The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1895-05-29
A MARYLAND LYNCHING
Murderer Henson Dragged from
= Jail by a Masked Mob.
FEARED EXECUTIVE oLEMENCY.

Governor Brown, However, Declares That
tho Condemned SIan Would Have Been
Legally Hanged, AS Experts Had Declared
Him Mentally Responsible for His Act
ELLIcoTT CITY, Md, May 29.-Jncob
Henson, the young oeiored man who WIS
recently tried and convicted in the How
ard county court and sentenced to be
hanged on June z, was taken from the
Ellicott City Jail early in tho morning and
hanged to the limb of dogwood tree.
The mob assembled near the jail by twos
and threes. No alarm was given, and the
first Information Chief of Police Vansant
had of their presence was when the lead
ers OF the throng demanded admittance to
the jail. He attempted to ,parley with
them, but 1t was Of no use.
1--WE have come for Henson, and we
mean to have him." was the only answer
given to him.
Vnnsant refused TO open the Jail doors,
but heavy stick OF timber proved as Of
fcacious as key, and the mob was soon
inside tho little prison. Henson covered
In his coll, and when he caught sight Of
the yelled figures as they were revealed by
the dim light of a single lantern he
shrieked for mercy, swearing that he had
neyor killed Shea.
1t was useless. Half u dozen determined
men broke opon the cell door and placed a
rope around the negro's neck. lie WAS
more dead than alive when dragged from
the cell He fell upon his knees and al
ternately prayed and cursed; but deter
mined hands were ut the other end Of the
rope and he was dragged face downward
down the jail steps.
Once in the open air he seemed to re-
vive, and struggled to his feet, determined
to fight for life. For moment OF two
there was desperate struggle, but Hen
son was quickly overcome. and was half
dragged, half carried from the center Of
the town. On past the place where the
murder was committed The mob hurried
him to his fate.
Merrick's lane seemed to offer a convent
snt place for the last act of the tragedy,
and Henson was hustled along until Pa
tapsco institute and its sleepy inmates
were left behind. Then tho end of the rope
was thrown over the branch of tree.
There was final shrick, ending in a
ghastly rattle, as the murderer was pulled
clear off the ground and the tragedy was
over. No shots were fired, and the mob
dispersed as quietly as II had assembled.
The lynehing was tho work of about
twenty determined men, who thus avenged
the murder of Daniel +. Shea which wa,
one of the most brutal crimes ever com
mitted in Howard county The lynchert
feared that the governor of Maryland
might be induced to Interfere, and com
mute the dead mans sentence to life i'm
prisonnent.
The grounds for this apprehension can't
from the repeated visits to the Jail of spec
talists in mental diseases to inquire int
Henson's sanity, and the reported inten
tlon of Governor Brown himself to go ou
there for the same purpose.
The belief had been growing that Hen
sons sentence might be commuted an,
he be spirited away TO the Baltimore pen
itentiary. The effect of this belief wa
found in a placard, signed "Whitccaps,
which was left pinned to tho breast of tn
lynched negro, on which was written
1--WE respect oIIr court and judges Gov
ernor Brown forced the law abiding citi
sens to carry out the verdict Of the jury.