Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-08-12

| BITTER AGAINST TIE PRISONER.
Special Dispatch to The Evening Star.
| PoRr TOBACCO, Aug. 11.-John Marshall Rye,
the prisoner in Jail charged with the murder Of
John j. Wheeler, the school teacher in Lower
Nanjemoy,a few days ago, was badly frightened
this morning when q desperate attempt was
made by body of armed men to get him from
the Jail to lynch him. The members of the
party were farmers from the third election
district in the vicinity Of Lower Nanjemoy,
where the homicide was committed.
As detailed in previous dispatches Sheriff
Adams has had guard on duty all the time to
protect the prisoner from violence. Yester-
day the sheriff learned Of the movement on
foot to lynch the prisoner and last night four
additional guards were sworn in and armed.
They remained inside the little stone building,
but did not let the prisoner know that an at
tack was anticipated, and SO he went to sleep
as usual and one guard remained awake and
was on the alert all the time.
PREPARING TO RESIST.
Deputy Sheriff Edward Adams fearless
young man, had charge of the Jail last night.
Shortly after shutdown the four guards and
Deputy Adams entered the little brick building
and secured the outer door SO that the lynchers
if they appeared, would find some trouble to
open it. Deputy Adnms gave the guards strict
orders and gave them to understand that his
orders had to be obeyed. Ee warned them not
to use their arms unless it became necessary
after they had exhausted other means to repel
an attack.
CALL on THE SHERIFF.
1t was nearly 2 o'clock in the morning when
about thirty masked men reached Port To-
bacco from the lowsr part Of the county. and
two of them, who were strangers in this sec
ton, called at the house of Sheriff Adams,
NyhI lv oln liatan
the Jail. The other men had remained
in the rear OF the town not far from the Jail
and were ready to make the attack in case the
advance guards succeeded in their undertak-
ing. They were not successful. however, for
Sheriff Adams suspected their motive and de-
clined TO open the Jail. Their pretense was that
they had prisoner whom they wanted to turn
over and have locked up.
The sheriff was not to be caught in the trap
thus set, and he notified them to bring their
prisoner around in the daytime. The men find
ing that they could not get the sheriff into the
trap they had set, demanded that he turn over
the Keys, and one of them drew a revolver, but
he made no attempt to use it. Sher-
IN Adams 10 a man who knows
no fear. and instead of turning over the keys, as
has been dono in other counties, be declined
the threat at the muzzle of the weapon and de-
ned the men to attempt to carryout their PLAN
AN ATTACK on THE JAIL
Seeing their visit to the sheriff house would
avail them nothing, the two men disappeared
in the darkness and joined the mob of masked
men, who by this time had reacheda point almost
within reach of the county prison. None Of the
lynching party had any idea that there was an
armed guard in the Jail or their plans would
have been changed, but without any further
discussion after the sheriff refused to turn over
the keys they went to the Jail and made the
attack upon the front door. The wooden
panels on the outside soon gave way, but the
inner lining OF sheet iron resisted the force Of
the blows and put the men back enough to give
the guards inside the prison plenty Of time for
action.
When the first blow upon the door was heard
the prisoner was aroused, and although he put
on bold front he was undo0btedly alarmed
He. however, expressed q determination to die
game and fight to the bitter end.
THE GUARDS FIRE on THE MOB.
Seeing that the mob meant business Deputy
Sheriff Adams gave orders for his guards to
fire, and twenty-one shots, fred in rapid sue
cession. sent as many bullets into the crowd
but it is not thought that a single one Of them
took effect.
The Iynching party found the reception too
warm for them and they retired without ac-
comprising their purpose. In front of the
Jail on the lower floor there are two windows
aud door, and on the upper floor there are
three windows and II was from the windows on
the second floor that the guards fred into the
mob.
BITTER FEELING AGAINST RYE.
The feeling against the prisoner is as bitter
today as it was the day Of the shooting, and
another visit from the masked men would not
surprise the residents Of the town.
After the mob had been repealed Rye re-
quested that no more visitors be permitted to
see him unless they were known to be his
friends as he fears some of them may come
armed and catch him where he has no oppor-
tunity TO protect himself.
Had the mob succeeded in the attempt to Sc
cure the prisoner they would no doubt have
hanged him in the neighborhood At the foot
Of the hill a stream of water flows through the
woods, and along its banks are rows Of tall
trees, while in the town, jus: at the foot Of the
big hill where the road leads to the railroad
are several large locusts, and either Of the
places would have been selected as the place
FOR ending the only sensation that Charles
i !