Birmingham state herald., 1897-06-05
TWO KILLED, TEN WOUNDED Was the Bloody srice of a Rav-
 isher's Corpse. TROOPS SHOOT CITIZENS While Defending a Negro Prisoner in the Urbana, O., JaiI-sheriff and Captain
 of Military Forced to Leave.


 killed and ten wounded by company of the Ohio national guards at this place at 2:3O this morning. The soldiers were attempting to save Charles Mitchell, the colored assailant of Mrs. Eliza Gaumer, from the hands of an infuriated mob, but their efforts were unavailing. Mitch ell was taken from the jail at 730 this morning and hanged to tree in the court house yard. The two previous nights and yesterday portsnded the grav- est anxiety but no such events were an- ticipated as those occurring in the five hours from 2:30 to 7:30 a. m. today. Those killed by the militia were spectators at the scene of excitement. In addition to this list 1t is feared that Mrs. Eliza Gau4 mer, who was criminally assaulted by the negro, will not recover and several of the injured are in a serious condition. There is intense feeling against some of the officials and further complications are apprehended. While the past two nights and days witnessed scenes of lawlessness and bloodshed, yet the feeling at no time has been as intense as 1t is here tonight. The body of Mitchell was exposed all day in a rough coffin and 1t intensified the feelings among the masses. The citizens who. were killed will be buried Sunday and their funeral will tend to keep alive
 
 ed are cripples for life.
 THE DEAD ARE.
 HARVEY BELL, Urbana, shot in the head; instantly killed.
 UPTON BAKER, farmer, north of Ur- bana.
 THE FATALLY WOUNDED ARE:
 Wesley Bowen, of Cable; shot in the hip.
 and leg.
 LESS SERIOUSLY INJURED:
 Dennis Graney, Urbana; right foot, slight.
 Dr. Charles Thomson, North Lewis burg; head. slightly.
 s. S. Deaton, Urbana; shoulder. serious.
 John McKeever, Urbana; right arm, painful.
 Ray Mcclure, Urbana; right arm, pain ful.
 One week ago today Mrs. Gaumer was criminally assaulted in daylight at her home in this city, near the court house. MRS. GAUMER WAS FRUSTRATED.
 She fel the disgrace and requested her son to announce that she was assaulted for rpbherx---Itwasg given out that Mitch ell attempted to force her to sign a check for 5000. Bu5 as Mrs. Gaumer's condition became more serious the facts became known, and ai1o that the negro was af- fife led with loathsome disease. Mitch ell was first held for robbery, but on last "Wednesday he was arraigned for criml- nal assault. Mrs. Gaumer was unable to appear in court, and the hearing wus held at her home. AS Mitchell entered her room she raised up in her bed and ex- claimed: '@The brute, hang him! How dare you face me again? You brute!'
 Soon after the iden if1cation on Wednesday there was talk of lynching. Crowds surrounded the jail that mig ghc and the sheriff ard local militia had trouble in protecting the prisoner. Yes t'erday grand jury was empaneled and it soon returned an indictment for crim- inal assault Mitchell, disguised in sol- dier's uniform, was brought last night from jail into court. He waived the read ing of thetndiotmem., pleaded guilty and was promptly sentenced to twensy years in the penitentiary, the limit for criminal assault. Hhe trial was over before g o'clock last night, when an t.emIt was made to take Mitchell to Columbus at 10 p. m But the crowds were about the court house and jail, and when the car rfages drove up eihe crowd made a. rush for the jail The military drove the peo- pie back but the crowd soon increased in fury as well as in numbers so that Sher- if Mclean and the troops had all that they could do to hold the jail and the "trip to Columbus was given up before the de- parture of the lant train.
 It was :S5 a. m. when the first at:ack
 
 opened fire on the mob and two volleys were poured into the advancing crowd. FOUR WE'RE KILLED AND TEN
 WOUNDED.
 The attacking party retired, but f.ihe sight of the dead and injured infurfa ted them and the crowd soon rallied. The final attack on the jail was made at 2 o'clock fis morning. The local company that did the shooting had been on duty TfoV~f ric md a c f<s Gov. Bushnell for endorsements. He ordered a company from Springfield to the scene and they arrived before 2 o'clock. Mayor Ganeon me. the soldiers and sent them back to the depot. saying x}1at they were not warted. The local company was also withdrawn from the jail bout this rime.
 r The mob, which had grown in numbers, at the break of day seeing the way clear secured a large sledge hammer and not needed as Sheriff McI.ain delivered the keys and the crowd soon found Mitchell's cell A rope was thrown
 AROUND THE NEGRO'S NECK and he was dragged out. When the outer door was reached the moose slipped, but it was soon rpIaced and the condemned man was hurried into the yard. The limbs of a treis. Mitchell was jerked up until his head struck the limb. His neck was broken and his body dropped to the ground. The crowd repeated the jerking lssveral times until they were sure that he was dead. There Is some doubt as to what occurred iLetde the jail from mid night until the time of the lynching. The facts as near as can be arrived at are as follows:
 JUST THREE MINUTES. When the first attack was made on the Jail at 80 a. m. a dozen men mounted the rear step and two of them used sledge haHnn,Iers on the door. The local military company was under arms in the inside sswith Sheriff McLain and his deputies. HCapt. w. G. Leonard stepped out and said:
 q will give you three minutes to dis perse If you do not do so I must fire"
 The crowd generally believed that Sher- fir McLain had already ord cred the troops to fire and they obeyed- But when the attack was renewed on the rear door of the jail with sledgs- hammers the firing took place ard the orowd disperssd, leaving their dead and wpurded. It was after o'clock when Sheriff McLain teIe- grsphed Governor Bushneh at Wqostsds, iOirio, that a mob had iattacked the jail, that he had opened fire, that his force