Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-11-01
RAVISHlNG AT ALBA.
Mob Of Nearly Two Hundred Men
Hunt For a Negro.
THEY INTENDED TO LYNCH HIM.
Sheriff Doner Spirited the Prisoner
Out of Town and Took Him to Bur-
lington-Accused of Ravishina a
White Woman.
From Wednesdays Tally.

From Wednesdays Tally.
Knots of men stood on the street |
corner yesterday evening discussing |
the whereabouts of Ed. Booker, a neg |
TO accused of ravishing Mrs. Sarah |
Hoyel, a white widow woman of Abba, |
early Monday morning and expressing |
the determination to lynch him should |
they find him. What made the alleged |
crime worse was the fact that Booker
is also accused of attempting to perpe-
trate the same offense upon Mrs. How |
els daughter, about IL years of age. |
AS soon as the facts became known
about town Monday morning COM
pany of men was formed with the
avowed intention of lynching the al
legged criminal. No move was made, |
however, until about o'clock last
evening when a company of men and
boys, numbering about 200 gathered
upon the streets and breathed threats
loud and deep. Rumors of an attempt
to lynch the negro reached Sheriff
Doner's ears and to avoid trouble that
official spirited his prisoner to the
depot by back streets, under heavy |
guard, and left the city on Burlington
No. 4, bound for an eastern point,
which rumor said is FIT. Madison, but
which really was Burlington. The
sheriff passed thru Ottumwa last even
ing with his prisoner, who was shack
led, and took supper at the union de-
pot, but Immediately left, not deeming
1t safe to stop even at this distance
from home. 1t is said that when the
colored man is brought back to Abba
the officers will have hard time to
keep him from being lynched. The
woman who was ravished is said to
be staying with relatives, under the
care of a physician.
A Courier reporter heard rumor
late yesterday afternoon that mob
had formed and was determined to
have the colored mans life He i'm
mediately boarded train and arrived
in Abba late in the evening There
was an air of suppressed excitement
about the people who were on the
streets, but no mob was to be seen.
Just at this particular time they were
engaged in searching the Monroe
county Jail, but shortly after appeared
on the square, discussing the where
abouts Of the alleged ravisher. From
them and other people acquainted with
the facts, the story was learned.
About 2 o'clock Monday morning, Ed
Booker, a colored man about 80 years
sof age, who had been in Abba about
f three months, during which time he
! had been employed in mental capac,
ity In the hardware store of Duncan &
Duncan, started away from the Bur
: lington depot in an intoxicated condi-
ton after, it is said insulting an aged
Swedish woman who was in the depot
waiting room. Booker boards in the
west part of town and went in the d.
rection of his boarding place. In the
immediate vicinity lives Mrs. Sarah
Hovel, a widow of about As
years. whose sole companion was her
daughter, about IL years of age Mrs.
Hovels eyesight and hearing are de-
fective. 1t is alleged that Booker,
shortly after 2 o'clock broke in a win
dow of Mrs. Hovel's residence, which,
by the way, is located in lonely
place, and is the same in which Rich
ard Bell, a colored man, shot and killed
his wife last July during a fit of
Jealousy, afterwards turning his wea-
pom upon himself inflicting fatal injur-
les.
1t is said that Booker after effecting
an entrance drew revolver and seiz-
ed the little girl with the intent, it is
said, to ravish her. The mother saw
the Negroes intentions and pleaded
with lin to spare her daughter A
humane idea filtered thru Booker's
, liquor befogged brain but not to
the extent of inducing him to re-
linquish his purpose altogether.
Booker released the the daughter
and seized the mother, com
pelling her, it is said, to submit to his
embraces three times at the point of
a revolver.
About A o'clock the little girl man
aged to evade the vigilance of the
negro, spurred to action by the pitiful
means of her mother. Dressed in her
night clothes she ran across the road
ito the home of Ross Johnson, colored
man and asked for help. Johnson, it
is said was afraid to venture over
alone, and wakened Harry Payne, a
white man living nearby. Together
Johnson and Payne went to the Hovel
household, each going on different
sides Of the house. AS they neared
the back door they saw a colored man
whom, it is said, they recognized as
Booker, running away. 1t is alleged
that Booker shot at Johnson but miss
ed him. Night Waterman Webb was
notified and started in quest of Booker.
Sheriff Doner was also asked to look
for him, but before the latter had reach
ed the vicinity of where Booker had
disappeared, the night Waterman had
placed the colored man under arrest
He was found at the home of Ulysses
Jones, another colored man, where he
boards, calmly eating his breakfast.
In a short time the affair became
!, noised about town, and company of
men and boys quickly gathered, breath,
ing vengeance against the negro. They
lacked determination and leader ant
ali day discussed the matter among
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