The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-08-22
THE LYNcHING IN ALEXANDRIA.

A-''
Cars leave the green at 10 a. m.
THE LYNCHING IN ALEXANDRIA.
Nothing Done by This Negro, But a
Gang of Ruftians Recruited in Wash
ington Murdered Him--No Attempt
at Disguise Yet Not One of the
Fiends Is Arrested.
The realities of lynch law were
brought forcibly home TO the residents
Of the capital of the nation by horri-
BILE event on Tuesday night, when, for
the second time in two years, human
life was taken by a mob in the neigh
boring city of Alexandria. The out
rage occurred on territory that was
formerly included within the bounda-
ries of the District Of Columbia. The
circumstances have been investigated
by a careful observer, whose discover
les show that the full story was not
told in the regular newspaper reports
at, the time, partly because local feel
ing was running very high and it was
feared that race conflict might be
p1ecipltated, and partly because the
better class of citizens of Alexandria
felt keenly the stain put upon the good
name of their city, and were too heart
sick with the whole affair to allow any
discussion of it which their influence
was able to suppress.
1t seems that Ben Thomas, a negro
youth of the idle habits characteristic
of the illiterate younger generation of
his race in the South, lived near the
home of white man named Clark.
Clark owned an axe which he permit
ted the negro to Use on condition that
the latter kept it sharpened properly.
When Clark had occasion to use the ak
he would send his little daughter to his
neighbours to fetch it. She went on
such an errand last Monday, and came
running home telling her parents that
the negro had insulted her. The most
credible evidence fails to show that she
made any charge of assault, but insult
and assault are so associated in the
minds of many persons in southern
communities where there is large ele-
nlent of idle negroes, and the Smell
murder in Washington was still so
fresh in the minds of all, that it did
not take long for the child's story to
throw the neighborhood Of her home
into tunult and Thomas was arrest
ed and taken to JAIL Threats of
lynching began to be heard In the
streets, Possibly they were mere idle
talk as first started, the theory Of the
takers being that by such means they
could brighten other intending evil
dooers. The negroes of Alexandria
heard the talk however, and became
alarmed, and several respectable COL
ored men went to the Jail and offered
their services to its keeper to defend
the prisoner from a mob If one should
gather. The offer was declined. 1t Is
now asserted by several white citizens
that it was the popular misunder-
standing Of the action on the part or
the negroes which set the actual mob
afoat.
This assumption does not seem to be
borne out by the facts There is no
doubt that on Tuesday afternoon
dramseller Of Alexandra came to
Washington and made round of the
principal saloons and sporting resorts,
passing the word along that there
would be Something going ON in Alex
andria about midnight" As this man
hes repeatedly been heard to say that
he was present at the lynching which
occurred in Alexandria a year or more
lows of his class who had bemoaned to
him their lack Of opportunity to take
part in such an affair The liquor and
gambling dives of certain sort In
Washington were stripped of good deal
of their patronage early in the evening,
and the trains running between Wash
ington and Alexandria carried a mot
ley crowd. This was reinforced from
-A.,t r.. =
of the Potomac river, which in recent
years have become notorious for law
leesness. Jackson City, at the Virginia
terminus of the Long bridge, is a set
Element of the vilest character. 1t is a
plea resort, refuge and fence for
the most incorrigible group of law
breakers in both Washington AMI Alex |
andria, as 1t offers opportunity for hid
ing and for night communication in
secret between the two shores, so as to |
render comparatively powerless the |
activities of the District of Columbia |
police on the one side and the Alex |
dria county sheriff and his deputies on |
the other. A little beyond Jackson |
City is race track which serves as a
nucleus for another notorious resort. /
Each of these places furnished a quota |
to the lynching party. These facts are |
cited In detail to show how little out |
ragged public sentiment, and how much |
morbid curiosity and a taste for loath-
some spectacles, had to do with the for
nation of the mob In Alexandria. 1t is
doubtful if ten men who went down TO
the quiet Virginia town that night had
any knowledge of the circumstances Of
the offence with which Thomas was
charged, OF of his age, condition or
character.
Arrived at Alexandria, this gang
united with the corresponding element
there and carried out their lawles5 pro-
gram, meeting with little resistance.
The sheriff had squad guarding the