The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1900-03-22
A NEGRO'S CRIME AND A MUB'S
VENGEANCE.

AUldHQd oUellRTOVcJ slAbccu years olo,
who lives with her mother and brother, !
on Mr. j. Gid Morris farm, about one |
and half miles from town, while out |
in the woods gathering some wood, to
prepare the evening meal, was stealth |
lily seized by black negro man, whose
evil intentions she defeated by screams |
and stout resistance. Escaping from |
his diabolical clutch he caught her the !,
second time, but becoming alarmed at |
her continued cries he fed, not how |
ever before cutting her on the nose |
with his knife, having threatened in
slant death. She went to her home
few hundred yards away and made
known the brutal assault that had been
made upon her person. Mr.. Gid Nor
ris was informed and he telephoned the
circumstance to Sheriff Bishop, who
with his Deputies Anderson and Dew
berry, and several indignant citizens,
visited the girl, obtained minute de-
scription and finally arrested two ne
groes named Bailey, who lived about
mile beyond her home. She identified
John Bailey as the one who assaulted
her and the other brother was liberat-
ed. Bailey was placed in jail and on
Saturday morning had his preliminary
trial before Judge E. w. Frey, being
represented by Motley & Weaver and
prosecuted by Col. Chas. H. Griffin
and Col. Fred Morris. The evidence
was very strong against him, Miss
Snellgrove fully identifying the
negro as the guilty party. He was
bound over and recommitted to jail.
During heevening there were rumors
that the negro would be lynched that
night. As such rumors had been pre-
valent the night before without execu-
ton, Sheriff Bishop had Deputy Ander-
son TO remain on the streets until
nearly y O'Clock, and as there were no
visible signs of mob, Mr.. Anderson
retired and went to sleep But dur
ing all that time the mob was gathering
at the waterworks stand pipe on Ros-
well street, where they threw out
pickets, and no one who joined the
crowd was allowed to leave.
About l2:45 the mob, one hundred
strong, surrounded the jail posted
pickets and allowed no one to approach
from any direction
The lynchers were all masked. The
leader knocked at the door of the iail
and demanded the keys of Mr.. Dew
berry. He told them that Sheriff
Bishop had the keys and he was at his
residence nearby. The mob became
inpatient, broke open a blacksmith
shop in rear of the Jail, got a sledge
hammer and small crowbar, and a
pick from house in the Jail yard, ard
proceeded to demolish the door of the
jail in the rear
While the hammering was going on,
yeils were sent up, now and then
pistol was fired. Sheriff Bishop started
to the Jail, the mob halted him with
pistols thrown into his face. He pro-
ceeded still further until he got to
the jail and began to plead with the
mob for the life of the prisoner. He
told them if they would let the law
take its course he would guarantee that
the negro would be tried in the next
ten days by n special term of court, and
to secure the prisoners safety. he
would chain and shackle him to the
floor. A masked leader replied to Mr..
Bishop. "You are all right Mr. Sheriff
You are here to do your duty and we
don't blame you to save your prisoner,
but the lawyers will scheme and defeat
justice by delays and appeals and we
are here to administer speedy punish
ment and protect our Southern women
from the assaults of brutes'
The iron door was hammered upon.
the lock broken and into the jail the
crowd swarmed.
The negro Bailey was in the south
east cell with four other negroes. He
knew that death stared him in the face.
He began Justify tie cry out to the Lord
for mercy and plead for his life. The
mob was there to avenage wrong.
The mob broke the electric light globe,
lit a candle. and then the locks were
knocked off the cell doors. and the
covering culprt was dragged forth from
the corner of his cell and hustled out of
Jail They surged around the prisoner,
Il man on each side Of him holding his
arms. Into the city park they went.
They discovered that they had lost
their rope. A wire was fastened around
his neck and he was swurg to limb of
tree. The body was too heavy and
the frail wire became unlooped and the
negroes body dropped to the ground.
The citizens who had been attracted
to the square by the noise and shoot
ing, and stood on the corners and side
walks, were ordered to come into the |
park and join the mob or leave. At |