The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-06-05

open, then secured a large sledge hammer
and broke for the Jail. The hammer was
not needed, as Sheriff McLain delivered the
keys, and the crowd soon found Mitchells
cell. Throwing a rope over Mitchelrs head,
he was dragged out, receiving some kicks
and blows. When the outer door was
reached the moose slipped off and Sylvester
Zimmerman tied it so securely as to re-
ceive the cheers of the crowd.
JERKED TILL DEAD.
The rope was thrown over one of the
limbs of q tree in the courthouse yard,
Mitchell was jerked up until his head
struck the limb and his neck was broken.
and then his body dropped to the ground.
The crowd repeated the jerking several
times until they were sure he was dead.
While the body of Mitchell was lying on
the ground hundreds crowded about to see
it. The colored people were greately ex-
cited They had previously met and adopted
resolutions for the punishment of Mitchell,
but many of thenr talked about him not
being guilty Women and children, as well
as a multitude of men, witnessed the
lynching. There was no attempt at disguise
or secrecy. The assemblage in the public
square was as open any public meeting
that had ever been held in that place. The
local militiamen feeling the overwhelming
public feeling against them, offered no re-
sistapce when the mob broke into the Jail
or when the lynching was going on and
the Springfield Company had been counter
marched to the depot An hour or more
after the lynching Mitchell's body was
picked up and placed in rough coffin, but
still left under the tree, where hundreds
of people continued to view it. The negro
died without a struggle, as his neck was
hrOlx nv ba arL LAT
in the day the body of Mitchell was
moved by the coroner and other traces of
the violence were removed as fast as pos
sibe.
Meantime, crowds of people poured into
the city from all surrounding towns and
viewed the bloodstained steps of the jail
and the marks of the bullets on the sur
rounding houses. Among the sights shown
visitors was a tree in the same courthouse
yard where a man named UIlery was
lynched twenty-three years ago for SIM
liar crime on the seyen-year-old daughter
of j. 3. Morgan. Then the Jail door was
burst open with log and the sheriff sur
rendered the keys and no lives were lost
except that of the culprit. The tree is still
standing, but the limb on which Ullery was
hanged is dead and stands out as ghastly
reminder Of violence. All the visitors
wanted to see the limb on which Mitchell
had been hanged, and the remark was fire.
quently made that it would last long
enough for future generation to see it.
GOV. BUSHNELL AT THE SCENE.
Governor Bushnell arrived here tonight
to investigate the trouble and especially the
action Of the troops. While the Urbana
company is overwhelmed with local senti-
ment against its action, it is also liable for
abandoning its post of duty. Captain
Leonard withdrew the guards about a. m
and the Springfield company took orders
from the mayor instead of the sheriff when
it turned back from the courthouse. Gov
Bushnell was attending encampment at
Wooster last night and was met by dele
cation from here on his return to COlum-
bus this afternoon. These citizens asked
for protection by troops of Sheriff McLain
against whose life threats have been freely
made during the afternoon, and if he was
here tonight it is believed that there
would be trouble again. Sheriff McLain left
here at p. m. and arrived at Springfield
at 3 p. m. en- route to Dayton. He es-
capped by the back door of the jail and
claims that dynamite was being prepared
to blow him up. In the excitement and Bit
terness that prevails tonight it is almost
impossible to get at the facts as to the
sponsibility for the loss of life, but it is
generally claimed that Sheriff McLain Or
dered the troops to fire last night
While such dreadful scenes were observed
outside of the Jail there is much dispute
as to what occurred inside of the Jail from
midnight until the time of the lynching.
When the first attack was made on the Jail
at 2:30 a. m. a dozen men mounted the rear
steps of the Jail and two of them used
sledge hammers on the doors The local
militia company was under arms on the in
side with Sheriff McLain and his deputies
Capt George w. Leonard then stepped out
and said: Il will give you three minutes
to disperse. If you do not do so / must
fire" The crowd generally believed that
Sheriff McLain had then already ordered
the troops to fire and they dispersed. But
when the attack was renewed on the rear
door of the jail with sledgehammers the
firing took place and the crowd dispersed,
leaving their dead and wounded. 1t was
after O'Clock when Sheriff McLain tele-
graphed Governor Bushnell at Wooster, o.,
that a mob had attacked the JAIL that he
had opened fire, that his force was made
quate and that assistance was needed at
once. Governor Bushnell had the Spring
field company here early.
1t is believed that there will be a
thorough investigation into the action of
the mayor as Well as into the action of the
sheriff and the military officers.
SOLDIERS PELTED WITH MUD.
When the Springfield militia company,
thirty-six strong under Captain Bradbury,
marched up town they found two thousand
people surrounding the Jail. The company
marched into the Jail yard and was met
by Hon. NJ. Lewis, who said to Captain
Bradbury:
1--WE don't want you now"
''Who are you?"
81 am the deputy sheriff. replied Lewis.
'There is the sheriff over there point
ing to Mayor Canon, who at the particu-
lar moment came forward from the crowd
on the courthouse steps and proceeded to
address the militia and the crowd The
mayor assured the militia that their serv-
ices were not wanted; that the people were
law-abiding and would assist him in pre-
serving order, that the company could leave
the courthouse yard and when their serv-
ices were needed he would send for them.
The Springfield company, without waiting
for further orders, marched down street to
the depot, without much as the sheriff
seeing them. The people were so bitter
against the militiamen that the Springfield
company was jeered, cursed and pelted
with mud balls.
Four prisoners escaped while the mob
was taking Mitchell out to hang him.
The coroner returned a verdict in the