Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-02-15
Marlboro Citizens Guard Jim Allen
From Lynching.
MfURLAFED at HIS AWFUL CRIME
Brutal Assault on a TweIve.Year
Old Girl.
ARYLANDE Frs EXCITED


UPPER MARLBORO, Md, Feb. II, 1894.
NUNS the word" was the answer t.
every question asked here early this even
Ing concerning the prospective lynching OF
the negro Jim Allen. confined in Jail here
for an alleged felonious assault on the
twelve-year-old daughter of Thomas Simp.
son, resident Of WOODWORK, Tuesday af-
ternoon, as stated In a dispatch to The
Star yesterday. No crime in this county has
caused such feeling against the perpe.
traitor since the barn burning by the Yer
millions as this dastardly one, and 1t Is
the opinion that the culprit will be iynched
although the event may not occur until
after the trial of the prisoner on Friday.
| The people Of the county want to make
sure they have the right man before they
take the law in their own hands. and save
the county the enormous expense of a trial
and legal execution, which Is almost sure
to follow conviction. The murder OF
Frank Bowie. on last Palm Sunday, did not
cause anything like the feeling that this
case has caused, nor was 1t necessary al
that time to summon a posse Of citizens to
guard the Jail, as was found necessary here
last night.
The prisoner, Jim Allen, reached here
about O'Clock this morning in charge of
Sheriff Dove. and the movements Of the
| sherin were so quiet that 1t was not until
this afternoon that many Of the residents
of the town knew that there was any such
person as Jim Allen in the little prison.
Sheriff Dove left here, after lodging his
man In Jail, and departed for Annapolis,
leaving the negro In charge of Warden
w. J. Spicer and Jailer Dombhart.
| States Attorney Brandt was the busiest
man in town this afternoon and this even
ing. He had heard of threats of lynchlng
Allen. as had the jail officials. and Judge
Brooke. when made acquainted with the
nrnmnfIV n dtrapffnU
Warden Spicer to summon posse of
twenty citizens to do guard duty during
lie night.
SummOning a Posse of Citizens.
! Warden Spicer keeps saloon only a
short distance from the Jail, and a num-
Der Of citizens were seated around the red
hot stove about Z o'clock, when suddenly
the warden appeared from behind the bar.
read their names and politely informed
them that they had been summoned to ap-
pear at the jail for guard duty.
There was an exodus toward the door
leading into the main street. but those who
started out yielded because of fear of the
iron arm of the law, and turned to inquire
by what authority they had been called
upon.
by order Of the court" was the reply of
the warden. i'm a tone which indicated that
he meant every word he said.
THE court be d" remarked one of the
men. Il won't stand out in the snow to-
night to save any such black - - as
| that"
1T makes no difference to me whether
you go or not" retorted the warden. Il
have obeyei the order of the court. and
you may make any answer you please. l
have done my duty in the matter and
that's all that Is required"
1t was stated that the county would pay
| the men 81 each, and some of them wanted
the money in advance. but this of course.
was not forthcoming.
The warden then went out in search of
other men to do quart duty. going as far
as Lapstone to secure the requisite num-
| Der.
About o O'Clock tonight, after some of the
guards had been sworn in Mt the Jail, two
| shots were heard in the vicinity of the
| prison. which We're followed by loud talk
Ing, and several guests of the Farmers
Hotel rushed across the road. expecting, to
see a crowd at the iail but the voices We're
hushed. and there was no more to be seen
near the prison. which is surrounded by a
high fence.
! A light was seen through the window liz
the jailer's Office on the first floor. but all
was quiet in the second story. Afterward
the voices OF the guards could be heard
! but The Stars correspondent was unable
| to get in the building and interview the
prisoner, as the same secrecy is endeavor-
! ed to be maintained as was attempted IN
the case Of Pinkney and Barber. who mur-
/ dered Frank Bowie, and who were executed
| for their crime.
! The Crime.
1t was about O'Clock Tuesday evenin-
| that the horrible crime was committed
| on the defenseless little girl, who WAS
| on her way from school. Thomas Simpson
the girls father lives only a short distance
| from the village of Lapmore, which is less
than two miles from Mulliken's station on
the Pope's creek branch of the b. and r.
| road, about ten or twelve miles from this
ri haI I
and, in company with her younger brother.
she started home shortly after :: o'clock,
! the closing hour at the school. When they
reached Woodville the two little ones
went in the store to make some purcha SEES
! for their mother and there, it was charged
! Jim Allen and another negro were occupy
| ing one of the boxes or barrels enjoying
! the warmth of the village store For n
| few minutes the unsuspecting little chill
t dren waited until the storekeeper attend ID
/ 10 them and they got warm and then they
| started fer home over the road they had
! SO often Travelled without being molcsted
| How far they had gone Is not known. but
! they We're beyond hearing distance of the
! store, when the negro. who had left the
! store, SO 1t is charged. overlook them. The
! little girl was grabbed and roughly ham
I cle1 and the wretch accomplished his pur-
pose. inAicting injuries from which the
little girl may never fully recover.
| Concerning her condition stories told here
conflict. The sheriff. II is stated. told Tailor
Dombhart that the victim had identified the
| prisoner and il was also stated that the
little brother knew him.
The Victims Condition.
| When the little victim was taken home
she was hi fr:ghtful condition. SO it is
reported here. she had been so brutally
treated that Dr.. Duvall of Bowie. who
attended her, feared her injuries might
prove fatal Her condition changed last
night for the worse. Word was received here
! this afternoon that the patient was uncon-
| scious. This caused an increase Of the feel
| ing against the prisoner and made his
ending at the hands of Judge Lynch" q
little more certain than before.
The Prisoner.
| Jim Allen, as the negro is known, is
well-known in this section. Although he
| is not more than twenty-five years old, he
! has served a term in the house of correc-
ing the one now charged against him. That
was about two years ago. He was then ar
rested for grossly insulting the wife of
Mr.. Harvey, a citizen of Glendale. and for
which the light penalty of three months
was imposed Since his release he has
worked on a number of farms between here
and Odenton, including the place of Mr..
Simpson, father Of the little girl who was
assaulted. 1t has not been many months
since he was employed there and the chill
dren were well acquainted with him, SO
! that his identification by them will un-
doubtedly be conclusive enough proof to
convict him. should the citizens permit the
law to take its course. which at this writ
| ing appears extremely doubtful.
The Arrest.