The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1900-03-31
LYNCHED AT BELA|R.
LEWIS HARRIS STRUNG TO
A POPLAR TREE.
Is Taken From Hartford Jail by a Mob
Was Accused of Attempting TO Assault
Miss Annie McIlvaine Near Belair
Early Sunday Morning.

morning attempted an assault upon Miss
Annie McIlvaine, at her home, near Belair,
was lynched at 11.30 o'clock, Monday
night, by o mob composed OF unknown
persons.
All day long Monday there had been
rumor5 and reports that an attempt would
be made 80 execute Harris in summary
fashion, put at 6 o'clock the town was per-
fectly quiet and there was no evidence that
any such purpose was contemplated.
Shortly afterward it began to be gossiped
about that strong party of men were COM
ing to lynch Harris from the neighborhood
county, where Miss McIlvaine formerly
resided, and where Miss Jessie Bradford,
young girl, had been assaulted few weeks
ago by William Black, colored. This last
named outrage provoked strong feeling at
the time, and it was generally believed
then that il extra precautions had not been
taken by keeping Black in Baltimore city
he would have long age been punished by
| Miss Bradford s neighbors.
| At O'Clock, a newspaper reporter men-
toned this rumor to Sheriff Kinhart and
Deputy Sheriff Carroll, but both said the
rumor had no basis in fact and that they
| did not anticipate that there would be any
attempt to lynch Harris. Accom- panied by
the Sheriff and his deputy the reporter
| went to the Jail and found Harris in his
cell, the same cell occupied couple of
| years ago by the notorious horsethef Hoon.
From that time till 1915 o'clock the
| town was normally quiet. Suddenly horse
men, men on foot and III wagons began to
assemble in front of the Sheritf's house, in
the rear of which is the Jail. A fusillade
of pistol shots woke the whole town. Men
rushed from their homes and toward the
Jail.
Before the town people had arrived there
the shooting had ceased. Sounds OF the
crowbar and sledgehaumer were heard
within the jail, the mob having gained an
entrance through the rear door. Five doors
were battered, i've locks broken and the
leaders OF the mob went direct to Harris
cell.
| He was taken out by the same route
through which the mob had entered Down
through the muddy lane the lynchers ran
with the negro rope tied around his neck,
while others, at the point Of the pistol,
held the rest of the crowd at bay
Just inside the gate OF Henry W. Arch
er's property, about 300 yards from the
Jail, stands a poplar tree, and from that the
negro was hanged
AS the body was strung up some in the
crowd began to shoot at it, and apparently
several shots took effect, bus the shooting
was stopped by the leader of the mob, none
vicinity.
While the shooting was going OH at the
SheEifI's house Robert l.. Bull, tailor, of
Belair, and Walter Il. Rowe, Jr., of Aber-
deem Md, bystanders, were shot. Bull
was hit in the back, at the left shoulder
blade, and Rowe through the right hand.
| Their wounds were attended to by Belair
physicians and are not considered serious
From the time that Harris was dragged
from his cell until he was strung up he is
said to have spoken but one sentence.
That sentence was:
81 did it, men, was drunk when
did it,"
Sheriff Kinhart after the lynohing made
this statement
81 was in my house, which is in front Of
the JAIL when man, whom do not know,
rang the door-b bell and demanded admis-
sion. asked why he wanted to come in,
and he said that that made no difference;
that he was coming in, and 80 were some
friends who were with him.
"My suspicious were aroused, and, look
out of the door, | saw about 20 men out
side. ! told the spokesman that anyone
who tried TO enter that door would be
killed. Then the shooting began from the
ontside. | retained the fire and banged
the door.
az; "as not the door of the jail but the
door Of my private apartments, in which
my wife and family live.
"'rhe jail is in the rear.
Then the crowd went around to the
rear door of the Jail and broke is open with
crowbar and sledge hammer, also breaking
all intermediate doors between them and
Harris cell. think | can identify some
OF the mob
After the lynching Is bullets were found
imbrdded in the door casing Of the Sheriff's
house.
Harris was dark mulatto who came
here from Virginia about ten or twelve
years ago and hal been working for Sheriff
kipehart at the time OF the assault. He
was about 80 years old, about 5 fest 10
inches high and he weighed about loo
pounds. Two or three years ago he was
sentenced 10 the House of Correction from
Towsou FOR larceny and he had been ar
rested many times in Hartford county for
trivial offenses. He was not considered
dangerous or quarrelsome, but was sulky
and trilipg.