The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1885-07-17

less to Prevent.
Between twelve and one o'clock, last Sunday
night about 45 men in disguise broke open the jail
at Towsontown and taking Howard Cooper, the
negro convicted of assaulting Miss Kate Gray, in
the woods near her fathers house in Baltimore
county, last April, hanged him to tho near
est tree.
The men, who appeared to have come from diff
ferent directions, upon preconcerted PLAN
marched quietly and orderly to the Jail. Their
commander demanded admittance. but was in
formed by one of Sheriff Knights daughters that
he could not be admitted and that her father was
with the prisoners. The crowd then went to the
of the Jail, and using long, heavy flag pole
as gathering ram, knocked the outside fence
down. They next used their ram against the
Jail door but it did not give way. The leader
again demanded to see Sheriff Knight who finally
made his appearance, when the commander said (:
II demand in justice to your family, that you
give the scoundrel Cooper up without disturb
ance or fight"
him. / shall do my duty You will never get
him from me. If you take him out of the Jail, you
do i by force ana in spite OF me-
There was no more talk or argument. The bat
tering of the ram was commenced on the rear
door, and finally it broke in with crash.
The crowd rushed in but Sheriff Knight still
refused to give up his keys. The locks of the
cell were wrenched Off with crow-bars but Cooper
could not be found. The men were just about
to search the SheriH's private apartments when
some one pointed out Cooper's cell. which is the
same one in which he has been confined since his
smashed and after a delay of ten minutes Cooper
was led out with the fatal rope around his neck.
The rope was stretched at its full length and
badly forty men had hold of it..
Cooper's hands were tied behind him and he
came down the steps without fear or apparent
anxiety, walking over the debris of the broken
door with great care, so as to avoid a fall. In
the Jail yard he was scrutinzed to be sure that he
was the right man and then started on run to
the nearest tree. The limb over which the rope
was thrown was not more than seven feet from
the ground. When the crowd halted Cooper
snd let mot going Se Up 5hSs
paid to him and just as the end of the rope was
thrown over the limb he said in a conciliatory
voice voice well you have got Cooper, haven't your
AS the last words left his lips the long line of
men moved backwards, the rope closed around
Cooper's neck. and his head was drawn up in con-
tact with the limb, his feet being but foot from
the ground.
proposition to fire into the body was made.
but the commander cried: Let no one go near
that body on pain of death. Tie the rope around
the body of the tree and come away"
The lynchers remained around the place to see
that no one nterfered with or cut down the body
Cooper was sentenced to be hanged on the 3lSt
of July. but strong efforts were made among peo-
pie of his own color to raise a sufficient fund to
take his case to the Supreme Court of the United
counsel, Messrs. Weld and White, which were de-
cided against them on the trial, and the judg-
ment of the court below affirmed by the Court
of Appeals. The knowledge of the fact that this
fund was being raised seems to have aroused the
people of Baltimore county. An attack on the
Jail was expected last Friday night, but no
demonstration were made. On Saturday even
ing il was known that an assault would be made
on the Jail Sunday night, and it is even said that
some of the young ladies provided their sweet
hearts who were to take part in it with long black
masks made of dress material.
Coopers body was allowed to hang until 9.20,
when it was cut down and a c0roner's jury render
ed verdict that he had been lynched by a body
OF unknown men, and stating Sheriff Knight and
the Waterman had done all in their power to pre-
vent Cooper from being taken, Cooper's body
was delivered to his mother, who has had it buried
at Bare Hill, near Mount Washington,