The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1895-07-20
GREENvILLE UNDER GUARD.
(ncensed at Lynching of Ira johnson
Negroes Threaten to Lynch
White Murderer.

An armed mob from the upper part
Of Greenville county forcibly entered
The 1ail at Greenville at al early hour
Monday morning and lynched Ira
johnson, a negro who killed Frank
Iannford, a white man, at Piedmont
last Saturday week. AS result, the
townspeople are intensely excited over
the reported threats Of the negroes to
give a dose of the same medicine to
James Lewis, wnite man now IN the
same iail, also charged with murder.
The Butler Guards and the Greenville
Guards we're called on by kilograms
from the Governor and are ready to
nnell any possible disturbances.
The former company IS guard
inn the iail iail-ast9.-riiaeu.lstter-seslng-- on
arms in their armory, ready to march
to any part Of the city.
The military companies responded
nromptly. The Greenville Guards we're
called out first and afterward the But
lers, Every man on each company roll
who was in the city is on duty: ..
The body of ohnson wasrlddled Win
bullets. !.
The lynching party are believed to
have come from the Marietta section
of the county, where Langford lived
Joined by a few from Piedmont. Ine!r
numerical strength is varionsIy estl-
mated, but probably 100 will cover the
number.
They came into town entirely unex-
pectedlv about o'clock Monday morn
inc and knocked at the JUL door With
an axe. The jailer, Homer Storey:
onened it and in went the leaders OF
the party and demanded the keys. nc
stoutly and perisistently refused to
give them up, but they were hnally
found in his room and the negro Sc
cured, =.
While looking for the keys, Sheriff
Gilreath who was at home asleep and
Who was awakened by a policeman,
came ND to the edge of the crowd, but
was stopped by an armed picket, who
leveled shotgun at his head. While
attempting to pass the sentry, the sher-
iff saw the men come from the jail with
the prisoner. They carried him away
immediatelv-some being mounted ana
some in buggies and wagons-out the
Buncombe road to the Perry place, anu
there. near the roadside, hung him The
party then dispersed. leaving the body
hanging. It was cut down by the au-
thorities and brought to Greenvlllc.
TUE STORY OF JoHSsos's MURDER.
Johnson had been confined in the
Greenville Jail for just one week, hav-
inc beeen brought on Sunday, 7th, from
Piedmont, twenty-five miles from
Greenyille, where ne mad that day
killed the young white man, Frank
Lapeston. The story Of the killing rs
told by bystanders is thatLangston. N
company with several other white men,
found a small white boy quarreling
with a negro boy at the depot at Pied
mont, whom they separated, and John.
son coming up then took the part OF
the small negro, ana upon peinS
dercd to move on, drew his pistol and
threatened to shoot one of the white
men. Langston advanced on him anu
told him to put up his pistol, where,
upon Johnson turned upon him and
shot him twice, and then fled. He was
pursued and captured, and narrowly
escaped lynching but was finally taken
to the Greenville Jail. Langston died
of his wounds the next day. There
we're some rumors that he would be
lynched, but the authorities placed no
confidence in them, in so much that q
crowd of negroes who gathered about
the jail for the purpose OF protecting
johnson on Monday, Tuesday and
Wednesday nights, were arrested on
Wednesday night and the leaders
heavily fined on Thursday morning for
not having dispersed when ordered 70
do SO by the police.