
county, by officers T. j. Wurts and
W. III. w. Nichols. OF this city. The
arrest was made just as the negro was
about to leave Fredericktown on foot.
He was first accosted by officer Wurtz,
who asked him If his name was not
Frank Fisher. mo, sab. that is not my
name, ask, he replied, but Officer Nicho-
las knew him, and after few questions
among which was asked why he left
Gallon, he replied that he had got tired
OF chopping wood and thought he would
skip. The officers, of course,
ARRESTED HIM,
and at once started with him in a car
riage, accompanied by two Frederick
town officers, for this city, arriving here
at II 80 this morning. The prisoner was
at once taken to the Jail in the City Hall.
and confined in one of the heavy iron
cages. and the Mayor aud city officers
were laying plans to take him to the
county Jail at Bucyrus, or some other
Jail in some neighboring county, fearing
that the loud threats of lynching would
be carried out if Fisher would remain in
the City Hall cell. Their fears were well
founded. for the news of Fishers capture
spread through the city and the neigh
boring towns like wild-fire, and at 3
o'clock this afternoon large crowd of
determined men boldly, defantly and
unmasked, with hammers, crowbars
and other implements, and a huge and
significant loop, presented themselves be-
fore the entrance of the City Hall prison
and demanded that Frank Fisher, the
negro rapist, be surrendered into their
hands. The officers Of course refused.
Then ensued
TERRIBLE SCENE OF STRIFE.
The handful of officers were powerless,
and the speeches of Mayor Underwood.
G.. M. Zeigler and others, who begged
the excited crowd to let the law take its
course and deal with the prisoner whose
blood they sought, were unayailing and
unheeded. With their implements of
destruction they forced open the doors as
though they were paper, broke open the
iron cage that contained the guilty tremb-
ling wretch and grasping him with
dozen hands, as in vice, they pulled
him out into the street with defiant
shout. Previous to this, however, a
delegation accompanied bya physician,
whom they had pressed into service,
drove furiously down to the residence Of
the
VICTIM OF THE NEGRO LUST
to ascertain whether she was in prop
er mental and physical condition to see
the negro for identification. The physi-
clan states to your correspondent that he
asked her whether she knew the negro
who had caused her misery. She replied
yes, that she had often seen him while
he was chopping wood near their home,
and described his appearance. Being
asked whether she could identify him,
she replied that she could. The delega-
tion being satisfied reported at the city
hall, and then the scene that has been
described was enacted. With boots, ,yells,
and cheers, the crowd, preceded by some
men and boys,
BEARING THE FATAL ROPE,
marched with the frightened negro to the
Rettig residence, at the foot of South
Market street, just south Of the city lin
its, and took the black beast into the
presence of Barbara Rettig, the little girl
whom he had so horribly outraged. AS
soon as her eyes fell upon the cowardly
and covering wretch before her she ex-
claimed: "That is the man who did it. y
and soon tainted with the terrible recol-
lections. The crowd threw the rope over
the negros head and dragged him to tree
in the rear of the lot, but some one sug.
gested the woods--the scene of his terri
BILE crime-hard by, as the fit place to ex-
patiate his crime, and to the woods where
he had been but few days ago chopping
wood Frank Fisher was dragged and told
that his
TIME TO DIE
had come. He protested his innocence
to the last, but the blood stains upon his
clothing and the girls evidence, coupled
with numerous lies to the officers, was
enough to condemn him in the minds Of
the infuriated and desperate crowd; and
hang him they would, for trial by law
would OILY send him to the penitentiary
and cheat the gallows of as biack-hearted
; demon as ever trod the earth. But they
let him pray for short time. He said
in his prayer. 20 Lord. take care of me.
know that an going to die. but have
my friends" The balance of his app"ai
was drowned by the cries of the crowd
to string him up. His hands were tied
: behind his back, his feet plnioned,a "a hand
kerchief placed over his faces steady pull
was given on the rope the end made fast
to stump, and at 4, 10 the soul of Frank
Fisher, the. negro rapist was sent to an.
, swer for his crime before heigher court
! then that of Crawford county; and at this
writing (9p. n.y. his body still
BANGLES IN MID AIR.
1t is estimated that at least two thous-
and people, men, women and children.
among whom was your correspondent.
witnessed the execution by Judge Lynch.
: A large number of the people from Buoy
/ rus, Mt. Gilead, Crestline, and other
neighboring towns witnessed the ghastly
. spectacle.
! The lynching of Frank Fisher, In broad
, daylight, upon sunday, i
BY UNSIASKED MEN,
!, was one Of the boldest affairs that has
, ever transpired in this county. While
> the affair is to be regretted the crime was
4 such that he has not particle OF sympa-
! | thy from any one who has heard the
! particulars of the crime for which he has
, so dearly paid with his life.
Truth the World Over,
Z i& 15s fTrroy,, tba Frcuirar lla