Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-07-06
jail; Mr.. g. Minor Anderson detailed the
tracking of the wagon to fha woods and


| the finding Of the body and DR.. o. NJ.
Linthicum stated the cause of the mans
death to have been straDgulation. Deputy
| Sheriff Thompson gave unimportant tes-
| lyncfing was contemplated Sheriff Col
| Her described how he had been assured by
Gaithersburg people that Randolph would
not be molested. and has depended upon
their assurances for the mans safety. In
Jailer Peyton's evidence he stated that
he had overheard conversation at the
jail between Randolph and MIR. John A.
Belt of Gaithersburg. in which Mr.. Belt
dolph, and he BelD could prove it. Ran
dolph replied that he could prove his name
was Randolph. and thereupon Mr.. Belt told
| the prisoner that he was guilty and had
better be saying his prayers, as he hadn
many hours to live. When Mr. Belt, who
| is postmaster at Gaithershurg, and one of
| Its leading citizens. was called to the stand
| he said he had visited Randolph and had
told him he had better be praying. When
asked by one of the jury, Samuel Soper,
what had prompted him to say 1t. Mr.. Belt,
with evident feeling. declined to answer the
| question, saying it was none of the juror S
| business. and stating that he would an
swer 1t only at proper time and place.
| Mr.. Belt declared he had heard nothing of
| the intention to lynch Randolph, and that
he had heard of no rumors to that erect
| In Gaithersburg on Friday. The inquest
was adjourned until Tuesday.
Mr.. SomerviIle Bean.
The name Of Somerville Bean was fire.
| quently mentioned in the course of the in
quest. and from the trend of the questions
regarding him 1t was evident that he had
| been ating the story that Randolph
| lynching had been determined upon for Fri
| day night. 1t is probable that he will be
called to the stand. 1t is said that he told
several people in Rockville that the lynch
| ing would occur and that this was as early
a n Rockville
Base Ball Club took the train for Frederick,
accompanied by Mr.. Bean.
1t is also rGmored that the news of the
prospective lynching was conveyed to sew
| eral of the county officials Of Montgomery
before Z o'clock Friday evening, but that
| no notice was taken of 1t because it was
not believed any more than preceding rI-
mors to the same effect had been and be-
| cause there was an impression. that the
people in the vicinity of the scene of the
assault on the Buxtons had determined to
| let the law take it's course, as all the be-
levers in the mans guilt at GaithersburS
had declared with earnest emphasis that
| there would be abundant evidence forth
| coming to convict him without question.
The Lynching Discussed.
| Thos. w. Gilmer writes to The Star on
! the subject of the Randolph lynching as
follows:
If the people of Montgomery county, Md.
and order, they will spare no pains and no
money to find and punish the cowardy
| brutes who murdered the defenseless pris-
| oner, Randolph. last Saturday morning.
! There is a suspicion Oct us hope it is I'M
| foundeD that this inquest will be a farce.
| like the pretended inquiry III the Cooking
| case. AS all the leading citizens are not
| supposed to have participated In the Ran
| dolph lynching, 1T will require but little eff
| fort on the part of the officials to get testi-
mony against the mob.
| The county officials had ample warning
| in this case, and they failed to exercise or
dirary care. The Rockville tailer made no
| resistance worthy Of the name. The brave
men who dragged the helpless prisoner
from his cell in the dead hour of darkness
would have dropped their DISCUSSES and
scattered like sheep If the TALLER had show
| ed sufficient nerve to fire single shot.
Such people don't risk their precious skins
even in a hanging bee. In such cases the
legislature could and should make the re-
sponsible county answer in heavy damages
Also the voters have it in their power to
elect brave officers who will do their duty
under all circumstances without stopping
70 consider what is popular with the mob.
Law-abiding people are thankful that The
Star never caters to the lynching senti-
ment.,
Where the Responsibility Rests
Mr. VIM. j. Lee writes suggesting that a
remedy for lynch such as that of Ran
| dolph, which is stigma that fiends of
| Montgomery county have placed upon her
! fat" fame may be found IF our law
makers were tC frame and pass a bill and
! the same become law, declaring that in
any town, county or city a lynchlng should
| occur that said town, county or city he
made to pay an indemnity of $4,000 or
| $4,000 to the treasury of the state in which
| the crime was committed, We would imme-
diately see stop put to this manner of
| injustice, as some counties could not afford
| to pay SO great an indemnity as above
|
| strain every nerve to see that ample pro-
| lection be given every one, regardless of
race or color" He believes that law.
| makers are responsible for these lynchings,
| and the burden of guilt rests heavily upon
their shoulders as well as upon the Shout
| ders of tie lynchers themselves
| A Reward Suggested.
| A special dispatch from Annapolis says
| Or j. NJ. johnson of 1917 Linden street,
| Washington, has written to Gov. Lowndes,
asking that reward be offered for the
| lynchcrs of Sidrey Randolph of Montgom-
| cry county. The doctor goes a good deal
| into details, and declares Randolph inno-
| cent. He claims that the detective forces
| of Washington and Baltimore have been
| called off of the matter, and used to shield
| the guilty party and help convict Ran
| delphi. Gov. Lowndes is absent, and moth
| ing has yet been done in the natter
| THREATS AGAINST BUXTON.
| RumOrs of Sensational Sort Disturb
| Rockville and Gafthersburg.
! Special Dispatch to The Evening Star.
| ROCKVILLE, July 6.-Rockvile and
| Gaithersburg were excited last night over
runners that q crowd of negroes were COM
| ing to this town to lynch Mr.. Buxton, who
| was stopping at the residence of his bro
| ther-in-law, MIR. John Hilton. Mr.. Buxton
| who was considerably alarmed, was driven
| by Mr.. John Kelchner to the former S
| home in Gaithersburg, and the coming of
| the negroes was awaited, but they did
| not mSteralize 1t turned out that young
| man named Dove, who is said to live In