The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1886-07-01
A MASKED MOB.
ED. WILLIAMS. THE NEGRO
OUTRAGER, LYNCHED AT
GAINESVILLE.
IDENTIFIED BY HIS VICTIMS-THE
SCOUNDREL DIES PROTESTING
HIS INNOCENCE.
Special Telegram to the Statesman

Special Telegram to the Statesman.
GAINESVILLE, June 29.--Ed Williams was
lynched here this morning. Last Saturday morn
ing about O'Clock the negro brute attempted to
outrage the person OF Mrs Cook, a most estma
bic lady of this city. Mrs. Cook was awailI
ened by grasp upon the throat, and looking up,
discovered large negro STOPPING over her. She
was powerless to scream, and began desperate
struggle. Her little babe, lying beside her, was
awakened and began to cry, when the brute, with
an oath raised his attempted to strike it, but
the blow was warded of by the mother Mrs.
CO0k grown daughter, attracted by the noise, ran
into the room and began TO strike the negro in the
back terrible struggle ensued between
the wretch and the daughter and mother The
latter was caught around the throat, choked,
dragged from her ed to the front door, and struck
blow in the mouth which loosened a number of
her teeth. The NJ gro was trpped at the door when
Mrs. Cooke pounced upon him and called to her
Bloodhounds were put on his tract, but were un-
able to follow the trail. Mrs. Cooke had been
terribly abused. Her neck was greatly swollen
from the choking and there were bleeding wounds
all over her body. When she walked to neigh
bors, 20 yards distant she could be tracked by
blood. number of negroes were arrested during
the day and carried before the women, and SStur-
day evening both identified one Ed Williams, a
powerful negro, as the guilty party. A lynching
was talked of aturday and again Sunday night,
hut there seemed to be an uncertainty as to Will
liams' guilt.
Last night, according to prearrangement 40 :
between and O'Clock this morning marched to
the Jail 1t was not believed that mob law would be
attempted last night and that but seven or eight
officers were left to guard the Jail. These were
armed. The movements of the mob were carried
secretly that the officers were not apprised of
their coming until just as they reached the Jail
when preparations were hastily made to offer all
resistance possible. When the mob reached the
jail they demanded to he admitted, which wa re-
fused The crowd then battered down the front
door, and presenting their guns at the officers de.
manded the key Which opened the door to the jail
cells. The sheriff refused to surrender the keys
The mob, with sledge hammers and axes, broke
open the door which led into the outer corridor
while others kept watch on the officers
Williams said not a word until the lock dropped
from his cell door, when he began to plead for his
ife and told the excited crowd they were about tC
hang an innocent man. He offered
little resistance and was hurriedly
taken east to the Missouri Pacific railwa!
and then up the road to the bridge, near which 1
willow stands. While some We're adjusting th'
rope in the tree and others were tying his hands
and feet, he was asked if he had anything to say
and replied that he did not commit the crime him
self, but knew the negro who did. This the crowt
regarded as a circumstance against Williams, AM
after being ask ed if he wished to pray he replied
that he did not he had done nothing to pray for
| The rope was pulled around his neck and he wa
| pulled three feet from the ground. He said to th
last he was innocent, and though ChOked to death
died with hardly struggle.
1t was nearly daylight when the mob dispersed
Soon people began to come to view the negro ra
pist as he hung suspend d in the air. About
| o'clock the body was cut down and carried to til
| Jail. corOners jury was summoned to inquir
nized by officers, and a number of arrests will TO
| low