Huntsville gazette., 1890-03-15
A MOB DISPERSED
BY the Bravery of Cool Headed
Officials ut Columbia, $. G.
A Cannon Placed in Position
to BOmbard the Jail,

Bat NJ re Handful of Police, with
Drawn R,vo yers, Quickly Scatter the
Crowd, Which Lack ID OraS Ssiiizat ion
ssnd Leaders Further Trouble Ex-
pected Saw, Turusr'. Life.
CHARLSSroN, S. G.. March l2.-The
following was received from Columbia,
this state. fioaday night:
The fe ling against u. 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-
bled in the city, and openly avowed that
they had come to take Turner out of Jail
and lynch him. An organized party of
300 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.
C,nnon Brou:h Out.
The woul.l-be lvnche-s thought to
make their onslau ~. more effective by
the use of cannon. They rallied and
par eyed and threatened, and finally
some OF them wen to the encampment
s..ounds with a pair OF mules and hauled
l..ence a twelre-pouider field piece.
Iliis they pl m!ei Oil Magnolia street,
;.r its IN erSection with Main. AT
thn foot of ..!aglo ia str .ct stands the
jail about ftU feet from lain and facing
it.
FIVE Brave Policemen.
The cannon lad just been placed in
position ,nel Ma Tor iienneman mount
e;i the gun. de red the crowd to dis
pcr,e and directed his police TO clear the
streets. This was done, and the crowd,
then reduced to about seventy tive, met
the drawn receivers of the five police-
i'll n. On the first effort or the police to
remove the crowd from about the can
n N, some Of the latter ma lie ready to
lirlw their piat lis, bat desisted and re-
treated. A shot fired at any time would
surely have led TO bloodshed.
The Can o. spiked.
The firm less and coolne IS of the police
prevented serious troubles. A policeman
StIkeu the CdDuOu anu SeNeTdl Ol Iuo
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
man doubts his purpose. If the Jail be
attacked there will be bloodshed. Gov
ernor Richardson has telegraphed the
sheriff to call on the Spa partanburg state
troops, if necessary