Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1892-05-24
HE is TAKEN BACK.
Frank Weems, the Rapist, En-
Route to Chattanooga.
Jailer Station Takes Him to Mckenzie.
Where He is Met by officers from
the Former City.

Frank Weems, the Chattanooga
rapist, is not in Clarksville to-day
and there is evidently feeling OF
thankfulness as a consequence.
When the report gained circulation
yesterday that Mr.. Mavity, Of Chat
tanooga, the husband of the injured
Waman, was in the city trying to get
up mob to hang the negro, the of
ficers thought it best to leave the
city with him then, and intended to
do so, but it soon became evident
that the Jail was being watched.
This, perhaps, was merely the Curl
GUS, and it is not thought there was
ever any intention to mob the pris-
oner. However this may be, the
officers thought it best not to take
him out then and waited until last
night, when they boldly took him
from the Jail and went to the depot
with him, accompanied by the City
Guards. There was a very
large crowd at the depot to
see him off, but there
was no talk of lynching. The news,
however, had evidently been tele,
graphed to Paris, for when the train
reached that point crowd boarded
the train and interfered somewhat
with John Station, who had the
negro in custody. They spoke freely
of lynching him, but the officer
parleyed with them until the train
pulled out. From Paris word was
telegraphed to Mckenzie that the
negro was aboard the train. Here
another crowd had assembled, and
one man i'll the crowd was very
boisterous and began making prepa-
rations to hang the prisoner at once.
Some of the good citizens of McKen-
zie, however, had heard of the inten-
tion to lynch the negro, and they
appeared on the scene, and by their
counsel and the efforts of the officers
trouble was averted.
The officers from Chattanooga met
Mr.. Station at Mckenzie, according
to appointment, and at o'clock this
morning left with their prisoner for
Chattanooga. They reported that all
was quiet at Nashville and they ap-
pretended no trouble there. They
feared, however, that an attempt
would be made at Tullahoma, if the
news was received there, to take
their prisoner from them. Once
back at Chattanooga they had very
little fear of mob, as the people
had cooled down and would let the
law take its course.
The example of Montgomery
county in this case might be followed
with profit by some Of the other
counties Of the State. The negro's
crime does not seem to have been
such as excited the best citizens of
Chattanooga, but such is the spirit of
mob law now prevailing that he had
to be taken secretly away from that
town to prevent being mObbed.
When he reached Nashville a mob of
two hundred men surrounded the
Jail and the negro had to be conveyed
secretly in buggy to the country,
the mob being allowed to search both
the Jail and the penitentiary after he
left. He was brought here to be kept
for few days until the excitement
could die out, and as soon as it was
rumored that he was in the Clarks.
vile Jail our authorities, instead of
denying it, at once announced that
he was, and that he would be pro.
tected.
Several persons went to the Jail
and demanded the right TO see him,
but they were refused admittance.
A mob was freely mentioned, but
the public was warned through the
papers that the sheriff and the guard
at the Jail had orders from the crimi-
nal Judge to shoot il the Jail was mo-
Tested, and this order would certainly
be obeyed.
Lastly, when the time came at 10
o'clock last night to remove the
prisoner it was suggested, to prevent
excitement, that he be smuggled
across the river and put on train at
a lower station. Instead of this he
was marched through the streets of
Clarksville and taken to the passen.
ger depot by the Clsrksville City
Guards, who escorted the prisoner
and the sheriff with loaded guns, and
kept the crowd at a respectful dis
tance. Capt. Stacker and his men
are entitled to much credit for this.
The negro may be of no account,
but the law is worth upholding and
it speaks well for our young men
that they volunteered their services
on such an occasion.
Judge Tyler thanked the City
Guards at the depot, and they are en-
titled to the thanks of the entire
community. The spirit of mob-law
should be checked. The State is