Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1893-09-22
MAYOR A FUGITIVE
And Mob Law on Top at Roam
oke, Virginia.
MISERABLE AND BLOODY ABORTION

The Effort to Give Judge Lynch Check
Eight Rioters Dead, Hut the Law Throt-
tied All the Same While Sayagery Tri-
umphs-Further of the Attempted Train
Robbery at CentraIia, Ins.-Two Bandits
in Custody-A Clue TO the Iies,Ier Hold
Ups Lost.
ROANOKE, Va, Sept. 22.-Robert Smith,
the negro who so brutally assaulted Mrs.
Henry Bishop and TO save his life mum
Der of citizens were shot down, has paid
the mob's penalty for his crime While
j. Allen Watts, Judge Woods ard others
were addressing the crowd Sergeant Crit
fin with two officers took the negro from
the Jail and spirited him out of town.
They carried him across the river into
the woods, but toward daylight they were
notified that squads of men were securing
the entire adjacent country. They thought
it best to bring their prisoner back to
town and place him in Jail. They were
proceeding to the Jail, and on Franklin
road, near Tenth avenue, squad of men,
about twenty in number, rushed upon
them and took the prisoner. With shouts
aud yells the mob rushed the negro to the
nearest tree.
And Crowds Went TO see 1t bangle.
lie was hanged TO a hickory limb and
his body riddled with bullets and horri
bly, mangled. Ii was all over in half an
hour and the mob had dispersed. With
the break OF day crowds OF people began
to rhrong the streets leading to the scene
he La l,-i in ri, = a
The sight was horrible TO behold. Dang
ling at the end OF a hemp rope was the
dead body of the negro with his face
bloody, distorted and swollen A load of
shot had been fired into his back, literally
tearing his coat to pieces. Coroner Gray
and Il jury repaired early to the scene of
the alynching and after viewing the body
OF the dead man rendered verdict that
the negro came to his death at the hands
of persons unknown to them.
Mob Takes Charge of the Corpse.
After the inquest the officers were or
dered 70 take charge of the body but the
surGing mob which had by this time as
sembed would not let them touch him.s 4
coal cart passing near 10y was pressed into
service and the body thrown into it. 1t
was then hauled to Mayor Trout's
residence or Campbell avenue, it seem
ing to b. the intention of the mob to
bury it in his front yard. At this critical
moment Rev. W. c Campbell appeared
upon the scene and told the mob that such
Proceedings would never do He spoke
kindly TO them and at last dissuaded
them from carrying out their plan
L'Nengeauce" Wreaked on the Body.
The body during this time had not been
removed from the cart, so at the sugges-
tion of some ne in the crowd they took it
over to the edge of the river 10 burn it
Fences We're torn down, store boxes taken
and some one with an AK cut down several
cedar trees nearby. The dry wood was
laid in large pile, but arranged so it
would burn freely, and on this heap the
Negroes body was laid. On top of all the
cedar boughs were thrown, and then, just
before touching the match. coal oil was
poured on the dry wood. The match was
touched TO it, and the flames from the
burning oil shot rapidly up. 1t was an
awful sight
Even the Women AXE Part
1t was not long before the crowd dis
persed, but all the men and sometimes an
occasional woman were seen going toward
the place of burning in squads of three TO
five. Every one seemed to wish to con-
tribute something TO the blaze by throw
ing twig or chip on it. All that re-
manned OF Smith when the fire burned out
was a lew ashes and here and there a bone
MANNP LAC To LINE IIMc-I