The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1897-06-10
Riot rklUHPHS SUEERLAW
An Ohio Mob Lynches Its Man AZ
ter a Battle With Militia.
CULPRIT BEATEN AND HANGED.

One of the Most Estimable Women
in the City-An AIl-Night Struggle.
URBASA, Ohio (SpeciaD.-Charles Mitch
ell, colored, who recently made q criminal
assault upon Mrs. T. NJ. G. Gaumer, and
had been sentenced to twenty years i'm
prisonment, was taken from the Jail at 7.20
o'clock Friday morning by "a mob and
hanged to the nearest tree. The jail had
been defended through the night by the
local militia company, who fired on the
mob at 2.3O O'Clock a. m, killing two men
and wounding eight others.
Just before the shooting occurred crowd
Of thousand people stood congregated
around the Jail. 1t seemed certain that an
attempt would be made to take Mitchell
from the jail and hang him. The crowd
was more boisterous than at any time since
the prisoner had been confined. There were
shouts and howls for the culprit. The mob
had crowded into the jail yard and was
pushing toward the jail.
Captain George W. Leonard, in command
OF the militia, addressed the crowd and
gave them three minutes to disperse. There
was general rush from the jail yard, but
the crowd soon returned.
When the shooting occurred an attempt
was being made by the mob to enter the
iail from the rear. The militia were in the
hall on the second floor and standing at
the window. A man named Baker, OF
West Liberty, and another man. had sledSe
hammers in their hands and had broken
the glass in the door leading to the hall
from which the Jail is entered.
Suddenly the militia opened fire without
warning and Bake er fell back, crying, Il
am shot" yolley after volley was fired,
until as many as twenty rounds had been
discharged into the crowd. There was
general panic and the dead and wounded
were carried in every direction in search OF
doctors offices. After the smoke had
cleared away and the victims had been
identified, the fatalities were found to be
as follows:
Killed-Harvey Bell, shot through the
head: Upton Baker, shot through the
body. Wounded-Dr. Charles Thompson,
North Lewisburg, shot in the head; West
Bowen, of Cable, shot in the hip; Ray
Dickerson, shot in the shoulder; Dennis
Graney, shot In the leg below the knee;
Zack Wank, shot in the arm; Sherman 5.
Deaton, shot in the hip; Ray Mcclure, shot
in the arm; Ralph McComb, shot In the
arm.
The Springfield troops arrived as rein
forcements at TO, and Immediately
marched toward the Court House. An
gry citizens who were incensed over thek
killing Of their fellow-townsmen by the
local militia at $50 a, m, were only further
| irritated by the appearance OF more troops.
Crowds gathered on the streets and
greeted the soldiers, who are colored men,
with hootings and all sorts OF insulting
remarks. Next mud balls were thrown at
them The fever of excitement raged more
Wnpnnn nnnaQFp0
the streets in large numbers, and their
presence seemed to be an incentive to the
mob to ayenge in some manner the outrage
to Mrs. Gaumer.
In the Jail yard the Springfield men, who
numbered thirty-SiX, and were under Cap
tain Bradbury, found 1000 people: Mayor
Ganson assured the militia that their SER
vices were not wanted; that the people
were law-abiding and would assist him In
preserving order; that the company couid
leave the court house yard, and when their
them. The Springfield company, without
waiting for further orders, marched down
street to the depot without so much as the
Sheriff seeing them.
The local military company had previ-
ously refused to serve longer, and went 10
the second story Of the Sheriff's residence
to attempt to sleep.
With no resistance offered, the crowd at
once made rush for the side door. TWO
strong and determined men kicked 1t down
in short order and gained admission to the
Jail, the crowd following. There were
plenty Of sledge hammers, chisels aud
other tools among the crowd and the men
went to work.
Part of the crowd had previously forced
themselves upstairs into the private apart
ments Of the sheriff, and found the keys TO
| the Jail, which had been hidden. The crowd
did not wait to unlock the door to Mitchells
cell. but burst the lock with sledge ham,
mer, and the door soon few open.
Mitchell was standing in his cell. He Of
fered no resistance, and did not utter
word. Some one in the crowd hao rope.
1t was placed over the neck OF the victim
and the crowd made for the door, Mitchell
following at the end.
In going down thesteps on the outside OF
the Jail Mitchell fell down and the rope
slipped off his neck. The crowd surrounded
him. and he was kicked, beaten andialmost
killed. The rope was quickly slipped over
his head again, and rush was made for a
tree in the southwestern corner OF tae
ward, in front Of the Court House. The END
was thrown over strong limb, and will
to the iron fence, and Mitchell was left
hanging there in full view Of several thou
The crime for which Mitchell paid the
penalty was heinous one. He crimina!ly
assaulted Mrs. Eliza Gaumer, widow OF the
publisher of the. Urbana Democrat. He
was arraigned, but his victim was too Ill TO
appear in court. The man was taken to her
home for Identification. AS he entered the
door she raised herself on her elbow and
exclaimed, "The brute! Hang him! How
dare you face me, you brute?" That night
the Jail was surrounded by threat
ening mob that was held back by
the Sheriff's posse and the local
company of the Ohio National Guard
The Grand Jury was impaneled next
day and Mitchell was indicted for criminal
assault. Then the crowd was thrown on
the trail by bringing Mitchell into court in
soldiers uniform. Mitchell was scared,
pleading guilty, and was sentenced 70 the
limit of twenty years. The trial lasted
only few moments, and Mitchell wanted
to get to the penitentiary at Columbus
quickly, but when the carriage drove up to
the jail the crowd rushed in, trying to
lynch him. Another crowd surrounded,the
depot. The Sheriff remained fortified In
jail with his prisoner, while the militia
patrolled the ground.
Iowa Chooses the Wild Rose.
TIE Iowa Legislature has chosen the Wl!d
-, Ss,ot 20