The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-07-24
ASSAILANT LYNCHED
MOB SMOKED SHERIFF OUT AND
TOOK ELIJAH CLARK.
MILITIA ARRIVED TOO LATE.
NEGRO WAS LED THROUGH HUNTS
vILLE's STREETS.

the Negro and the Mobile Was
Fully Identified by His Victim, and
Hanged at Dallas Where the Crime
Was Committed-Brothcr of the
Victim Handled the Rope.
Huntsville, Ala. July 2S.-Eljah Clark.
the negro who yesterday assaulted Mss
Susan Priest, a 13-year-old girl. was taken
from the Jail in this city this evening and
lynched near the spot where his crime was
committed His body was ridded with
bullets.
Sheriff Fulgham defended his prisoner
TO the last, but dense smoke. from a
combination of tar, feathers and oil. fired
by the cIazed mob. was too much for him
and he was dragged from the Jail and
placed under a physicians care
William Vining an employe of the Street
Railway Company who attempted to rush
through the crowd and up the jail steps.
was shot and dangerously wounded.
A crowd of $50 men, principally en-
ployes of the big cotton mills at Dallas, a
suburb of this city searched the woods
all night for Clark. who was identified at
the time he assaulted Miss Priest. by her
little sister
No success attended their efforts, and
early this morning Sheriff F'ulgham start
ed out with a posse. and before o'clock
had captured Clark on Beaver Dam creek,
ten miles from Huntsville. He was soon
landed in JAIL and by o'clock the news
Of the prisoners capture was heralded to
all parts of the city.
A mob composed of mill operatives and
men of all calings. was soon formed and
marched 90 the jail where they stood for
some time, apparently awaiting leader.
Militia Was Ordered Out.
Sheriff Fulgham quickly seeing that he
had a desperate crowd TO combat, wired
Gov. johnson the facts in the case. The
Governor responded to the effect that he
had ordered the militia az Birmingham.
Montgomery and Decatur to proceed with
all haste TO the scene. The sheriff then
telephoned Judge S. NJ. Stewart and ask
ed for an immediate trial of the negro
and the judge replied soon after that he
had arranged for special session OF
court at o'clock before Judge H. C.
Speake.
The mob by this time had assumed
alarming proportions and the sheriff
thinking to quiet the storm, appeared at a
window and announced that a special trial
had been arranged for the prisoner and
that he would be brought before the bar
at o'clock in the afternoon. This was
greeted with jeers by the crowd Of citizens
and the cry Revenge went up.
The outer door to the Jail. a wooden
barrier, was soon battered down and the
mob gained entrance to the first floor.
Here they encountered the sheriff's wife.
who pleaded with them to refrain from
violence and let the law take its course.
Sheriff Fulgham, however, on hearing the
door being forced, retreeted with his pris-
oner to the third floor. where he locked
himself in with Clark. The mob then
stopped to devise ways and means of Sc
curing the prisoner without doing harm
to the sheriff. who is a great favorite
here.
Smoked the sheriff Out
A dozen times the sheriff as he appear
the mob to go away, could have been
shot, but the lynchers chose strategy as
the most effective way out of the diff
Guilty.
large amount of tar, feathers and oil
was secured and piled upon the cement
floor of the jail and a match applied. A
suffocating smoke arose and spread quick
ly throughout the Jail. The sheriff again
retreated to the corner farthest from the
odorferous pile. taking his prisoner with
him. More tar and feathers were brought
In and ignited.
The sheriff was then seen to disappear
from the window and the mob waited. He
did not reappear and Chief of Pollcs
David Overton broke through the crowd
and up the stairs through the binding
and suffocating smoke. Reaching the
third foof he found Sheriff Fulgham in a
semi-conscious condition. The sheriff was
dragged to a window where the air par
TALLY revived him.
Come out of here, Fulgham, you will
be suffocated," said the chief
mo, Dave" feebly responded Fulgham,
II will stay here. 1 will die doing my
duty"
without further words. the chief of
police dragged the half-conscious man
from his perilous position and down the
two flights of stairs into the street. He
was quickly taken to the City Hall and
doctors summoned.
Mob Got in It's Work.
The sheriffs departure was the signal
for the mob to proceed with their work.
and they quickly took complete posses
sion of the stronghold.
Fully an hour was consumed in break
ing she lock 10 the cell in which the cul-
prit was confined, but as soon as this
was accomplished, two men secured Clark
and quickly appeared with him on the
front steps of the Jail
One of the mob then sprang up the
steps and turning to the crowd. begged all
persons TO put up their pistols and handle
their guns with care In order to prevent
any more bloodshed. This suggestion was
adopted by the crowd and the negro was
started down the steps. A piow line was
placed around his neck and, guarded by
twenty heavily armed men In, fours, re
was dragged out of the Jail yard. Down
Clinton street. the shouting and cheering
mob led their victim, followed by fully
1,500 people.
The doomed man was hustled quickly to
Dallas and once there was dragged down
Stevens avenue to the home of his victim.
Here he was taken before the girl and
positively identified.
Identification Was Complete.
The Identification complete. the wretch
collapsed and had to be taken up ana
borne on the shoulders OF his captors.