Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1897-06-09
URBANA OFFICER SEEKS
SAFETY IN FLIGHT.
BLAMED FOR THE TRAGEDY
He First Went to Sprin field, but the
Report of n Mob Coming for Him
Drove Him TO Dayton-GOverpor
Bushnell Talks of the Trag-
edy-Excitement Runs
Very High.

COLUMBUS, Ohio, June IA special
to the Dispatch from Urbana says that
the town this morning has resumed it's
normal condition and everything is
quiet Instead of negro dangling
from tree on the most prominent
street corner, an excited populace
thronging the streets, military and a
sheriff hiding in the county Jail. a
sheriff is fleeing, a captain of militia
cannot be found, and members of
military company are keeping out of
sight
Nothing is positively known of the
whereabouts of Sheriff McLain and
Captain Leonard. 1t is the general
belief that the sheriff drove to Spring
mediate friends know where the cap.
tain is
1t was reported that a mob of $50
men had organi zed to go to Spring
field after the sheriff, and such word
went to Springfield, having the effect
of driving him to Dayton. He is uni
versally condemned by the people and
held responsible for the shooting of
citizens by the militia. The citizens
insist that he should have refrained
from ordering out the troops.
Governor Bushnell was asked what,
if anything, he desired to say about
the lynching of the negro at Urbana
Jail. He said:
"a sheriff, by the laws of Ohio, has
power to call on the state troops in his
county to protect persons and prop
erty. The law of Ohio is peculiar in
! this respect. The sheriff at Urbana
called the local company into service
| Word did not come to me until 1915 D.
IN. Thursday of the impending trouble
at Urbana.
81 was at a banquet of the Sons of
Veterans at Wooster Thursday night
1t took the messenger twenty minutes
to find me. The request for military
aid was from Captain Leonard, in COM
mand of the Urbana company of state
troops in the Jail in which the negro
was imprisoned. Captain Leonard
said the sheriff wanted help. / did OF
look upon the message of Captain
Leonard as being from the proper
source. The telephone people at
Wooster were in bed. They were Sc
cured by HAS p. m. and l got Sheriff
McLain at Urbana by telephone. He
told me he had forty men. / told him
he ought to be able to protect the
prisoner and property with forty men.
Il have since learned he had fifty-five
men, He said he would do the best
he could, but public sentiment was
dead against him. l told him he had
nothing to do with public sentiment.
His duty was to obey the law. He did
not ask for help. l left the telephone
Office at midnight The shooting by
the Urbana company occurred after
that conversation.
"At B o'clock a. IN. a message came
from Sheriff McLain saying his force
was inadequate and for me to send
help. l Immediately telephoned Cap
tain Bradbury, company Il, Third Ohio
infantry, Springfield. to report with
his company to Sheriff McLain at Ur-
bana. At the same time | telephoned
Sheriff McLain that Captain Brad bury
would report to him. Captain Brad
bury arrived at Crbana at or before
o'clock a. IN. Colonel Anthony of the
Third Ohio infantry, to which is at
tached the Springfield and Urbana
companies, says Sheriff McLain TOLD
him that Captain Bradbury of Spring
field reported to and talked with hin
(the sheriff. and was directed by tn.
sheriff to return to the train or t.
Springfield. The lynching occurred
not more than thirty minutes later
according to the best information
have
The governor said the sheriff did no
inform him of the existing troubl,
until it had reached its climax, al
though the thing had been brewing
several days. He had been assured by
all classes of people in Urbana tina
the sheriff done all that could hav,
been done under the circumstances.
THE URBANA SHERIFF FLIES
CINCINNATI, Ohio, June IA Times
Star special from Dayton, Ohio. saws
Sheriff McLain of Urbana arrived il
Dayton at s o'clock last night and wa
gu ietly conveyed to the home of hi
brother-in-law. Great effort wa
made to keep the presence of the sher
iii In this city secret, and even aftel
it became known that he was here i
was with great difficulty that he wa
located.
''He explained his secrecy was t,
avoid interviews, but said he had lef
Urbana at the solicitation of friends
who feared for his safety, and that
while he had no fear, he deferred t.
their wishes in the matter