The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-07-04
STRUNG UP.
A Mob Breaks Into the Jail at
Gaithersburg, Md,
Before Daylight This Morning
and Takes Out
A COLORED PRISONER
Charged With Murder and
Criminal Assault.
They Gag Him and Hang Him
to a Tree.
A Bloody Struggle With the
Victim In His Cell.
\ COLORED PRISONER

Rockville, Nd, July 4.-Sidney Ran
dolph, a Negro charged with the muir
der of little Sadie Buxton. and with
brutal assault and attempt to commit
murder on the child's father, mother
and elder sister during the night of
May 25 at the home of the Buxton's
near Gaithersburg, was lynched before
daylight this morning by a mob of de-
termined men who Overcame the sheriff
and forced him to surrender the keys
of the jail. The Negro protested his in
nocence of the crime to the last.
This makes the second lynching in
Maryland within two weeks. Joseph
COcking,a white man in jail on a charge
of numbering his wife, having been kill
ed by a mob a short time ago.
About 2:30 O'Clock this morning,
Charles H. NJ. Peyton, jailer of Mont
gomery county was aroused from his
sleep by loud rappings at the front door
of the Jail. When he inquired who was
there he was told to open the door to
receive a prisoner.
He did so and found confronting him
a mob of twenty or thirty masked men.
He quickly slammed the door in their
faces and locked it only to nave it
broken down a few minutes later. The
crowd rushed in and demanded that he
unlock the cell doors.
Meeting n refusal, they leveled revol-
vers at Peytons head and directed him
to hand over his keys, which he did
promptly. The affair was well plan
ned, for the mob proceeded at once to
RandOlph's cell. The Negro was an e5--
ceedingly powerful man, over six feet
tall and muscular. There must have
been a hard struggle to secure him.
the cell floor being covered with bloody
marks. Prisoners in adjoining cells say
that he strongly protested his inno-
cence and begged for his life.
The mob gave no heed to these plead
ings, but g. gged him and then dragged
him to a vehicle in waiting and drove
out of town. A hanGmans knot was
tied around the Negroes neck and soon
afterwards his lifeless body was
swinging from a convenient tree.
On the morning of May &c al Mary
land within fifty miles of Washington
was startled by news that during the
night one or more intrUders had entered
the home of Mr.. Buxton, miller of
GaithersbG4ss and had murderously as
saulted the head Of the household and
his wife and two daughters with an axe
while they We're asleep. Ii was feared
all four might die, but though terribly-
injured all recovered save the youngest
daughter. Suspicion pointed to Sidney
Randolph, a Negro who was found near
Gaithersburg, unable to give a satis-
factory account Of himself. It is sap-
posed he had been instigated to the
deed by a companion named Neal just
released from the penitentiary whittier
he had been sent chiefly through testi-
mony given by Mr.. Buxton. whose life
was threatened. Neal. however, could
not be connected with the crime and
was released while Randolph was COM
mitted to jail to await trial, a coroner's
| jury having found that Sadie Buxton
came to her death from blows inflicted
| by an axe in Randolph's hands and
| that someone unknown was an acces-
sorry to the deed. There have been fire.
/ quent threats to lynch both Neal and
| Randolph.