The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1884-04-29
A Gang of Telegraph Line Mer
Take Possession Of O Town
and Run Things.
After Firing up on Bad Whisky, They
Commence an Attack on an
Inofensive Negro,
And Beat, Chase and Harry Him, Unit
He Falls Dead in His Tracks The
Authorities Powerless.

New HAVEN, Conn., April 2S,-Coroner
Samuel II. Seward of Windham County
Is now investigating one of the most pc
culiar cases of sudden death which has
ever occurred in this State. 1t is that Of
ThoS. Wood, colored man, living in
Danelsville, close to the Rhode Island
State line. Wood seems to have been
frightened to death by party of men in
the employ of the Bankers and Mer-
chants Telegraph Company, who have
been putting up wires during the past
week. A "gang' of nineteen of these
men reached Danielsville yesterday morn.
ing and put up at Coles Hotel Nearly
all, after their midday meal, wandered
down to Rialto's saloon. The party was
arough one, and made up of young Irish
Americans. When they entered the sa
loon thew began to run things to sui
themselves. Seated in the saloon was
Thos. Wood, the colOred man. The tele
graph men did not think the civil rights
bill gave to the inoffensive negro the
right 10 drink at the same bar with white
men. Prominent in the party, as noisy
and particularly offensive member, was
Morris Oliver. He sang out "Git onto
the coon. Run him out; we wont have
no niggers here" This was the
SIGNAL FOR AN ATTACK.
on Wood. Pressed to close quarters.
Wood drew from his pocket a razor and
slashed about him. The blade finally
struck the ringleader of the mob-Morris
Oliver-on the right side of the neck,
making gaping and CHASTITY wound sew
eral inches in length, from which the
blood flowed very freely. Oliver fell to
the floor, and in the confusion which fol-
lowed, Wood escaped from the saloon.
Men known only among their comrades
as "Sixty-nine," Heating and "Paddy,"
who were in the saloon, ran to the hotel
and informed Harry Oliver, a brother of
the wounded man, Harry and Heating
started out for revenge. Morris
divers wound was found not to be es-
pecially dangerous. Heating and Harry
Oliver, after an hours search, found
Wood secreted In the cellar of house oc-
cupied by a number of colored families.
They were refused admittance. The two
then broke in the cellar door and found
Wood there, armed with an axe. For
unknown reason Woodidropped his axe,
and, without making any resistance, ran
upstairs. He was followed by the two
telegraph men, but managed to escape
them by going out through back door.
Woods pursuers
CAUGHT SIGHT OF HIM
and followed him down the street, call
Ing out to people to stop Wood, and in
the most profane terms threatened ven
geance. Closely pressed by his pursuers,
Wood ran into the store of Edward
DETER, an undertaken, to escape from
what he thought was certain death.
Throwing both arms up into the
air, when he had closed the door
behind him, he cried out: ooh, my
God, I'm dying" Those were the
last words he ever uttered. He fell
to the floor in heap, breatheG once
or twice, rolled over on his back and
was dead, just as Heating and Harry
Oliver burst open the doorand demanded
Wood as a prisoner. The undertaken
pointed to the PROSTATE form of the negro
and said: "See what you've done; you've
killed; you can't do more" The two
men infiamed with liquor, refused to be-
lieve that Wood was dead, and rough
ly kicked the body about the floor, swear
ing at him and threatening to kill the al
ready dead man. 1t was only after the
pniprtakar doctor and bic ictn 10 In 4
vigorously protested against the desecra-
ton of the body of the dead negro for
some minutes that the telegraph men
could be induced to desist and leave the
shop. Even then some force had to be
used. The telegraph men refused to be-
lieve Wood dead, and returned to their
companions, told the
STORY OF THE DEATH OF WOOD,
and insisted that it was ruse to deceive
them and prevent them from Furnishing
him. Harry Oliver insisted that Wood
had been chloroformed by the undertaken
and simulated death to them. The
'gang" then visited Undertaken Deeters
establishment in body and again rough
ly handled the corpse, which they founC
in a rough coffin. They created great
disturbance, and only after much per.
suasion could they be induced to allow
the body to remain in the shop. They
then stole a rough coffin, and with q
bottle of whiskey paraded the streets OF
the town, just at dark. -Four of the party
carried the coffin, which they informed
the citizens contained the body of Wood
Each wore long strip of white cotton
cloth hanging from the buttonhoe of his
coat, which they profanely announced
was badge of mourning The authorities
of the village were helpless against thu
mob, who only ceased their noise after
mock funeral of most sacrilegiou.
character. "Sixty-nine" delivered wha
he called the funeral Grafton, most pro
fame, scurrilous and filthy speech agains,
the deceased and :colored! people gener
ally, at which his listeners howled OBJ
scenity in showing their appreciation
The foreman of the "gang" finally got his
men to abandon their proceedings, when
II seemed as If a collision between the
telegraph men and the colored people OF
The town was imminent.
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Just Too, Too.