Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1897-06-10
MOB LAW IN OHIO.


rheLynehfng of aCiick', Mitchell at Urban@
After Two Citizens Had Been Killed and
. Number Wounded in an Effort to Up
hold Legal Methods-The People Had
Their Way and = Foul Crime was Expi-
ated.
Lynched.
Mrs. T. N. Gaumer.
Citizens Dead.
Harvey Bell, of Urbana. shot in the head and
instantly killed.
Upton Baker. q farmer. He leaves 9 widow
and four children.
The Wounded.
John wank of Urbana, shot in the hips ia
tally wounded
Dr. Chas. Thompson. of North Levisburg.
shot in the head
Dennis Graney. Of Urbana, shot in the right
foot.
Sherman s. Deaton. prosecuting attorney Of
Urbana, shot in the hip
Gus Wesier. of Urbana, shot in the face
VIM. Elliott superintendent of the electric
light plant of Urbans. shot in the face
Ray Dickerson, of Cable, shot in the shout
der.
VIM. Mcclure, of Urbana, shot in the arm.
James Bowen. of Cable shot in the left hip
Dan Graney. OF Urbana, shot in the groin
URBANA, o. June with threaten
Ing scenes on the streets and about the
public square all night it was 1:S0 a.
~. when the first attack OF the citizens
was made on the jail and the military
began firing. Over 20 shots were
poured into the crowd and the mob was
repulsed with deadly results, leaving
two killed and ten wounded. Most of
the wounded persons were innocent
spectators, beyond the lines of the
mob. Bell and Baker were killed
instantly and when their bodies were
picked up in the courthouse square it
made the crowd furious. After the
dead and wounded were cared for tbs
crowd rallied.
It was daylight soon after a. m.
and the streets were crowded with
working men and others long before
q. 10. Everybody in the city was out
when the lynching occurred and in the
bright daylight no masks were worn.
The local militia had been on duty two
nights, and they did the shooting.
Gov. Bushnell had been asked for more
troops during the night, and before Z
a. m. company from Springfield ar
rived. just then the local company
was withdrawn from the Jail.
Mayor Ganson met the Springfield
company en- route from the depot and
sent these troops back, saying they
were not wanted. The mob, seeing
the way open, then secured a large
s1edge hammer and broke for the Jail.
The hammer was not needed, as
Sheriff McLain delivered the keys and
the crowd soon found Mitchell's cell.
Throwing a rope over Mitchelfs head,
he was dragged out receiving some
kicks and blows. When the outer
door was reached the moose slipped off,
and Sylvester Zimmerman tied it so Sc
curely as to receive the cheers of the
crowd.
The rope was thrown over one OF the
limbs of a tree in the courthouse yard,
Mitchell was jerked up until his head
struck the limb and his neck was
broken, and then his body dropped to
the ground. The crowd repeated the
Jerking several times until they were
sure he was dead. While the body OF
Mitchell was lying on the ground hun
dreds crowded about to see it.
The colored people were greatly ex-
cited. They had previously met and
adopted resolutions for the punishment
of Mitchell, but many of them talked
about him being not guilty. Women
and children, as well as multitude OF
men, witnessed the lynching. There
was no attempt at disguise or secrecy.
The assemblage in the public square
was as open as any public meeting that
had ever been held in that place. The
local militia company feeling the over
whelming public feeling against them
offered no resistance when the mob
entered the Jail or when the lynch
ing was going on, and the Springfield
company had been countermarched to
the depot.
An hour or more after the lynching
| Mitchelps body was picked up anc
| placed in a rough coffin, but still left
under the tree, where hundreds of PEG
pie continued to view it. The wretch
| died without struggle, as his neck
was evidently broken by the first jerk
Gov. Bushnell arrived here tonight
| to investigate the troubles and espe
cially the action of the troops. While
the Urbana company is overwhelmed
with local sentiment against their &C
ton, they are also liable for abandon
| ing their post of duty. Capt Leonard
withdrew the guards about a. M anc
the Springfield company took orders
from the mayor instead of the sheriff
when they turned back from the court
house.
Gov. Bushnell was attending en-
encampment at Wooster last night
and was met by delegation from herr
on his return to Columbus this after
noon. These citizens from Urban'
| asked for the protection by troops o
Sheriff McLain, against whose life
threats have been freely made during
the afternoon, and If he were here to
night it is believed that there wouIt
| be trouble again.
It's learned tonight that Sheriff
McLain and Capt. Leonard left Thu
afternoon at the request of citizens
who feared they were in danger of VIC
lence tonight. They took supper a
| Springfield and left at 7:30 on the BIZ
Four express for Cincinnati, but wouIE
not tell where they were going.
After the fatalities of the night it is
known that Sheriff McLain and Capt
Leonard decided by daylight there
need be no more shooting.