The suburban citizen., 1900-03-31
MOB'S VENGEANCE.
iEWIs HARRIS, COLORKD, LYNCHED
AT BELAIR, MD.
STRUNG TO POPLAR TREE.
jrOvd Replied to sheriff's Resistance with
Fusilade of Bullets--Miss MsIlvaine
Urged the Mob On--With Revolver In
Her Hand tho Victim Of tho Assailant
Stood by aud Witnessed She Tragedy.

Htood by and Witnessed She Tragedy.
Belair, Md, Especial. )--Lewis Harris, the
'olored man who, It is alleged, brutally as
Iaulted Miss Aunle McIlvaine at her home,
lear this place, was lynched here shortly
liter II o'clock. He was strung upto pop
ar tree and made short work of.
The jail was attacked, several shots were
ired and one man was wounded In the
Ihouder. 1t Is said that the lynching party
Eas made up OF men from Churchville and
Aberdeen, both places within riding distance
u Belalr. The night was dark and rainy.
After breaking into the Jail the miserable
legro was dragged down the main street 30
'he residence OF DR.. vii lam s. Archer,
where he was hanged and swung into eter-
lity. Before being pulled up Lewis made a
partial confession, saying he was drunk
when he committed the crime.
The lynching party len Immediately after
ihe hanging and at 1s o'clock the town was
lulet.
A sensational feature OF the lynching was
;he presence OF Miss McIIyaine. She was
With the patty, revolver In hand, urging
hem on.
1t was nearly II o'clock when the mob as
Iembled about tho Courthouse. Directly
opposite Is the SherifTs residence and In the
sear OF this Is the Hartford County Jail,
Ehere the prisoner was inearcerated AT
he time there was but ono deputy with
'lerif Kineh0rt.
The latter's wife. who was IN the house,
was the first to notice the unusual crowd.
She called tho attention Of her husband and
4 al 81 "a 10 t,n In Of
Courthouse and limited Of tho peril that
laced their prisoner.
There was soon knock on the door and
mans voice asked permission TO enter.
He merely said that he wanted TO come In
with his friends.
II guess 1 know your errand," said
Sheriff Rinehart, "end that man can't leave
his jail tonight. II you undertake to take
him you do so at the risk OF your lives"
The only response was a shot, followed by
another and another. The bullets penetrated
:he panels OF the bolted door and cracked
trough the glass lights on either side OF the
barricade.
Sheriff Rinehart reached for his revolver
and returned the shots, firing also through
the door.
Robert l.. Bull, a tailor OF Belair, was shot
In the shoulder. He Is believed to bo ser-
lousy wounded. When the shot was fred
tho man was but 40 feet from the door.
Another bullet found Its way into the
hand OF an unknown young man from
Aberdeen.
The sound OF the shooting was the signal
for the mob, which consisted OF 200 persons,
to close In about the jail, 1t quickly organ
lied and began to pound the door leading
from the house to the jail. There is a hall
between the Sheriffs house and the jail.
The panels OF this we're quickly smashed,
and as the lock was forced from it's place
the crowd rushed In. Then there was q
flank movement as the Sheriff and Mr.. Klne-
hart rushed back to the house and began to
argue with the mob.
William l.. Cooley, criminal lawyer, was
with the Sheriff, and he addressed the peo-
pie. He argued with them In the name OF
humanity and Of the State and her people to
wait for the law to take Its course. Having
no effect on the vengeance-bent mob, he
warned them that the Sheriff had armed the
prisoner and that he would shoot down the
first TO enter
81 know you ALL" he said, "And you will
all be arrested and all prosecuted"
Mr.. Cooley Is a criminal lawyer here, and
bis was tho only disposition shown to aid
the prisoner.
From tho hallway the mob broke into the
jail. It was but the work OF moment to
prize on the staples OF the inner door, which
loads to the upper part OF the jail In hero
they quickly forced their way to the cell OF
u =.