The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-12-21

UoShpoIt Iuu.s DcCeInDtE 1.-TWO
negroes, Jim Henderson and Bud Row
lands. who waylaid. brutality murdered,
and robbed Hollie Simons, a white
barber. early this morning. were lynch
ed in the TAIL yard by a mob Of 1000
frenzied citizens tonight. The negroes
were arrested early. and although Row.
and's clothing had bloodstains on II,
the men claimed they were innocent of
the crime. In the meantime Sheriff
Clemens. of Union county, KY. arrived
with a trained bloodhound in response
to a Geographic summons.
When the dog was placed on the trail
he followed it until he reached the
house where Rowlands lived, six blocks
from the scene of the murder, and went
baying to the bed the negro had occu-
pied. This was enough for the excited
citizens. Within a few minutes a mob
Of a thousand bowling. blood-thirsty
citizens, with sledge hammers, ropes,
and guns were running to the Jail.
Sheriff Anderson and his two deputies
made a stand and attempted to protect
the prisoners.
The officers were seized by the lead
ers of the mob, who disarmed them.
The sheriff was then ocked In a room
and placed under guard, but he stoutly
refused to give up the keys or tell where
the prisoners were hidden. Failing to get
the keys the mob made a determined
but unsuccessful attempt to break in
the jail door. BY this time the would
be lynchers were in a perfect frenzy,
used it as a battering ram and caved
in the side wall of the Jail.
The door of Rawlands' cell was the
quickly broken in with sledges and he
was dragged from the Jail to the east
side of the court yard, where a moose
was placed around his neck. He was
given time to make a statement, in
another negro.
Rowlands then begged p~fteously for
mercy, but the mob swiftly swung the
confessed murderer to a tree and rid
died his body with bullets.
Leaving the body of Rowlands dang
ling from the limb Of the tree, the mob
rushed back to the Jail and attempted
to burst open the cell occupied by
Henderson, but before the steel bears
yielded to the blows of the sledges some
one in the crowd fired upon the terri
fed negro as he crouched in the corner
of his cell. A few moments more and
the door of the cell was broken in.
The negro, more dead than alive, was
dragged at a ropes end to the court
house yard and swung on the tree be-
side the body of RowIands.
Firing a parting volley at the swing
ing bodies, the mob. eager for another
victim, hurried away to catch the other
negro implicated by Rowlands in his
confession. He was found at a hotel,
where he was employed as a porter.
The negro escaped to the roof of the
building. and Manager Debruler sic-
| ceeded in convincing the mob that the
porter had nothing to do with the
crime, proving an alibi for him. The
mob then dispersed, apparently satisfied
with it's work of vengeance.
The negroes victim, Simons. was
waylaid and murdered in the o bru.
tai manner one square from the mair
street of the city as he vas going to his
home from his barber shop at 2 O'Clock
this morning. AS was customary will
him he carried the receipts OF the da,
at his place of business. The negroe
were aware Of this. n evidently lai'
the plans accordingly. C~rouching be
hind a fierce, they awaited their victim
and jumped from their place Of con
cealment and attacked him from be
hind, striking him over the head with
heavy club with a large a driven int
the end Of 1t.
Although terribly beaten. Simon
made desperate fight, n his cries an
struggles Don attracted two boys. VIII
went to his assistance, but they wer
a moment too Late. the victim Of til
two negroes having succumbed to til
terrible beating, lying dead at the
feet. The murderers then drove th