The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-06-05


| fore the departure of the last train.
| 1t was 80 a. M when the first attack
| was made on the Jail. The soldiers OPEN
| ed fire on the mob and twenty volleys
| were poured into the advancing crowd.
| Two were killed and nine wounded. The
attacking party retired but the sight of
| the dead and injured infuriated them and
| the crowd soon rallied.
The final attack on the Jail was made
| at Z o'clock this morning. The local COM
pany, which did the shooting, had been
on duty for two nights and request was
sent to Governor Bushnell for reinforce
| ments He ordered a company from
| Springfield to the scene and they arrived
| before Z O'clock. mayor Cannon met the
soldiers and sent them back to the depot,
saying that they were not wanted. The
local company was also withdrawn from
| the jail about this time. The mob, which
| had grown in numbers at
the break of day, seeing the
way open, secured a large sledge
hammer and started for the jail. The
hammer was not needed. as Sheriff Nc
Lain delivered the keys and the crowd
soon found Mitchelrs ell.
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 replaced and the con-
demned man was hurried into the yard.
The rope was then thrown over one of
the limbs of tree. 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 jerk
| ing several times until they We're sure
/ he was dead There is some doubt as to
| what occurred inside the jail from mid
night until the time of the lynching. The
| facts. as near as ,an be arrived at, are as
| follows:
| 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 hammer on the doors. The local
militia company was under arms on the
inside with Sheriff McLain and his depu-
| ties. Capt George w. Leonard stepped
out and said: Il will give you three min
utes to disperse If you do not do so |
must fire."
| The crowd generally believed that Sher-
| iff McLain had already ordered the troops
to fire and they dispersed But when the
attack was renewed ON the rear door of
| the Jail with sledge hammers, the firing
| took place and the crowd dispersed.
leaving their dead and wounded. 1t was
| after three o'clock when Sheriff McIain
| Itelegraphed Governor Bushnell. at Woos-
ter. Ohio. that q mob had attacked the
jail. that he had opened fire, that his
force was inadequate and that asslst-
ance was needed al once.
The colored people are greatly excited
1 =. !, 4 ltr Mt
and adopted resolutions for the punish
ment of Mitchell, but many of them
talked about him not being guilty. Nom-
en- children, as well as a multitude of men,
| witnessed the lyching. There was no at
| tempt at disguise or secrecy. An hour or
| more after the lynching, Mitchelfs body
| was picked up and placed in rough
coffin, but left under the tree, where
hundreds of people continued TO view it..
Later in the day the body was removed
by the coroner and other traces of the yio-
lence were removed as fast as possible.
| Meantime. crowds of people poured into
the city from all surrounding towns and
viewed the blood stained steps of the jail
and the marks of the bullets on the sur
rounding houses. Among the sights shown
visitors was a tree i'll the same court
L mousse NdI1 NHtIe Il tIlaH Hdlllpu CDJi y
was Iy1iched twenty-three years ago, for
a similar crime upon the 7year-old
daughter Of j. b. Morgan. Then the Jail
| was burst open with a log and the sheriff
surrendered the keys and no lives were
lost except that o6 the culprit The tree is
lstill standing, but the Emb on which u
lery was hung is dead.
Governor Bushnell arrived here to-
Il a.. rg+..r IL ,,I
| especially the action of the troops While
| the Urbana company is overwhelmed
| with local sentiment against their ac-
tion. they are also liable for abandoning
their post of duty. Capt. Leonard with
| drew the guards about a. M, and the
| Springfield company took orders from tho
| mayor instead of the sheriff, when they
| turned back from the court house.
Governor Bushnell was attending al
encampment at WoOdster last night anC
was met by delegation from here on hi>
return to Columbus this afternoon. TIL,
citizens asked for protection by troops OF
Sheriff McIIain against whose life threats
had been freely made during the after
noon and if he was here tonight it Is
| believed there world be trouble again
| Sheriff NcLain left here at : p. IN. an1
| arrived at Springfield at ) p. m., eI
route to Dayton. He escaped by th'
back door of the Jail and claims tha
| dynamite was being prepared to blow
him up. In the excitement and bitterness
that prevails tonight it is almost impos
sible to get at the facts as to the RESPONSE
biity for the loss of life, but it is general
ly claimed that Sheriff McLain ordere'
the troops to fire.
ii is believed there will be a thorough
| investigation into the action of he mayo
=. | as we'll as into the action of the sheriff
| and military officers.
Mrs Gaumer is the widow of a well
| known newspaper publisher. Her broth
, | ers-in-law are ID. ii. Gaumer, publishe
of the GAINESVILLE Signal and an exStat
! | Senator. and G. \. Gaumer, formerl,
| publisher of the Mansfield Shield and al
| ex-State Representative.
, Mitchell was % years old and a hote
porter He bought milk at the dairy o
| Mrs. Gaumer and knew she was alon
| while her children were at school. = III
= 1 ;nI ttr f.,