Bridgeton pioneer. (Bridgeton, N.J.) 1884-1919, 1897-02-18
NEARLY LYNOHED.
The Community Took The Law in It's Own
Hands and Mr.. Lee Was Nearly
Sent Into Eternity

Sent Into Eternity.
The all-absorbing topic at Port Norris
Thursday and Friday, is the attempted
lynching off Charles Lee, colored OYSTER
men, by band of White Caps. The
tongues OF the gossipers and the tongues
OF the merchants, oystermen and all the
people in that pretty little oyster town
are all discussing the subject. An oc-
currence OF this kind has never been ex.
perlenced before in this section of the
county. White Cap visits in the west are
very common, but when they come right
In our own midst it is enough to set
tongues wagging.
Charles Lee is a colored man. and be-
longs to the gang of oystermen who were
imported from Baltimore several years
ago, who have given more or less
trouble to the Inhabitants of this county
and the courts.
Lee also seemed to be the lover of a
white woman. Her name is Mrs. Law
renee, the wife of Charles Lawrence, an
aged and hard-working man of that
village.
The family is not much thought of by
the townspeople and they live in squalor.
although Mr.. Lawrence works every day,
1t seems that he allowed Lee to hang
around his house. Still he thought Lee
worked also, but this Lee did not do, and
he would spend all his time in the
presence of Mrs. Lawrence. His dusky
smiles were reciprocated by Mrs. Law
renee. The neighbors noticed their ac-
ctions, but seemed afraid to do anything,
and then, too, as the family were of such
an immoral character, they let the cooling
OF the colored fellow and the white wo-
man go on unnoticed.
There were others in the town who did
not think it best for the otherwise moral
community to allow this thing to go on
any longer. With the determination tc
stop it, a band of White Caps, seven in
number, late Wednesday night, donned
the epharaphernalia of that weird organiza.
ton, and arming themselves with re.
volvers and rope, they started for the
Lawrence home.
On arriving there they called for Lee tc
come out. Not coming soon enough
they threatened to batter down the door
OF the little, old rickety story and "a hall
house, and were about to put their threat
| into execution when Lee raised a window
and having nothing on his person excep
| his undershirt, jumped from the window
and started on a run for the swamn
| carrying his pants in his hands.
He made dash for big swamp, the
White Caps following, shooting their re
volvers after him. They chased him in
the swamp which was filled with waite,
and ice, when they had him at their
mercy. They shot several times over his
head and each time he would drop fiat in
the water. After Lee was half drowned
ana frozen the White Caps made a moose
and put it around his neck and threw the
other end over limb of tree.
Lee was then told his time had come
and If he had anything to say, say it
linen. Lee got down on his knees and
begged hard and long for mercy. Once
or twice they frightened up on the rope,
all the while it was pinching Lee tighter
about the neck. He begged pitifully to
|
be let OFT, promising that he would leave
toWp and never show his face there again.
The White Caps held consultation
and concluded to let him off with that
promise. The rope was taken off his
neck and he was led from the swamp and
stArted up the road on a run. Several
shots were fired after him by the White
caps.
Lee went by the name of Eleven Brown,
name given him, by crap shooters, he
being an expert at the game.
The woman formerly lived in this city,
and bears an unsavory reputation. She
has been warned by the White Caps to
let colored men alone or she will be
visited some night and driven out of the
town the same as Lee was.
10 Ia y y. r