Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1893-01-11
THIRTY MEN SHOT DEAD.
Confl'c at north Carolina Jail--Mob
and Officers Fight.

Conf CT at - north Carolina Jail-MOb
and Officers Fight.
MARION, n. c., Jan. "a desperate
battle has been fought between mob
of 500 men and IS guards at the
Jail ct Bakersville, Mitchell County.
Over thirty men were killed before the
jail was forced. Then Calvin Swipes
and the Whitesons were dragged from
their cells and hanged.
The mOuntaineeIs of Mitchell, Nc
DoWell and Yancey counties assem-
bled in the little mountain hamlet
of Bakersville, until the population Of
500 was about doubled. At O'Clock in
the afternoon a formal demand was
made upon Sheriff Moomaws tor Swipes
and the two Whitsons by a messenger
from the mob, who approached the jail
under flag o. truce. To this the garri-
son responded: eve will die first
Then they knew there would be fight.
The little company of defenders split
up into three parts, one remaining IN
the Jail, the other two occupying the
sheriff's house and barn near the main
building. Winchesters we're loaded,
and the wait for the final struggle be-
gan. The men were not long in sus-
pense. The night would be bright
with moonlight, and it was useless
for the mob to wait fo4 darkness.
About shutdown the first attack was
made. At least 500 men marched up
the road and then with howl broke on
run to the jail. The garrison was
! ready for them.
Halt or I'll give the order to fire."
rang out Sheriff Moomaws' voice. No
attention was paid to the warning.
"Fire p rang out the order, and
seventyfve rifles poured q direct
and flankipg hail of bullets
into the determined lynchers. They
wavered a moment as q score of
them went down, but with the steadi-
ness of veterans closed up their ranks
and rushed forward again, under the
leadership of a gigantic mountaineer,
who urged them forward with the old
"reDel YELL" Again tie rifles of the
besieged rang out, and this time they
were answered by a concentrated fire
from the mob.
The aim was deadly. Every window
on the exposed sides of the buildings
occupied by the defenders was shot out
and dozen men tell wounded or killed.
Their bodies hampered the deputies who
were unframed, and only lew could
close I'D to the windows and return the
volley before the mob was upon them.
| There was short struggle, What were
| rs men against 500? A few
revolver shots, 100 dubbed rifles and
all was over The deputies, with their
leader, Sheriff Moomaws, mortaIly
wounded, were in the hands Of the
mob, and everyone of them was look
ing down the muzzle of at least three
Winchesters. There was no hope in
further resistance and the late or the
three murderers was sealed.
Without WAITING TO nick ND the dead
or care tor the wounded, the mob made
rush at the door OF the jail, and it
went down before the shoulders Of a
score of stalwart men. The prison
ers were reached. They were
the only ones in the jail and
the mob had no trouble in break
ing down the frail cells. Half dead
with fear the culprits were dragged out
into the open air, where ropes were
placed around their necks, with 100
men, mad with the thirst for blood, at
the end of each, and they were swung
up.
After the lynching the mob returned
| to look Tor the dead and wounded. In
the little Enclosure and on the roadhed
in front of the jail twenty-five bodies
were found, and in the three buildings
eight more were rigid ID death. About
thirty others were wounded, some of
them fatally, among these being gallant
Sheriff Moomaws, who was shot twice
through the chest and three times
through the abdomen.
ST.. LOUIS. Mo-, Jan. "a special from
johnson City to-day to the POstDis-
patch gives the following revised list
of the dead at the Bakersville lynching.
Sherift's posse killed:
Tom HALL.
j. n. WILLIAMS.
d. F. RITCHIE.
R. n. JONES.
p. b. SANS.
r. E. JOHNSON.
WILLIAM REED.
T. n. BECKNER.
j. w. LAWS.
N. r. PANNELL.
G. n. HALLIFIELDo
Those of the mob killed:
JACK THOMAS.
OWEN THOMAS.
JOHN WORTH.
WILLIAM OSBORNE.
G.. BAILIFF.
WILL PERRY.
JOHN OSBORN.
PHIL CROWDER.
jim NANCE.
WILL BUTLER.
HAGER BYRD.
No further particulars of the riot can
be obtained, as snow fourteen inches to
six feet deep covers the entire country
hereabouts, and prevents communica-
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