The San Francisco call., 1897-06-05
THEN THE ENRAGED POPULACE
RALLIES IN FORCE.
Fearing the Avengers, Soldiers and Officers
Sink Away, and a Fiendish Negro,
the Cause Of All the Trouble,
Is Lynched,

URBAEA, OHIO. June 4.-Battle, mur-
der and sudden death came upon this
peaceful little town last night like light
nlng from clear sky. Streets are
stained with the blood OF its citizens, and
the shadow of death Is over its homes.
Amid the green leaves of a tall tree be
fore the Courthouse swung to-day the
body OF worthless negro, the cause of il
ali. The town militia, in endeavoring TO
uphold the majesty of the law in protect
ing negro ravisher from the incensed
populace, fred a volIey point-blank in the
faces of a crowd of 500 men, all of them
their own acquaintances many of them
personal friends and some of them rela-
tives, killing two and iniuring six. The
entire town rose, and body of 2000 or
1000 men marched against the militia,
overawed them, took their prisoner from
the jai! and hanged him high before re-
endorsements, sent hurriedIy by the Gov
ernor from Springfield could reach the
scene. The Sheriff and militia captain,
frightened by the crowds threats, soon
after fed from the town to pc death
Since twenty-three years ago, when
UIlery, white man, was lynched III the
same place for q similar offense, lynching
has been unheard of here. But when Il e
negro brute, Click Mitchell by name, as
saulted a woman whom every body knew
and respected, leaving her dying, such a
wave of anger surged through the COM
munity that men went about the streets
swearing to kill him on sight. The feel
ing was intensified when the negro was
captured and taken by the Sheriff's Off
GERS before his victim for identified ton
Rising in her bed, she cried: Eyes, that
Is the brute; take him and hang him as
high as Haman."
The Sheriff's men hurried the negro to
Jail before the townspeople could get to-
gether to act. They were none too soon,
for half an hour later, at O clock yester-
day afternoon, crowd of 500 men gath
cred in front OF the jail and demanded the
prisoner.
You might as well give him to US"
they said to Sheriff McLain. 'It will
save the trouble Of useless trial, and we
VIII get him, anyway"
The Sheriff temporized with them and
hurried 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 Jail yard
shoulder to shoulder, the crowd s1llenly
withdrew. They knew every one of the
citizen soldiers well enough to call him
by name; but the uniform changed it ali.
The authorities saw that prompt action
was necessary, and an extra jury was i'm
paneled at once. They could not try
Mitchell in jail, and they feared the
consequences of taking him through the
crowd. So they made one of the militia
men doff his uniform, put his clothes on
the negro, and they then marched him
with the squad to the courthouse. 1t
took but a few minutes to convict him.
The Judge sentenced him to twenty
years imprison ment in the penitentiary-
the extreme limit-remarking as he did
so he wished he could impose the death
penalty. Then the negro was quickly
smuggled back to Jail.
Sheriff McLain thought this quick con-
viction and sentence would appease the
mob. He appeared on the jail steps and
shouted: "Boys, go home. He has been