Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-07-06
MOBLAW'SLtTEST
Maryland Uses Independence
Day for a Lynching.
QUITE A UNIQUE ENTERTAINMENT.

Declaration of Independence Before
Stringing Up the Victim. Who Was .
Negro Vino Protested That He Was
Innocent-"Lafe Soldiers of the Gar
Indulge in an Elegant" Row.
ROCKVILLE, Nd, July 6.-Sidney Ran
dolph, a negro charged with the murder
Of little Sadie Buxton, and with brutal as.
slult with intent to commit murder on
the girls father, mother and elder sister
during the night of May %, at the home
Of the Buxtons near Gaithersb,rg, was
lynched before daylight Saturday morn
Ing by mob of determined men who
overcame the jailor and forced him to
surrender the keys to the Jail. The negro
protested his innocence of the crime to the
last. This makes the second }ynching in
Maryland within two weeks, Joseph Cock
ing, white man in Jail on a charge Of
numbering his wife, having been killed by
a mob short time ago.
The Mob Appears at the Jail.
About 2:3O o'clock in the morning
Charles H. NJ. Peyton, jailer of Montgon-
cry 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 prisoner.
He did so and found confronting him Il
mob of twenty or thirty masked men He
quickly slammed the door in their faces
| and locked it, only to have it broken down
a few minutes later. The crowd rushed
| IN end demanded that he unlock the cell
doors. Meeting refusal they leveled re-
volvers at Peyton's head and directed him
to hand over his keys, which he did
promptly.
Negro Fought for HIS Life.
| The affair. was well planned, for the
mob proceeded ut once to Randolph's cell
The negro was an exceedingly 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 adjoin-
ing cells say that he strongly protested
his innocence and begged for his life. The
mob gave no heed to these pleadings, but
gagged him and then dragged him to a
vehicle in waiting and drove out of town.
| A hangmans knot was tied around the
| negro's neck and soon afterwards his
ifcless body was swinging from q con-
venient tree.
The First Crime Committed.
On the morning of May 26 all Maryland
within fifty miles of Washington was
startled by news that during the night
one or more intruders had entered the
house of Mr.. Buxton, a miller of Gathers
burg, and had murderously assaulted the
head of the household, his wife and two
daughters with an AK while they were
asleep. 1t 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 satisfactory account of himself.
| Authorities Were Fully Warned.
1t was supposed he had been instigatef
to the deed by companion named Neal
just released from the penitentiary whittier
he had been sent chiefly through testi
mony given by Buxton, whose life he hat
threatened. Neal, however, could not b,
connected with the crime and was released
while Randolph was committed to Jail t.
await trial, a coroner's jury having foun(
that Sadie Buxton came to her death from
blows inflicted by an axe in Randolph
hands, and that some one unknown wa
accessory to the deed. There had beel
:, frequent threats to lynch both Neal ant
: Randolph.