The San Francisco call., 1897-06-05

tried. convicted aud sentenced TO twenty
years"
Cries OF rage arose from the crowd when
they learned they had been tricked. The
Sheriff retreated into the Jail and double
barred all the windows and doors. He
placed the negro in the most secure cell
on the second floor and ordered the
militia TO remain on guard all night.
The Sheriff had planned TO spirit Mitchell
away in carriage from the rear of the
jail and drive him to Hagen baugh's sta
ton, few miles off, and there board an
eastbound Panhandle train for Columbus.
He was afraid to do this, however, as the
mob surrounded the jail on all sides.
Hau he done so it is likely his effort TO
save the negro would have failed, for
when the train reached the station it was
boarded by number of men from Ur-
bana, who forced the conductor to keep
it waiting while they searched every car
to make sure Mitchell was not there.
As the evening wore on the crowds about
the Jail thinned out and the Sheriff began
to feel more secure. At midnight all was
quiet and the militiamen slept on their
arms. Half an hour later dark forms came
scurrying through the streets from every
direction toward the jail. When about
500 men had gathered one of them went to
the jail door and pounding loudly
shouted: 'Give up your prison. T."
Captain G. w. Leonard quickly had his
little force of militiamen in order The
crowd outside could hear the rattle of
muskets. 1t was planned by members
of the mob to keep the soldiers and depu-
ties engaged in front of the Jail while an
attack was made quietly in the rear. So a
score or more stole silently to the back of
the jail armed with sledge hammers. They
thought they would be able to batter in
the rear door, get the prisoner and escape
while the guards were watching the front.
Meanwhile the crowd in front was to make
as much noise as possible and keep the
soldiers attention. The men in front car
ried out the plan too eagerly. They were
so threatening that Captain Leonard and
the Sheriff thought an attack from that
quarter was imiuent. Captain Leonard
threw open the Jail door and standing on
the steps shouted: Il will give you three
minutes to disperse. If you do not we
will fire.
The crowd, daunted, fell back involun-
tarily. Just at that moment of silence
the clash of sledge-hammers against the
iron Of the rear door rang out There was
a scurrying inside the jail and the crowds
saw that their plans had miscarried. Hop
ing, perhaps, that the attention of the
N ilitia would be diverted to the rear. and
not believing in their hearts that the
militia would fire upon their own
friends, they made a wild rush forward.
They were met by volley from the rifles
and eight fell in their tracks. The citizen
soldiers stood firm, with gun to shoulder
but there was 40 need. Dismayed and
panic stricken, though infuriated, the
crowds ran helter-skelter. They were in
no mood just then TO run against another
wall of bullets. The men in the rear
dropped their edge-ham mers and fled.
The crash of the rife volley rang over
the sleeping town. Almost instantly
men, women and children came rushing
from their homes. The first who regained
courage enough to approach the jailyard
found it like a battlefield Men were