The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-05-30

N SMITHS STATEMENT.
- Il Smith County Writes of
II. Recent Lynch'nG'
.,,c THAT HE MADE MISTAKES.
:, Judgment and Not Care
M He Did MT nciierc
. Mob Would Come.

r,, MAY es.--When the people
w.. .woke last Sunday morning and
q" ~, awful news that Bill Jones
,,o, TO death In his cell during
~ ~, hv mob Of citizens from Lin
exclaimed almost with one voice:
vas the sheriff and his deputies,
:, Nv did they not protect the prisoner
..,,lnsf" As the facts became more
.,ovn to them and after learning
\, Ne sheriff had been warned ever since
:. .r,est and Incarceration that au eff
.ou,d likely be made to mob him,
,u.t he had been repeatedly warned on
..,s,v evening, and. later, Saturday
~ that a mob would certainly come
I. iipdale TO kill Jones that night, n
Z, majority Of the people OF Tyler were
-roten in their condemnation Of Sheriff
I.sA. failure 10 remove Jones 10 some
N. ,,,l where he would be out of reach
4. mob, or, II this was impracticable.
sra notified the citizens of Tyler Of
N Mra,ened violence TO Jones and called
rfIeIeut guard TO protect him in his
Nj
i,tss Duncan on last Monday, in an ar
~ rublshed in the local papers hero.
M rppubllshed throughout the State, Sc
IN criticised Sheriff Smith for his ac-
N. or rather, inaction in not either re
rcyhr Jones or else protecting him after
- him Nh,t. Ia,
mod BY almost every one that the best
x,u 10 have been pursued was to have
r-svM Jones to some place entirely out
n,sh Of the mob. yet, after the sheriff
tsisei OF failed to do this. a very small
-a Of men, owing to the construction OF
ltaA!l and the winding stairway necessary
n h ncended In order to reach Jones'
n, could have defended 1t against the
nhned efforts OF $50 men, unless eX-
kayes had been resorted to. In fact, II
Alieved that two men placed at the head
De winding stairs could have repealed
,y mob that might have attempted TO as
rad to the upper cells
Sheriff Smith stated, after the publica-
Hs Of Judge Duncan's public condemna-
ta o. the AFFAIR. that he would make
xtnsnt 10 the public on Tuesday. de-
skrg himself and his deputies in the
fit' Owing to sickness In his family,
ssser with pressing business. he did
" GET ready hts defense, which has every
ny been looked for by the people here,
btu this afternoon, when he gave out for
sa!iton the following statement:
q The day following the murder of w.
@fwart went TO Lindale, in company
re Two deputies, Wig Smith and W II.
t'd In the course Of the day arrested
ih !nes, colored. and VIII Jones. white,
suiin,s Issued by Justice King. chare-
U hia With murder. The prisoners were
snla 10 Tyler and placed in the county
WsAy was agreed upon by Judge Nc
w. csrsel for Jones. aud County At
my NWalker as the day upon which
na " examining trial. Thursday af-
snna delegation OF citizens from LIN
ane down and tried to exact from
LAi promise to allow the examining
be held at Lindale. but Walker
I'M .s mem no promises. Friday morning,
Ils hrote TO Justice King. stating that
saa consulted With me aid we had con-
~ - " carry the prisoner TO Lipdale for
~. IN Inc meantime l had discovered
y. nsr plan was to board the train, on
- me prisoner was to be carried. at
a' ofiek yard, two miles south OF
.sis mke the prisoner from me and
M laa' In his letter to King, Walker
Instructed that officer to have all the
.sss here at the examining trial sat
M morning $3.50
e!e McCord, Jones' counsel arrived
Nngvlew Friday afternoon and came
~ my office. | told him the decl-
~. ~" mao neen reached MS to the place
"a. ! told him, furthermore, that
I.lea II very imprudent to attempt
s 'ne prisoner even to the court
- aere' IN the presence of the large
u witnesses who would be here
rs,. nnaaie ADVISED him to waive IN ex-
In u'ai, and In the course of few
NJ. '''ef The excitement had somewhat
e,,.,, % sue out writ before Judge
I ~, Judge McCord then vent to tho
,rr, W. mad talk with Jones. He soon
M. w. ahd- laughing. told me that
M sM impatient for the trial TO occur;
kha,,s was willing for 1t TO be held at
LEM ina, he was not afraid of tho
~. People, and that he could mt ON
a. .a sneet and run every man ont OF
~ MI saturday morning eame. but
BIZ ma "thesses appeared from Lin
3D. as a consequence no trial was
)lte,s snnpsssion now being that Judge
Nj r.. aiiy decided on the process
In a's'eu TO him on the afternoon be-
kcs =. J heard occasional casual ru-
Eosn ~, ane probabilities Of a mob coming
M v na,, Lindale and lynchIng the Irls-
ksor, ra'u no especial attention to these
(gs snv wi me simple reason that when
IN nm prisoner is brought here 10 this
k.io,r "y charge much worse Than The
hA IN 'hese same rumors are cirru-
n dnn. much more empha.i, way Than
d rr,se on Thursday in respect IA ZONES.
sh,,o.'y these rumors we're SIM N cir-
sA him q, Ven, meht to County Judge Cross.
" sitacbaa "e rufnors. and stated that I
ssn. Ht oa u" particular Importance 10
y had eu with me aud said that
" any or soa laii and that he did not
A,arday ,t ~ effort 10 break into II.
U aot co ,ne fumors We're stu afloat. but
Though 70 me In any tangible form.
Z every hau my men all along watch
esee mich, enue through which auy evil
aNinr a. 'pme About o'ciock In the
tTlor and n, .'a started for supper. Pres
sied tba, vu Long came to me and sus-
" Of ja,I a nau better try and get Jones
W md bo ana conceal him. as they had
y belief ,sa. enough to Justify them in
The ian ,l an attack would be made
v jail was nat night told them that
'sqlt I tho locked that the keys we're in
,osh TO op, eompinaiion TO which was
"a By The H one man In Tyler; that |
u snd 20, uhe | could hunt up that
: LOO lats :, 'he Keys to the iail It would
q, 'cr the attempt TO remove lie rris-
'ssad at,so s reason that II he :, OBJ in
~ slreadv me Jail that night they
v we're w watching every moyc made