The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1897-06-12

URBANA, ONO, June 4.-0ne negro lynched
for an awful crime, two citizens shot down by
the militia and score wounded is the record
of last night in this hitherto peaceful com
munity.
lynched.
Harvey Bell, of Urbana, shot in the head
and instantly killed.
- Higgins, shot through the body and
instantly killed
FATALLY WOUNDED. [slNcE DIED.
Zack Wank, of Urbana, shot in the hips,
fatally wounded.
DIR. Charles Thompson, of North Lewis
burg, shot in the head.
Dennis Graney, of Urhana, shot in the right
foot.
Sherman S. Deaton, prosecuting attorney
of urbana, shot in the hip.
Gus Weiser, of Urbana, shot in the face.
George Ellicott, superintendent of the cleo
tric-iig6t plant of Urbana, shot in the face.
Ray Diekerson, of Urbana, shot in the
shoulder.
Ray Mcclure, of Urbana, shot in the right
arm.
Ralph McComb, of Urbana, shotin the arm.
THE STORY or THE NIGHT.
Battle. murder and sudden death came upon
this peaceful little town last night like light
ming from a clear sky, The streets are stained
with the blood of its citizens. and the shadow
of death is over its homes.
The march of armed men and the clauk Of
hayonets echoed through the town. Amid
the green leaves of tall tree before the court
house swung the body of worthless negro
the cause of it all.
Urbana has lost its reputation as "a law
abiding community, and its lesson has been
bitter The events of the past night have
been such as to leave lasting blot upon its
fair fame. The town militia, in endeavoring
to uphold the majesty of the law in protecting
a negro ravisher from the incensed populace,
fired volley pointblank in the faces of a
crowd of 500 men, all of them their own ae-
quaintanees, many of them personal friends,
and some of them relatives.
The entire town rose and a body of 1000
or 1900 men marched against the militia,
overawed them took their prisoner from Jail
and hanged him high before reinforcements
sent burriedly by the Governor of the State
from Springfield could reach the scene.
Lynching is not prevalent in Ohio, and
such a thing was never heard of in this neigh
borhood. But when negro brute, "Click
Mitchell hy name, assaulted woman, the
widow of an editor, whom everybody had
known and respected, leaving her dying, such
a wave of anger surged through the commu-
nitv that men went about the streets swearing
to kill him on sight.
This feeling was intensified when the negro
was captured and taken by the sheriff s officers
before his victim for Identification.
The sheriff men hurried the negro to the
Jail before the townspeople could get together
to act They were none tao seon, for half an
hour later, at ] o clock yesterday afternoon,
a crowd of 500 men gathered in front of the
Jail and demanded the prisoner. .You might
as we'll give him to us, . they said to Sheriff
McLain. at will save the trouble of q use
less trial. and we will get him anyway"
The Sheriff temporized with them, and hur-
ried to swear in an extra force of deputies
He also called out the local militia, known as
the Urbana Guards. When they swung into
the iailyard, shoulder to shoulder, the crowd
sullenly withdrew, They knew every one
of the citizen soldiers well enough to call him
-bv name, but the uniform changed it all. The
authorities saw that prompt action was neces-
sary, and an extra jury was impaneiled at
once. They couldn't try Mitchell in jail and
they feared the consequences OF taking hlm
to court through the crowd. So they made
one of the militiamen dGff his uniform, put
the clothes on the negro and marched him
with squad to the courthouse.
1t took only few minutes to convict him,
and the Judge sentenced him to 20 years in
the penitentiary-the extreme limit. Then
he was smuggled back to Jail.
Sheriff McLain thought that this quick con-
viction and sentence would appease the mob.
He appeared on the jail steps and shouted i:
"Boys, go home He has been tried, con-
victed and sentenced to 20 years"
This seemed to satisfy the mob, but the
silence was only temporary, and later on 1t
was determined to hang the man irrespective
of consequences. When the deed was over
it received the plaudits of the public. Now
let the Governor of Ohio have the murderers
arrested, tried, convicted and hung. .-EDIToRs
ADVOCATE.