Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1890-03-12
A MOB DISPERSED
BY the Bravery of Cool Headed
Officials at Columbia, s. C.
A Cannon Placed in Position
to Bombard the Jail,

But a Mere Handful of Police, with
Drawn RevOlvers, Quickly Scatter the
Crowd, Which Lacked Organization
and Leaders Further Trouble Ex-
pected 30 Save Turner's Life.
CHARLESTON, s. c., March 12.-The
following was received from Columbia,
this state, Monday night:
The feeling against g. s. Turner, the
wealthy factory owner of Spartanburg,
who seduced his sister-in-law and MUIR
dered his.brother-in-law, Edward Finger,
has been increasing in bitterness ever
since the tragedy, and eliminated this
afternoon in an attempt to lynch him.
About noon crowd of 400 men assem-
hled in the city, and openly avowed that
they had come to take Turner out of jail
and lynch him. An organized party of
200 men from North Carolina was ex-
pected, but did not come.
Sheriff Nothols took prompt measures
to defend the jail and had it made
known to the crowd that he intended to
protect his prisoner, whatever might be
the consequences.
A Cannon Brought Out.
The would-be lynchers thought to
make their onslaught more effective by
the use of q cannon. They rallied and
parleyed and threatened, and finally
some of them went to the encampment
grounds with pair of mules and hauled
thence a twelve-pounder field piece.
This they planted on Magnolia street,
near it's intersection with Main. Al
the foot of Magnolia street stands the
Jail about 400 feet from Main and facing
It.
Five Brave Policemen.
The cannon had just been placed in
position W hen Mayor Henneman mount
cd the gun, ordered the crowd to dis
peTse and directed his police to clear the
streets. This was done, and the crowd,
then reduced TO about seventy-five, met
the drawn revolvers of the five police
men. On the first effort of the police to
remove the crowd from about the can
non, some of the latter made ready to
draw their pistols, but desisted and re-
treated. A shot fired at any time would
surely have led to bloodshed.
The Cannon Spiked.
The firmness and GOODNESS of the police
prevented serious troubles. A policeman
spiked the cannon, and several of the
mob rushed in to gain possession of the
piece, but were driven off by Sheriff
Nichols and his posse, who had by this
time arrived on the scene.
The lynchers, lacking organization and
leaders from the first, were badly de-
moralized by the ridiculous failure of
their attempt to lombard the Jail.
They soon scattered, and the trouble
was apparently over. Persons in the
crowd were heard to say that the lynch
ers had retired only for better prepara-
tions; that they would come for Turner
later, and would have him yet
More Trouble Expected.
The general belief is that the danger
of an attack on the jail is not great yet
sufficient to justify measure of defense
on the part of the sheriff. That officer,
with posse of picked men, well armed,
is now in the jail building He says he
means to defend the jail with his life, if
necessary, and nobody who knows the
naan doubts his purpose. If the jail be
attacked there will be bloodshed Gov
ernor Richardson has telegraphed the
sheriff to call on the Spartanburg state
troops if necessary,