Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1897-06-12
DETAILS LEADING TO THE TRAGEDY

Urbana, O., June 5.-Never was there
such calamity in this city as that which
was enacted at 2:30 this morning. Two
men lay dead and six more are seriously
wounded, with one more that may die.
Since the deplorable shooting the people
are standing around the corners sadly
and seriously discussing the tragedy
hat had occurred. When the shooting
occurred an attempt was being made to
lynch the negro, click" Mitchell by the
mob, who flooded the jail from the rear.
he militia was in the hall IN the Sec
ond floor and standing at the window.
Higgin Of West Liberty and another
man had sledge 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 Higgins fell
back with MY God! / am shot" Then
followed a scene of death and deStruc-
ton that brought others down. one of
the panic stricken citizens exclaimed
that no one was safe here except Mitch.
ell.
This city of 5000 inhabitants is an UNI
usually orderly one. With it's colleges,
it always had the highest reputation,
but pandemonium reigned last night.
Recently Mrs. Eliza Gaumer, the wild
ow Of the late publisher of the Urbana
Democrat, was criminally assaulted by
Charles Mitchell, alias click" Mitchell,
a notorious negro, who was arraigned
last Wednesday, but the victim was too
III to appear In court. Tie man was
taken to her home for Identification. As
he entered she raised herself on her ell
bow and exclaimed, 1.-THE brute! Hang
him! How dare you face me, you brute?"
In default of 81 900 bail Mitchell was
locked up in the city prison, but on ac-
count of the feeling was removed to the
county Jail the same night for safe
keeping. That night the jail was sur
rounded by a threatening mob that was
held back by the sherif's posse and the
local company Of Ohio national guards.
Last night the situation was more
threatening han ever and Governor
Bushnell vas called on for assistance,
but he refused to order the militia from
any other place here. This city Is only
twenty miles from Springfield and forty
miles from Columbus, from which
places troops could have been trans
ported, but 1t was thought that Mitch
ell could be taken to the penitentiary
quietly. The grand jury was impan-
neled yesterday and Mitchell indicted
for criminal assault. Then the crowd
was thrown off the trail by Bringing
Mitchell into court in soldiers uniform.
Mitchell was scared. pleaded guilty and
was sentenced the limit twenty years.
The trial lasted only a few moments
and Mitchell wanted to get to the peni-
tertiary as quickly as possible, but
when the carriage drove up to the
Jail, the crowd rushed in to get Mitchell
and lynch him. Another crowd sur
rounded the depot. The sheriff re-
manned fortified at the Jail with the
prisoner while the militia patroled
about the grounds. The crowds would
not disperse and at 2:30 a. IN. they broke
through the lines of soldiers and were
about entering the Jail when the sol
diers opened fire. Hon. Daniel II. Gau-
mer, publisher Of the GAINESVILLE Signal,
and Hon. Charles M. Gaumer, formerly
publisher of the Mansfield Shield, broth
ers-in-law of the victim were here with
Mrs. Gaumer, who is still in a critical
condition.