St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-03-10
A Memphis Mob Summarily
Ends the Lives of Three
AmbuSheps.
Taken From Jail by Force
and Shot to Death in a
Field.
Mrs. Osborne Is Sentenced to
Nine Months in Prison at
Hard Labor.
Dramatic and Affecting Incl
dents in the Dreary Lon
don Court.

Me MPnIs. March 9.-The dawn of
bright spring morning as it cast its light
across Tennessee's metropolis disclosed
the dead bodies of three negroes riddled
with bullets and partially covered with
brush lying in an open lot about one
and half miles from the heart of the
city. The bodies, as they lay out
stretched, with faces heavenward, were
mute reminders of the terrible work
seventy-five masked men in this city at
3 o'clock this morning.
The names of the negroes. whose
bodies were literally shot to pieces by
this mob, are: Calvin Mcdowell, Will
lam Stuart and Theodore Moss. The
crime for which summary vengeance
was wreaked upon them was the am
bushing and shooting down Saturday
night last of four deputy sheriffs in a
bad negro locality known as THE
Curve" while the officers were looking
for negro for whose arrest they had a
warrant.
About 3 O'Clock this morning seventy
five men, all wearing masks, appeare d
suddenly on Front street, near the Jail.
No one saw them assemble; no officer
OF the law noticed their passage through
any street, nor did any person intercept
them in their quick and quiet march to
the Selby county Jail. Waterman
O'Donnell sat in the Jail Office, having
a chat with friend. Suddenly ring
was heard, coming from the outer gate.
O'DOnnell hurried to the gate and I'M
locked it. Two or three men pushed in
Immediately. O'Donnell did not notice
them closely as they showed through the
gates. but moment later he saw that
He Had Been Trapped.
The men were masked. "What does
this mean ?' queried the Waterman. as
he reached for his pistol. mo you
don'tH' exclaimed the masked men
loudly, as they seized the arms of Mr..
O'Donnell, and forced him against the
high and thick walls surrounding the
Jail. He was asked for the keys. but
denied having them. There was h ir-
ried consultation among the invade rs.
wait of q minute, and soon rope was
produced with which the watchman's
hand was bound.
Two men were put over O'Donnell as
guard, two more hurrying into the Jail
office. Soon came the cry "All right
boys, here they are" and in moment,
after making sure that O'Donnell was
safely pinloned, the men filed silently
and swiftly past him into the Jail, and i'm
a minute were in the cell room of the
negro department. There were twenty
seven negroes there, all under arrest
for completely in Saturday nights af-
fair, and 1t was no easy task for these
men to distinguish their mucl-wanted
negroes from the other blacks incarcer-
ated in the dark of the night. Alice
Mitchell heard the noise, and from her
cell, on the upper tier, peered down ON
the strange and silent crewd. Suddenly
the click of key going into lock is
heard, the men stop for an instant, there
Is little scuffie. land is cIapped over
negroes mouth until he is bound, and
Moss, the mail carrier, is in the posses
sion of the mob.
Ii. Clay King, under sentence of death
tor the murder OF David Poster, hears
the scuffle and subdued voices. He ap-
pears at his cell on the opposite upper
tier for an instant, but quickly retires.
Soon Mcdowell is found, aDd then
Stuart, and the party is ready to start.
The captves being ready, they are
dragged, pushed and hustled out of the
jail in hurry. Out into the yard and
past ODOnnell, still securely bound,
they go, and in minute are upon the
street. The night is pltchy dark, but
no tagging was allowed. The prisoners
i'll front, securely bound, were kept
Moving at a Hot Pace.
In few minutes the suburbs of the
city were reached and in an open field,
near Wolf river, the negroes met their
doom. For the first time they are al
allowed to speak. AS the gags are re-
moved, Moss said: ''If you are going
to kill us, turn our faces to the west"
Scarcely had he uttered the words
when the crack of revolver was heard
and a ball crashed through his cheek.
This was the signal for the work. A
terrible volley was poured in upon the
shivering negroes, who instantly fell
dead in their tracks.
The mob turned about after it had
completed it's terrible work, and came
toward the town. AT the first crossing
they scattered, and disappeared as
silently as they had arrived OH the
scene. Not trace of any of them can
be found this morning. The bodies of
the dead negroes were brought to an
undertaking establishment this morn
ing. In less than fifteen minutes the
place was surrounded by about 200
negroes. All were afraid to talk, how
ever, OH account Of the near proximity
of the whites, but OH the edges of the
crowd were heard many mutterings and
curses. One negro aptly expressed the
feelings of the majority of his race by
saying: "If these niggers stand this,
we's done up, sure" At lO:15 word
reached the city that the negroes were
assembling IN large numbers at the
Curve. Judge Dubose Immediately
equipped $50 men with WincheSters aud
they left for the locality.
A jury was lmpaneled to hold an in
quest, and the following verdict was
rendered. I'VE find that the deceased
were taken from the Shelby county
Jail by mob of men, the men over
powered and taken to an old field and
Shot to death by parties unknown to the
jury"
The negroes, upon the arrival of the
posse at The Curve" scattered right
and left. No crowds were per-
mitted to congregate during the
day, and no trouble was expert
enced. Tonight much uneasineSs
prevails at the troublesome lycality land
most of the white residents are spending
the night doing guard duty around their
houses. The force of $50 men will be
kept on duty throughout the night to in
sure safety to the residents of that vi
cinity. 1t is not thought that any fur
thor from la will 0cotlr