The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1899-05-25

rage, threats of death, and fierce
cries of all kind rose on every side.
Women shrieked, kill him. Burn
him" ..Cut him in pieces" The men
demanded his life, and neighboring
clothesline was seized and brought
close to the prisoner and his guards.
Pistols cleaned on every side, and
were flourished in the air. Fear of
injuring one of the police alone kept
the citizens, who were armed, from
opening fire on the negro.
Hewlett and Easley, grasping
Taylor on each side, pushed him
through the crowd. In front and be-
hind the prisoner Gordon OF detec-
tives and police, two deep, locked
arms and fought off the crazed men
who sought to reach Taylor. At
times the progress of the prisoner
and his guard was temporarily check
ed, and several times it looked as il
the mob would gain its object.
In their rush they swept down the
picket fence that surrounded the
dwelling Taylor had just been taken
from.
Finally the mob seemed to have
won. The detectives could make no
progress, and Taylor, trembling with
fear, glanced at the angry faces about
him, confident that his last hour had
come.
The police, driven to extremities,
were then ordered to draw their
pistols and drive the crowd back.
| The execution Of this order had a
| wonderful effect. The mob drew off
some feet on every side, and Taylor
was again rushed along to the patrol
wagon, now near at hand. The final
rush to lynch the negro was made
| just as he was being put in the
wagon. Several men got close beside
the patrol wagon, and pushing their
pistols across the seats, waited for
Taylor to advance to a point where
the placing of the barrels close tc
his body would insure his death and
avoid injury to the officers. This
scheme was baffied by the police, who
threw their prisoner down on the
floor of the wagon, and standing
above and on him, turned with
leveled revolvers on the crowd.
Taylor was dislodged only wher
his ammunition had been exhausted
and the police had prepared to fire
the house in which he was concealed
Though surrounded by scores O.
policemen he was only saved by q
hairs breadth from lynching.
From the time of the incarceration
| rf To hn 0f
station up to late hour last night
there were many fears that the
authorities would have trouble ir
protecting their prisoner. About
o'clock in the afternoon crowe
began to gather about the station
and toward evening it assumed
ominous proportions. Threats O.
lynching and mutterings of summary
punishment were heard Throughout
the throng, which was being addet
to every minute. Along in the even
ing it grew to the number of man,
hundred. Frequently the swayin.
throng surged up to the doors o
the station, but the determined anC
numerous squad of bluecoats Their
assembled awed them, and the,
began to move away.
| While Taylor was being brought on
of the house a drunken negro, named
Williams alias Sonny Hunter, becam
insolent and abusive to the police
and insisted on forcing his way int
the house. Some one struck hin
and general belief got abroad tina
Hunter was attempting rescue
He was kicked, punched, or slappe'
by every one near him. He wa
thrown down the front steps, an
popular indignation surged to
dangerous point against the man
He was arrested and thus protected
from the fury Of the mob.