Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1888-12-20
SHOT DOWN AT THEJAIL
SEVERAL MEMBERS OF AN ALABAMA
MOB MEET DEATH. -
The Sheriff OF Birmingham Protects His
Prisoner at Fearful Cost-Nine Men
Killed and Many Wounded--History of
the Crime Leading to the Tragedy.

Killed and Many WOunded--History OF
the Crime Leading to the Tragedy.
[Birmlngton (AlaJ special.l
A terrible tragedy occurred near the jail
in this city. r. B. Hawes, charged with
the wantoL murder of his wife and child,
was confined in the Jail. The finding of
the body Of the murdered woman, heavily
weighted with iron, at the bottom of
lake, incensed the populace, and large
crowd gathered about the Jail with the
avowed intention of lynching Hawes.
Sheriff Smith and posse were prepared to
defend their prisoner, and warned the mob
away. The crowd surged forward despite
the warnings, when the officers opened
fire, killing throe men instantly, fatally
wounding seven, and injuring more or
less seriously some thirty others.
Those instantly killed were, Postmaster
M. b. Throckmorton, j. r. Mccoy, and
A. ID. Bryant.
Those fatally wounded were, A. b.
Tarrant, Colbert Smith (colored), Chas.
Jenkins, - Branden, Frank Children,
an unknown negro, and stranger.
Among the wounded were: q. G.. Tate,
who viii die; Lawrence Fitzhugh; A. J.
Schiede, mechanic formerly of Kala-
AhoNOOJ HAAOhsy AothAAy 4h Oht~
gomery; Mr.. Berkeley; Charles Bailey, Of
Boston, Louisville and New Albany
brakeman; John H. Merritt; Matt Ken
nedy; J. w. Owen, q carpenter; j. w.
Gilmore, of Green Springs; Albert Smith.
colored; w. A. Byrd.
Postmaster Throckmorton was very
popular citizen. He was born at Louis
vile, KY, thirty years ago and came to
Birmingham in 1880 as agent for the
Southern Express Company. About
eighteen months ago he was appointed
postmaster. He leaves q wife and one
child. A. B. Tarrant, after the first vol
ley, lay down on the ground with the hope
of avoiding the flying bullets. Fate
would not have it so, however, and
q ball struck him as he lay on his
face and ranged up his back. After a
few minutes suffering he died. Mr.. Bran
den, ore of the dead, told hospital
attendant that he boarded at the house Of
the Sheriff of Etowah County at Gadsden,
and that he came here on business in the
United States Court. Mr.. Berkeley, one
of the wounded, was seated on the rear
porch of w. Siddons' residence when
shot. William Youngblood, Mr. Alex
ander, and Edward Cooper, first reported
as either killed or wounded, were not
ley. He was in front of the crowd, and
was trying to restrain the mob at the
time.
Sheriff Smith has been arrested on the
charge of murder.
HISTORY OF HAwEs' CRIME.
About a week ago the body of one of
Hawes' daughters, Mamie, was found in
East Lake, apparently drowned, but exam
ination of the body showed il to have been
a case of foul murder. Hawes was arrested
for the crime on the following day, but
stoutly denied his guilt. He said his wife
and other daughter had gone on a visit to
her relatives in Maine, and as they had
been divorced for some months, though
living together nothing strange was
thought of the fact that when arrested he
was accompanied by youthful bride.
But Hawes' story about his first wife's
journey was not believed and search of
his house showed every evidence of a brutal
murder, but the bodies of the victims could
not be found. Thursday and Friday search
ing parties searched every foot of wood for
miles around the city, but strange to say
no one suggested searching the place where
the body was found at last. Saturday
morning some one said ''Drag the lake at
Lake View.' This is pretty little sheet
of water at the principal suburban town,
two miles from the city and half a mile
only from the house where the Hawes fami-
ly lived. A searching party at once went
to the lake with drag hooks and began the
search. About noon the body of Mrs.
Hawes was found. 1t was lying on the
bottom of the lake at the deepest part,
about 900 feet from shore.
The back of the woman's head had been
laid open by terrible blow from an ak,
making a frightful gaping wound. Sc
curely fastened around the woman's neck
was piece Of railroad iron which would
weigh fifty pounds. Another piece was
tied to her waist and third piece to her
ankles. The three pieces Of iron will weigh
$50 pounds. Like wild-fire the news spread
over the city. 1t was said the body would
be brought into the city to the undertaking
rooms, and in less than two hours the two
streets leading to the rooms were filed with
excited humanity. There were no threats,
no loud talking, but in the faces of the
crowd there was a look which meant death
to the prisoner in the jail four blocks away
If he could be reached. The officers de-
cided that sight of the woman's body
would infame the crowd, and it was quietly
taken out OK the city under strong guard.
Two hours after the finding of the body
two officers went to the jail and informed
Hawes of the fact. He did not change
color and had little to say, except to deny
all knowledge of the crime. The sheriff
thought it would be best to remove Halves
to Montgomery, and he was asked IL he
would be willing TO don the uniform of a
policeman and walk through the streets to
the depot He studied moment and then
asked il the jail was guarded. When told
that it was he replied that he would prefer
to remain in his cell rather than take the
chance of showing his face on the street
The other child, which had been missing,
has not been found, but there is no longer
any doubt that she has been murdered. The
search for the body will be continued. The
evidence against Hawes is most damaging,
and it is now certain that he had one ac-
complice, perhaps more than one. Every
statement he has made in connection with
the matter has been proven untrue. a
search of the Hawes house disclosed blood
stains in every room. A bloody trail
leading i'm the direction Of the lake was also
found. After the blood stains in the house
were found Friday the building was left un.
guarded for two hours and when the Off.
GERS returned some one had entered through
window and washed away all the traces
of blood, showing that there Is an accom-
plice still at large.
Wife No. has gone back to her parents