Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-08-14
LYNCHLAW RULES MACON
MOORE'S ALLEGED CRIME
COSTS HIM HIS LIFE.

mttted the Crime.
From the Aacoa (Ga.) Telegraph.
James Moore was hanged this Friday
morning at o'clock by mob.
Shortly after nighttall men we've seen
going in the direction OF the old fair
ground, the rendezvous agreed upon. BY
10 o'clock the crowd had increased to
large numbers.
People began going to the jail about
O'Clock, and by 8 there was perhaps 90 or
100 persons on the sidewalk and street.
Sheriff Westcott had received an intima-
ton Of the crowd at the old fair ground,
and Immediately swore IN a number Of
deputies, determined to make all possible
resistance, and, II possible, without resort
to arms.
AS the night grew on the apprehensions
for trouble grew more and more alarming.
The Sheriff consulted with Mayor Price
| and Chief Wiley, and they were Wllling
to help him in any manner they could.
About O'Clock the Sheriff telegraphed
the following TO the Governor
II. D. Mcdaniel, Goeernor, AtLanta:
| 1 have prisoner, James Moore, who ia
threatened with mob violence. What shall
| do? S. g. WEsTCoTT, sheriff.
The following was the reply:
ATLANTA, GA, Aug. l3, 1885.
S. q. Westcott. Sheriff If Bi66 County:
Your telegram addressed TO Gov, McDan-
| lel, saying: y GU have prisoner james Moore
| threatened with mob violence, what shall l
| do? has just been handed to me at the hour
| of II O'Clock &c night2 The Governor is alb
| sent on official business, inspecting the Mari
eta ana North Georgia railroad extension.
| Replying promptly TO your telegram, / can
| Oniy say you have the authority as sheriff To
summons every man in the county, If neces-
sary. to act as posse to aid you In prevent
| ng she threatened mob violence, ana that
| such call properly made, Will, 1t Is believed,
receive ready response from the law abiding
! citizens OF the county,
HI w. PALMER, Sec. Ex. Dept.
The reply was received few minutes
after l O'Clock. after the jailer had sum-
mOned mis- posse.
About 10 O'Clock Jailar Birdsong's fam
| lily were removed from the jail residence
10 another part OF the city. The crowd
around the jail saw this movement and
suspected that the authorities had re-
ceived definite news from the mob.
About half-past IL O'Clock Jailer Bird
song heard loud breathing in the upper
| tier of cells where Moore was confined.
| He went up stairs at once and found
Moore hanging by the neck In the cell, his
eyes protruding and the froth hanging out
OF his mouth like long white beard.
Jaller Birdsong ordered win jackson and
! N. NJ. Williams, the two white prisoners
on pain OF being shot. They complied at
once, raising him up and taking the cord
from his neck.
DR.. j. 9. johnson, who happened to be
in the crowd on the sidewalk below, was
called in, but there was no need for his
services, the prisoner having recovered.
DR.. johnson said that il Moore had kept
the cord on three minutes longer he would
have been dead man.
Whpn tho pifV clock atruRk tho hOur Of
II, 1t served to be the signal for the mob
TO start from the old fair ground. In
twenty minutes they had arrived in the
Jail. The mob seemed to be about 800
strong, and as they turned the jail corner
from Fifth street the huge crowd at the
jail gave way. The men in advance wore
white masks and carried sledge hammers
and crOWbars. Each man mad his pistol
drawn and marched into the jail yard In
good order.
On hearing Of the approach OF the mob, ,
Sheriff w estcOtt put portion OF his posse
inside the Jail and with several stood
upon the platform leading into the jail
Office.
Mayor Price entreated the mob to stop,
promising that Moore would have a
speedy trial Sheriff WestcOtt also plead
ed with the mob to stay, but they refused
10 listen and soon covered him with dOz-
en- revolvers. He refused to give them
the keys, and told them that IL they got
IN it would be by breaking down the
doors.
In an instant the Sheriff was rushed of
the platform, and few well directed licks
| from the crow bar broke In the wooden
door which leads into their residence por-
tion of the Jail.
Once inside, the mob fired off the pis-
tolls, pointing them upward. They were
then met by the heavy iron door which
shut them off from the apartment con.
tanning the cage. They began on this
with their sedge hammers, each blow
being distinctly heard by the crowd on
the outside. IL required twenty minutes
Of hard work to break in the door, and
when it gave way a snout went
up which was echoed by the crowd
outside. 1t was a terrible surprise and
the crowd in the yard moved restlessly
about. When the cage door was opened
the mob rushed in, but Jailer Birdsong
and Deputy Sheriff O'Pry mad skipped
out by the back way. They were brought
back and displaying some dyna-
mite cartridges the mob gave the
taller three minutes in which %
unlock the combination. In the
meantime the key TO the corridor had
been found hidden under a lounge in the
jailer's sitting room.
JaiIer Blrdsong saw that resistance was
| useless, ana, as ne Hau oVihS CulbSu
States prisoners to protect, he held hur-
ried consultation with Sheriff Westcott
! and Mayor Price, and then at the point
of pistols unlocked the com DinatiOn.
Moore was in a state OF nervousness
bordering on insanity. Two nights of
horror, added TO the near approach to
death he had made by his own hands. ana
the fact staring him in the face that IN a
moment more be would be haneing from a
limb, nearly prostrated him. He asked II
there was no protection outside. and II
there was no escape from being mobbed,
but the men said nothing.
Tho combination unlocked, Moore was
pulled out OF the cell. The act was seen
by SOME of the crowd on the outside as IL
In shadow pantomime through the shade
of the windows. A shout went up, and
then the tramp of the men and their pris-
oner was heard on the iron stairs.
The crowd gave way and the mob lost
no time in taking Moore from the jail. He
wore no collar and was bareheaded. The
men who had him rushed out OF the gate,
the crowd following. The masked por-
ton OF the mob marched with drawn pis-
tolls. and allowed no one but their own
crowd 10 get near him.
The line OF march was down Filth
street, the dust raised by the tramping OF
hnndreds of feet rearly binding the eyes,
down Fifth 10 Cherry, and then down
Cherry TO Sarah Robinson's house, where
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