The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1896-07-03
JOSEPH COOKING HANGED.
Dragged From Port Tobacco jail
and Hanged From a Bridge.

Innocent or guilty, the stern, relent-
less Justice" Of the people of Charles
County, has made Joseph Cooking pay
with his life for the murder of his wife
and sister-in-law at Hill Top on the
night of April %.
He was taken from the Jail about l
O'clock on last Saturday morning and
swung from bridge near by. The
jailer was compelled to unlock the Jail
and show the mob the prisoners cell.
At the first sound of the noise Cock.
ing sprang from his cot and turned
CHASTITY white. Then. as the tramp of
m any feet neared his door, he shrank
as far back in his cell as he could and
sank to the floor He was down on
his knees, with clasped hands rails
ed above his head when the iron door
went Changing back upon its rusty
hinges and the lynchers crowded into
the apartment.
For the love of God, men, let me
say something" he implored.
"You 49, you've said too much
already" was the reply. "We'll teach
you to murder defenceless womenw
"Then let me pray" he pleaded.
you've had plenty of time for that.
If you haven't prayed before this,
that's your lookout" was what he
heard in reply.
There was a sound of struggle,
then as if someone was choking. If
what was going on inside was not un-
derstood, the next remark dissipated
all doubts.
"Loosen the rope! We want him to
walk out of here" ordered the leader,
and the rope was loosened.
Attired only in night shirt, the UNI
fortunate man was hauled from the
building. His hands were pinioned,
| and he was hurried to a bridge, within
a stones throw of the Jail All the
while he struggled desperately, but
| the odds were too great against him.
His face aud hands were scratched in
| his efforts to free himself from his re-
lentless captors, but it was all of no
use.
Then he begged for mercy.
But, no. The hearts of the men into
whose hands he had fallen were stran-
gers to mercy.
WHAT A DRUMMER SAW.
AS the doomed man stood upon the
bridge, surrounded by those clamoring
for his blood, there was an eye which
saw the tragedy enacted, which did
not belong to participant; so the de-
tails of Cocking's death can be told
! truthfully. This person was Balti-
more travelling salesman, who asked
! that his name be not used. He told
the Herald correspondent the story
this morning.
He was returning from Port Tobacco
! when his horse was stopped at the
bridge by the masked crowd, some of
whom were dressed as women. Indeed,
| it was claimed that two were women.
The mob had Cooking on the bridge,
and rope was around his neck.
The rope was thrown over a stringer
and was allowed to loop until it touched
Cockiug's head.
NOW, you can pray, if you want
tor said the leader.
Whether the victim was too exhaust
ed to speak or not cannot be said.
Anyhow, he was silent.
''Let her go, boysw was the next Or
der.
Somebody gave Cooking push, and
he plunged from the bridge. When
he reached the end of the tether his
descent was brought to a sudden con.
clusion, aud he swung in the air. His
struggles were horrible. He drew him.
self up repeatedly, and the gurgling
sound which escaped his lips told of
the hardness of his death.
Then the crowd quietly dispersed
not even firing a shot-an unusual
proceeding, it may be noled, for a
lynching party.
There is story to the effect that the
lynching was done mainly to save the
county the expense of a trial. 1t is a
fact that Just after the murder num-
Der of residents expressed themselves
as favoring a short shift to Cooking
rather than have him stand trial.