St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-03-31
LOST ITS REASON.
Minneapolis Mob Narrowly
Escapes Doing Something
Very Serious.
CHILDcAUSES THE TROUBLE
Case OF Mistaken Identity
An Innocent Man Almost
Lynched.
HAYWARD'S UNLUCKY DAY.
April 10 Fixed for Arguments
Upon Case Against
Him.
HAYWARD'S UNLUCKY DAY.

- There was an unusually exciting
time about $50 last evening in the
neighborhood of Hoag and Sixth
avenues north, evolved from an ap-
(. parent case of mistaken identity
and sensitiveness on the part Of a
ten-year-old girl, whose name could
not be learned, and in which an
angry mob of about $50 people, i'm
bued with an emphatic desire for
lynching figured quite prominently.
The story of the affair, as learned
from the police, is about as follows:
At the time mentioned the child
referred to was on her way home
when she noticed Il ,s~a following
her at quite rapid pace. 1t so oc-
child had been assaulted by a man
whose description tailed slightly
with that of the young man walk
ing so rapidly behind her, and who
was j. H. Webb, an employee of the
Northern Pacific freight office, re-
siding with his wife at $50 Seventh
avenue north, and who is a man of
irreproachable reputation. The child,
whose mind may have been slightly
affected by the occurrence of a year
ago, became frightened and started
for her home screaming at the top
of her voice. She ran into TIE house
and told her mother that the man
who had assaulted her was after her
again. The mother flew out of the
house, and started after Mr. Webb
who was walking quietly, but. hur-
riedly home, the child saying that
that was the man.
The woman's screams attracted neigh
bors and passers-by, so that in a mo-
ment a crowd of nearly 15G people was
attracted to the spot. Enough of the
story was heard by them to take away
what little common sense they may
have had, and cries of Hang him !
Lynch him. ETC., flew thick and fast.
Excitement reigned supreme, and for a
few moments it looked as though there
would occur something for which a
number of people would be sorry when
they came to their senses again.
The shouts and uproar attracted the
attention of John K. Hannay, a lawyer
residing at SIG Sixth avenue north, and
he, at once divining what the trouble
was, called Mr.. Webb into his house.
where he would be protected, and sent
for the police, while the mob crowded
around the front and rear doors, look
ing for all kinds of trouble.
Officer Nj. Linnehan, of the Fourth
precinct police, was sent to the scene
and quietly took Webb and the mother
and her girl and several witnesses to
what had occurred to police headquar-
tiers, followed by portion of the mob.
Lieut.. Tom Coskran listened to the
story of all the parties, and saw at once
there, was nothing for the police to
investigate, and that it was probably
case of mistaken identity. The moth
er was told that if she thought she had
a case against Mr.. Webb she could go
into the police court Monday and swear
out a warrant for his arrest, but that
the police would not take a hand. She
grew angry because the lieutenant re-
fused to arrest Webb, but finally went
home, accompanied by her child and
witnesses, and the mob, which had re-
covered its senses, dispersed. The mat
ter was not considered of enough i'm
portance by the police to even obtain
the name of the woman and child, and
it could not be learned last night.