The morning call., 1893-06-04
Lynchers Take a Jail by
Storm.
INTERESTED HIM NO MORE.
The City Marshal Sought to Inter-
fere and Was Put Out by
Kick.
Special to THE MORNING CALL

DECATUR, Ill, June 3.-The mob which
gathered yesterday on the arrival here OF
the negro captured near Sullivan, H., and
charged with assaulting Mrs. Hubdill last
Monday, near Mount Zion. forced its way
into the Jail at 8 o'clock this morning. took
the prisoner out and lynched him. No
resistance was made to the mob.
Owing to threats of lynching earlier in
the day an extra force of twelve men was
put inside the Jail and another force out
side. A scout, sent out to Mount Zion
early in the night, reported everything
quiet there. and fears of trouble were
about given up, though 500 curious people
stood around the Jail all night, unwilling
to miss the chance of sensation.
About 8 O'Clock twenty-five armed men
marched to the Jail in a solid body and
demanded admission. This was refused
and the wooden outside door was at once
battered down with a sledge-h hammer.
while the crowd looked on without protest.
Once inside the lynchers demanded the
keys, VIII icf the guards declared they did
not have. The lynchers Immediately set
to work on the iron door with cold chisel
and opened it in twenty minutes. Then
came steel door, which resisted another
twenty minutes.
Meantime great crowd of citizens had
gathered outside and looked on. The City
Marshal appeared and forced his way in
side, but was kicked in the stomach by the
lynchers and hustled out, after which he
also subsidized
Finally the lynchers reached the cell of
the negro, whose name was Sac Bush.
They put leather strap around his neck,
took him to telegraph post under the
glare of an electric light. gave him ten
minutes to pray and strung him up, dropped
MIN and then put him on top of hack.
TIED the strap to the cross arm of post,
and drove the hack from under him.
He was pronounced dead in two minutes
by two doctors who appeared on the scene
and noted the ebbing of the wretch's life.
He protested his innocence to the last.
AS soon as death was assured the Mount
Zion mob left for home.
The men wore no masks and made no at
tempt to conceal their identity. Among the
number was William Vest, husband Of the
woman assaulted on Monday.
From all crcumstan es it seems measur-
ably certain that Bush was guilty of both
assaults.
The most remarkable feature of the
whole affair seems to be that twenty-five
men could march into own of over 20, 600
inha bitants and, without even a show of
resistance, batter Gown the doors of Jail
and hang human being.
SPRINGFIELD. H.. June Ex-Governor
Altgeld has determined to make an ex-
ample of the lynchers at Decatur, if pos
sible. Early this morning he telegraphed
TO the States Attorney of Macon County,
and that official came to Sprin gtiald this
afternoon and had a long Interview with
the Governor Atits con elusioh, Governor
Altgeld issued proclamation denouncing
the lynching in the most vigorous language,
as disgrace to cvilZat ton, and blot upon
the fair name of t State. The Governor
calls upon all officers of the law, aud es-
pecially those of Macon County, as we'll "a
all good citizens, 10 do all in their power
TO bring the perpetrators OF the crime to
Justice He offers a reward OF $500 each
for the apprehension and conviction ot
every man who helped to break the doors
of the jail. overpower the officers anddrag
out the prisoner, or who assisted in killing
him.
States Attorney Miles left for home this
evening. He said he would at once com-
mence a vigorous prosecution against those
participating in the lyuching.