Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1893-01-06
Two Fierce Battles Fought Be-
tween the Sheriff's Posse
and Armed Mob. .~
Dozens on Both Sides MOVED
Down by the Continuous
Hail of Bullets.
The Number of Dead Reported
to Be About Seventy-Many
More Wounded.
Reinforcements Hourly Arriv:
: ing and Further Bloodshed
Seems Certain.

AAAS
report comes from Bakersville, N. c.,
that Calvin Snypes, the murderer of
Isaac Osborne, was lynched at that
place during the morning. In tho at
tempt to prevent it eleven of the sher-
ifs posse were killed and twenty-five of
the mob. 1t was one of the bloodiest riots
that ever occurred in North Carolina
and messenger just from there says
that second battle has been fought in
which at least twenty-five more lnen
were killed besides large number being
wounded. Bakersville has no tele-
graph communication and the news is
brought by courier, consequently the
exact state of affairs cannot be learned.
1t is stated that eight of the wounded
have since died, which would swell the
list Of the killed to about seventy.
The whole country is going wild over
the war between law and order and
outlawry, and recruits are arriving
hourly from the adjoining counties for
both sides.
Details of the Battle.
The last attack on the Mitchell county
Jail was made at o'clock Tuesday
night. The structure is frame
building and not made to with
stand an attack, but the sheriff, with
about seventy-6ve determined men,
who had decided they would see the
law upheld or die, took their stand
there. The attack was expected all
day. Tuesday the outlaws of Mitchell,
McDougall and Yancey counties as
sembled in the little town of Bakers
vile, until the population Of 500 was
about doubled. At4 O'Clock in the aft
ernoon formal demand was made Ion
the sheriff for Snypes and the two
Whitsons by messenger from the mob,
who approached the Jail under flag of
truce. To this the sheriff responded,
I'VE Will Die First"
Then they knew there would be a
fight. The little force divided into
three parties, one remaining in the Jail
and the other two occupying the sher-
ifs house and the main building. Win
chesters were loaded and the fight on
the final struggle began. The men
were not held in suspense. The night
would be bright with moonlight and it
was useless for the mob to wait for
darkness. About shutdown the first at
tack was made. At least $50 men
marched up the road and then with a
howl broke on run for the Jail. The
garrison was ready for them. "Halt,
or I'll give the order to fire." was the
warning of Sheriff Moomaw. No at
tention was paid to his words. Fire. -
rang out the order, and seventy-fve
rifles poured direct and fanking
Hail Of Rullets
into the determined lynchers. They
wavered moment as score of them
went down, but with the steadiness of
veterans closed up their ranks and
rushed forward again under the leader
ship of gigantic mountaineer, who
urged them forward with the old rebel
yell" Again the rifles of the besieged
rang out and this time they were
answered by concentrated fire from
the mob. The aim was deadly. Every
window on the exposed sides of The
building occupied by the defenders was
shot out and dozen men wounded or
killed. Their bodies hampered those
deputies who were unframed and only
few could close up to the window and
return the volley before the mob was
upon them. There was a short struggle.
What were 70 men against 5Ot2 A few
revolver shots, hundred dubbed rifles
and all was over. The deputies, with
their leader, Sheriff Moomaw, mortally
wounded, were
In the Hands of the Mob
| and every one Of them were looking
down the mQzzles of at least three Win.
chesters. There was no hope for fur.
Their resistance and the fate of the three
| murderers was sealed. Without wait.
ing to pick up the dead OF care for the
wounded, the mob made rush at the
door of the Jail and it went down be.
fore the shoulders of score of stalwart
men. The prisoners were reached.
They were the only ones in the Jail and
the mob had no trouble in breaking
down the frail cells. Half dead with
fright, the culprits were dragged out
into the open air, where ropes were
| placed around their necks, and 100 men
mad with the thirst for blood, dragged
them over the roads half q mile away
Behind them followed the remainder O.
the mob, firing at the PROSTATE form
at every step. The victims were un
doubtedly dead before they had bee1
dragged twenty yards, and it was mer
semblance of human forms that wer
strung up when the woods were reached
The mob then returned to look for til
dead and wounded. Before the ittl
buildings and on the road in front Q
the Jail @..... =.
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