The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-06-11
LYNCHERS SEIZE A TRAIN.
THE RAILROAD MEN SIDE TRACK
1T AND FOIL THE MOB.


They Wanted to Go 10 Huntsville to
Hang Two Negroes and n NeEress
Implicated in a Criminal Assault
on "a White Girl OF IL Years-The
Huntsville Military Company Now
Guarding the Jail-The Crime
Committed at Decatur.
Birmingham, Ala, June 1O.-A special
from Huntsville, Ala, says: Lewis
Thompson and Walter Neville, negroes,
were brought here for safe keeping from
Decatur last night. They are charged
with assault upon l2-year-old Nellie Law
ton, daughter of Charles Lawton, an en-
ploye of the Louisville and Nashville
shops. The childs story was TO the ef-
feet that the two negroes, assisted by the
colored woman who cooked for the fam
lily, committed a criminal assault upon
her. According to the child, the woman
held her while one of the black fiends as
saulted her, the other negro standing on
guard.
'7rhey threatened the child with death
did she reveal their crime. The outrage
WdS COulHlltlSQ SOU16 udgS ago. Dul tilG
child being thus intimldated by their
threats kept silent. In the meantime.
the woman disappeared and a new cook
discovered the child's terrible condition.
She at once reported the matter to the
girls father, who had the negroes ar
justice court at Decatur. and yesterday
they were given preliminary hearing
and bound over to the grand jury. The
arrests were made Tuesday night, and not
until yesterday morning was it generally
known. All day men were seen standing
on street corners in groups and knots
talking in low voices and every minute
intensified the feelings of the citizens of
Decatur. Following the action of the
judge, the sheriff quietly removed the
prisoners to this place, twenty-five miles
east of Decatur"
"A special from Huntsville to the State
Herald says: considerable excitement
has prevailed here all the afternoon in
anticipation of a mob reported to be en-
route to this city from Decatur, but
no one of the various rumors has had any
verifcation.
THE local military company is guard
ing the jaid and Sheriff Fulhum will de
brought here for safe-keeping. Those
best informed do not believe the mob will
materialize tonight, but it is only ques
ton of time. 1t is reported here the ne
gro woman had been spotted and would
be caught and matters delayed to get her"
Company K, with fifty men, left tonight
at $3.50 o'clock for Huntsville with orders
to report to the sheriff of Madison county.
Macon Ca, June 1O.-A special to the
Telegraph from Montgomery, Ala, says:
"Gov. johnson received a telegram this
morning from Sheriff Fulhum of Hunts
vile that a mob of 200 had captured a
freight train at Decatur and started to
Huntsville to lynch two Decatur negroes,
Lewis Moore and Claude Neville. charged
with crlminally assaulting Nellie Lawton
(white), aged 49, and sent to Huntsville
for safe keeping. The train was side
tracked at Greenbrier. Gov. Johnson or
dered the Huntsville company to report
to Sheriff Fulhum under arms to protect
the Jail from any mob Two thousand
rounds of ammunition was ordered from
Birmingham on the noon train, and the
governor has telegraphed the colonel of
1.-THE Second regiment to hold one of the
Birmingham companies in readiness to so
to Huntsville at moments notice. Gov.
johnson wired Sheriff Fulhum to protect
the prisoners at all hazards, and that he
would give him all the troops necessary"
Atlanta, Ga, June 10-A special from
Birmingham at 430 o'clock p. m, says
that the Decatur mob bound for Hunts
vile, after being side-tracked at Green
brier, got tired of waiting and walked
back to Decatur in disgust, The troops
are on guard at Huntsville.