The Portland daily press., 1897-06-05
KICKED TO DEATH AND HUNG.
Sensational Lynching of Negro at
Urbana, Ohio.

criminally assaulted by Charles Mitchell
alias "Chick'' Mitchell, notorious
negro.
Mitchell was arrested and locked up
That night the Jail was surrounded by q
threatening mob but was --eld back by
the sheriff's posse and the local company
of the Ohio National Guards
Last night the situation was more
threatening than ever and Governor
he refused to order the militia from any
other place.
The grand jury was impanelled yester-
day and Mitchell was indicted He pleaded
guilty and was sentenced to the limit OF
twenty years. The trial lasted only few
moments, and Mitchell wanted to get to
the penitentiary at Columbus quickly,
but when the carriage drove up the jail
the crowd rushed in. Another crowd sur
rounded the depot
The sheriff remained fortified in jail
with his prisoner while the militia
patrolled about the ground. The crowds
would not disperse and at 2.30 a. M, they
broke through the lines of soldiers and
were about entering the Jail when the
soldiers opened fire.
LilC fOlICy IColltCl III 11tIIlo 1ClA, VI
this city being shot through the head and
killed instantly. Several OF her persons
We're badly wounded.
The dead are: Harvey Bell, Urbana,
shot in the head. instantly killed.
Upton Baker, farmer, north of Urbana,
fatally wounded; Wesley Bowen OF Gable,
shot in the hip.
Zach Wank, Urbana, shot in the groin
and leg.
Lesser wounded: Dennis Gray, Urbana,
right foot, slight; Dr. Charles Thompson
North Lewisburg, head, slight; S. S.
Dealon, Urbana, prosecuting attorney,
leg, slight; Gus Weiser Urbana, in the
face, painful; Ray Dickerson, Urbana,
shoulder serious; John McKeever, Urbana,
right arm, painful; Ray Mcclure, Ur-
bana, right arm, painful.
There was general panic for while,
and the dead and wounded were carried
in every direction in search of doctors
offices.
After the firing of the militia on the
crowd of spectators during the early
morning hours. Governor Bushnell or
Springfield, to come here at once. The
Springfield militia arrived here at 7.10
this morning and left their special train
on the outskirts of the city, or near the
waterworks.
The company thirty-six strong under
Captain Bradbury marched up town to
the jail where they found 2000 people sur
rounding it.
The Mayor assured them that the people
were law abiding and would assist him
in preserving order that the company
could leave the court house yard and
when their services were needed he would
send for them.
The Springfield company without wait
ing for further orders marched down the
streets to the depot without the sheriff
having seen them.
The local military company had pre-
viously refused to serve longer and went
to the second story of the sheriff's resi-
dence and tried to sleep.
With no resistance offered the crowd at
once made rush for the side door Two
strong and determined men kicked it
down in short order and gained admission
to the Jail the crowd following.
The crowd got in the jail speedily. They
did not wait to unlock the door to
Mitchell's S cell but burst the lock with a
sledge hammer and the door soon flew
open.
Mitchell was standing in his cell and
offered no resistance and did not utter a
word
Some one in the crowd had a rope and
it was placed over the brute's neck and
the crowd made for the door Mitchell fol-
lowing at the end of the rope.
In going down the steps the outside of
the jail Mitchell fell down and the rope
slipped off his neck.
The crowd surrounded him and jumped
on him like thousand hungry dogs.
Mitchell was kicked beaten and almost
quickly slipped over his head again and
a rush was made for a tree in the south
eastern corner of the court house yard in
front of the court house.
The end was thrown over strong limb
and a thousand willing hands pulled the
wretch up. The end Of the rope was tied
to the iron fence and Mitchell wase left
hanging there to die in full view of
several thousand people.
The lynching took place at about 7.2O
o'clock this morning. The men taking
part in it made no attempt to disguise
themselves but it is not known who did
the work and the person who attempts to
find out will get himself into serious
trouble. They did their work well and
that is all the people wish to know.
1t is doubtful if Mitchell died from the
effects of the hanging. His life had been
almost kicked out of him when he fell
down. 1t is the general opinion that he
was unconscious when strung up. The
body was left hanging for an hour or
more and the people of the city focked to
see it,. All classes of people came to wit
ness Ine spectacle. line BODY was nna1ly
cut down and placed in an undertaker's S
box and left lying in the court house yard
exposed to public view.
Gov. Bushnell arrived tonight to inves-
tigate the trouble and especially the act
ion of the troops. He was attending an
encampment at Wooster last night and
was met by a delegation from here on his
return to Columbus this afternoon. These
citizens from Urbana asked for protection
by the troops Of Sheriff Mclean against
whose lives threats had been freely made
during the afternoon, and if he was here
tonight it is believed that there would
be serious trouble. Sheriff Mclean left
this afternoon for Dayton. He escaped by
the back door of the Jail and claim that
dynamite was being prepared to blow him
up. In the excitement and bitterness that
prevails tonight it is almost impossible
to get at the.facts as to the responsibility
for the loss of life, but it is generally
CLAIMED that Sheriff Mclean ordered the
troops to fire.
Mrs. Gaumers Condition.
Columbus, Ohio, June A special to
the Despatch from Urbana, Ohio says:
Mrs. Gaumer, upon whom the negro COM
mitted the assault which led to the lynch