The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-06-15
ONLY THE MOB CAN ANSWER
THAT QUESTION.
TAKEN AWAY FROM BEAUFORT BY WATER
The Sheriff Pursues But Without Result, He
Returns 10 Morehead and TeIe-
graphs his Failure 10 the
f,cvarnor
Governor.

on the night Of the Sth inst. the store
of Elijah b. Weeks was burglarized and
Weeks brutally murdered. Detectives
tracked and arrested Lewis Patrick. a
negro as he was about to take steamer
at Newbern for Elizabeth City and
found in his possession a razor. shoes
and clothes and other personal proper
ty belonging to Weeks. He was brought
here and jailed Saturday night. About
II O'Clock last night an armed body of
masked men came here in boats with
pistols and pick axes and forced the
jailer TO deliver Patrick to them and
disappeared with him. The sheriff with
n posse has been pursuing the mob since
l. o'clock They returned tonight with
out finding any trace of them. The
opinion prevails that he will be lynch
ed tonight if he has not already been
disposed Of
ANOTHER VERSION.
Morehead City. y. c., June H.
Especial This morning about s
o'clock Sheriff Willis and posse
knocked at the Atlantic Hotel to learn
that had gone to Beaufort and taken
the negro, Lewis Patrick, from Jail and
left with him on their boat. They had
not been seen here and after getting
recruits, Sheriff Willis pushed on up
the Sound. hoping to overtake the party
before the negro was lynched
Last night about II o'clock a party
of men landed at Beaufort and went at
once to the jail. The jailer. Mr.. Bun
Congleton, with his two sons, nearly
grown, and other members of his fam
lily, occupy the jail. The jailer's sons
had no weapons. He drew his pistol
The jailer says there were one hum
dred men in the party, but others say
there were not more than fifty; there
was only one boat. Three pistols were
pushed under the jailer's nose and he
was ordered to deliver the prisoner.
Under the show Of force he unlocked the
cell and let the mob have the prisoner.
They took him in their boat and quietly
left Beaufort without being molested
Only one man saw the mob in Beaufort.
Postmaster Wheatly was going home;
the mob halted him and said March,
and made him march before them until
he hid behind trees in James c. Davis
yard. He was glad to hide and save
his bacon: he did not say a word till
the mob was out of town.
The sheriff got the news about half past
eleven: he summoned a posse and press
ed the steam launch into service and
came here to get steamer. but found
none. The steam launch's battery gave
out and the sheriff had to return to
IL al
G:2O this morning before the sheriff
could get his posse off: and the mob had
gotten away with the prisoner shortly
after II O'Clock Tuesday night.
The morning after the murder near
Newport was committed two other ne
groes beside Patrick were missed; one
of them was caught by neighbors of Mr.
Weeks, taken to the woods and hanged
up three times under the threat of hang
ing unless he would confess and tell
who were the other criminals. He pro-
tested his innocence and was given his
life. That night he disappeared and
has not been seen since.
The mob had six hours the start of
the sheriff's party: it is not certain that
the sheriff has taken the right route.
Later Sheriff Willis and his posse of
twenty-six armed men returned here at
o'clock. having gone twenty-five miles
up the Sound searching for the mob
that took the prisoner out Of jail. They
found no trace of the mob or the MUIR
derer They neither saw any party or
got any clew as to who belonged to it. At
Saunders Store a man had seen a
sharpe pass full of men. but he recog-
niZed none Of them. At different land
ings it was reported that the boat stop
ped TO let off men, one or two at a
time. The sheriff returned here utter
ly baffled and sent the following tele-
gram to the Governor:
about II o'clock last night an armed
body of masked or blackened men came
to my jail in Beaufort and with pistols
and pick axes forced my jailer to deliver
up prisoner named Lewis Patrick,
alias Charles Hardesley, held for the
murder Of Il. b. Weeks on the 9TH inst.
j have been pursuing the mob since -
O'Clock last night. No trace of the mob
or prisoner. He has not been murder
ed mp to this hour
There are two theories here.
The one most generally accept
ed is that the party has hid the
negro until night. when they will give
him a trial If he discloses the name
of his accomplices it is believed that he
will be released to the custody of the
sheriff. If he refuses to tell who helped
commit or who instigated the crime it
is believed he will be lynched or drown
ed Some think a white man was an
accomplice. but most of the neighbors
think Patrick and two other negroes did
it. The other theory is that Patrick
has been drowned and now lies securely
Mt the bottom of the Sound. Sheriff
Willis left deputies near to the scene
Of the murder who will be on the alert
tonight.
When the sheriff reached Bogue there
were only two men who could be found
A boatman had smut on his face where
ne had been BACKED. Prominent people
are believed to be implicated in taking
fne negro ont of Jail