Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1898-10-06
AssocIatea rresa plspatcn b. speelal wires.

| 1pooStoscu hosS pisPatSh W opoetni Hio7
Annapolis, Nd, Oct. Twilight
Smith, colored, who attempted an as
sault OH Mrs. Morrison, wife of Capt.
James Morrison, residing near Jones'
station, in the Third district, was
taken from Jail shortly after 2 o'clock
this morning and shot. The lynching
party went to the Jail, pointed guns at
Night Waterman Duvall and took the
prisoner to lot near the city ceme-
terry, where they riddled his body with
cried murder" as he was being re-
moved from Jail.
At 9 O'Clock the bell at the door of
the Jail rang. This is the night signal
to bring in prisoner. Waterman
Duvall went to the door. He took
down the inside iron bar and, as soon
as he did, tho door was burst open and
half u dozen guns were pointed at his
head. Behind them were masked men,
and to the rear of them more armed
men. Without word; they forced the
Waterman to the second floor, and
then they demanded the keys to the
corridor and cells. He gave them up.
The door of the corridor swung open,
and straight to the cell of Smith went
the men.
The cell door was thrown wide open,
and the prisoner ordered to come out.
Neither the assailants nor the doomed
man had a word to say. By this time
the lynchers, 30 in number, crowded
the jail corridors, some in light white
clothes and masks, and some without
masks. Waterman Duvall says he could
not make out any person individually,
nor could no tell whether they were
young or middle-aged men. The pris-
oner was compelled to go before the
mob. He walked down the stairs, to
the front door, and out, He neither
offered resistance nor uttered word
until he reached the front steps, on
Calvert street.
Then he gave cry of murder. "
No time was lost, and he was showed on
before the lynchers, now numbering
between 40 and 80. He was taken to
the corner of Northwest and Calvert
streets, distance of 90 yards. AS
Smith turned up Northwest street to
the cemetery, one of the crowd struck
him with a cobblestone, and he fell.
Then he cried murder" again; and
when 10 yards in advance of the crowd,
the lynchers began to fire on the
would-be ravisher. He fled to the open
lOb, vi NOftuWbSb, Strtbtt tUI tiio FtdT
of Sanders row of buildings. The
moon gave sufficient light to let the
lynchers see what they were doing.
The reports of the guns aroused the
people in the vicinity: and on looking
out their windows, they saw and heard
the fusilade of so shots or more, and
Smith fell dead on the grass. Then
the lynchers went off as quietly as they
came.
The lynchers were evidently from the
section of the attempted assault. They
| came in buggies, which were tied up
in College Creek bridge, at tho northern
boundary of Annapolis. When they
left their buggies, they walked through
the campus of ST. Johns College, and
then to the Jail.
The crime for which Smith was
lynohed occurred on the night of Sep
TENDER I'd, while Capt. Morrison was
absent from home. The house was
entered by negro, who broke into the
room occupied by Mrs. Morrison and
her sister and attempted to assault
them. Both women fought desperately,
and finally drove off their assailant.
Smith, who had disappeared from the
neighborhood. was arrested in Balti-
more last Monday and taken to An
napolis. Mrs. Morrison unhesitatingly
identified him as her assailant. He
trembled violently, but denied his
guilt. There was much feeling against
the prisoner from the time of his iden-
| LITIGATION.