Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1899-08-09
LYNCHING OF A NEGRO.

| Benjamin Thomas Taken from Jail
and Hanged from Lamp POST
Dragged six Squares by the Head
His BODY kiddled with Bullets.
Old Alexandria was the theatre for
I another lynching last night, and for q
time the normal quietness of the city
was supplsnted by intense excitement.
! The particulars concerning the arrest
of Benjamin Thomas, the young negro
man charged with attempted assault
| on the seven year-old daughter of Mr..
| Edward Kloch (printed Clark yester-
| day by mis- ake) are fresh in the minds
OF all, and need no recapitulation here.
The Mayor had committed the offender
to Jail to be brought before the grand
jury at the next session OF court, a. Il
preparations for his safe custody until
that time had been made. Those who
moved around among the people, how
ever, could not fail TO observe an I'm.
dercurrent which animated numbers to
entertain a desire to relieve the court
from the responsibility of the case, and
the more conservative endeaVored to
calm angry breasts by suggesting that
the law, which Is plain enough, would
wrcak It's own vengeance. Iu some
cases tbere was partial acquiescence.
out in many others the arguments OF
sober minds were controverted, and
there were indications of approach
ing trouble. AS the sun set the num-
Der of people on the streets increased,
and the head-to head conversations and
the earnestness displayed showed
too plainly that the matters be-
ing discussed were not intend
ed for all ears. The Mayor had
placed Chief Webster in charge of a
squad Of four policemen and ten guards
with the responsibility of protecting the
prisoner should any overt act be at
temp ed on the part Of a crowd. As
the hours passed the groups of men in
the streets Increased aud although scat
tered over considerable ground they
were like fragmentary clouds A9a'ing
10 different quarters OF the heavens de-
signed to mngle and preciIi ate storm.
People grew more apprehensive every
moment, ard in cases people living in
some quarters of the city passed the
night with friends and relatives residing
in other neiShborhoods.
Shortly before y o'clock those OF
the streets realized that the climax had
been reached AID that an attempt to
get possession of Thomas was Imminent
and the consequent excitement iuevita
Dle By this time tue crowd had closed
up almost compac'ly, and it is believed
LN, ~, Il
hundred women are said to have been
on the streets md in the neighborhood
of the organization. The march toward
the Jail was made almost in double
quick, and the surging mass of hu-
manity vas in less time than it takes
to tell it surrounding the lookup, mani
testing determination to wreak ven
geance on Thomas.
The guards, at the jail, Of course,
knew what was comm, as the eXclam
ations from the maddened crowd could
be heard for long distance, and every
preparation was made to hold the mob
at bay and protect the prisoner. The
latter had been taken to the cellar and
placed in q fish barrel in the hope that
should the building be forced 10 one
would think of looking in such hiding
place. The heavy pounding at the
front door had ANNOUNCED the presence
Of the iufuriated crowd, and upon be
ing denie4 admission their frenzy was
augmented hundred fold. The
catering grew fercer and fiercer and
the ordinations showed too plainly
that the people had risen in their
might and mad become irresistible
Cries OF Burn the Jail, "rang out every
now and then, and the situation was
becoming more critical every moment.
Pistol shots, too, began to emaugtn
rom the crowd and the outlook was
exceedingly serious.
Mayor Simpson. who had been
watching the course of events during
the night, at this juDcture appeared in
front of the Jail, and endeavored to
pour oil on the troubled waters by
promising to have summary justice
meteG out to the offender in legal
wsy if the crowd would dispense. He
addressed the multitude in the middle
of the street, from the pavement and
Jail steps, but his promises aud admo
ni,ous had no effect whatever, and he
was fually pushed from the door and a
heavy and long piece OF scantling
which had been taken IRON The front
of house in course OF erection Oh
Cameron street was used as bsttering
lam ana in q few moments the door
was demolished and the crowd surged
in.
To overpower the guards was the
work of but few moments, although
those in the building did all they could
to deter the maddened multitude from
carrying out their purpose. Chief
Webster's right hand was seriously 10.
lured during his conflict with the mob,
who were endeavoring to obtain pos
session of the keys to the corridor and
cells. They wrenched his pistol from
his hand and eventually took the keys
from the wardens and, with yell, as
many as could crowded through the pas
sageway and made for the cells, and
unlocking one caused two colored in
dividuals who were confined in one OF
them 20 turn several shades whittier
by mistaking them for Thomas.
They were pulled about for some
time before the excited crowd could be
made to understand that they had the
wrong man in custody. BY this time
every cell and room ia the building
] i 49, . II, fa1