The Washington weekly post., 1900-12-18

Roekport. Ind. Dec. 1.-TWO negroes.
Jim Henderson and Bud RoWiandS' VINO
vayiald. brutally murdered. and robbed
HoI,ie eluaus. a white barber. early this
n.orqlrg. were lynched IN the jai' yard
t,, a mob u .o00 frenzlcd citizens tonight
The ncgrogs we're arrested early, and al
though Rawlands clothing had blood
stains on H. the men claimed they were
innocent ~ the crime. IN the meantime
Sheriff Clemens, Of Union County. Ky,
arrived with a trained bloodhound in re-
sponse 10 a telcRraphic summons.
when the dog was placed on the tran
ne followed % until he reached the house
where Rowl8Hds lived, six blocks from
the scene OF the murder. and went bay
ing TO the bed the negro had occupied
This was enough Cor the excited citizens
Within q few minutes a mob OF thou
sand bowling. blood-thirsty citizens, with
sledge hammers. ropes, and guns. were
running 70 the jail Sheriff Anderson and
his two deputies made a stand, and at
tempted 90 protect the prisoners.
The officers were seized by the leaders
Of the mob, who dissFmed them. The
sheriff was then locked IN a room and
placed under guard, but he stoutly refused
10 give up the keys or tell where the pris-
oners were hidden. Failing to get the
keys the mob made determined but un-
successful attempt 10 break in the jail
door by this time the would-De lyDchers
were in perfect frenzy, and, securing a
telegraph pole. they used il as a battering
ram and cayed In the side wall Of the
Jail
RSwiands Makes Confession.
The door OF Rowlands' cell was then
quickly broken in with sledges and h5
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 which he
implicated Jim Henderson and another
negro.
Rowlands then begged piteously for
mercy. but the mob swiftly swung the
confessed murderer 10 a tree and riddled
his body with bullets.
Leaving the body Of Rowlands dangling
from the limb Of the tree. the mob rushed
back 10 the jail and attempted to burst
open the cell occupied By Henderson, but
before the steel bars yielded to the blows
Of the sledges some one in the crowd fired
upon the terrified 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 10 the court house
yard and swung on the tree beside the
body of Rowlands.
Firing a parting volley at the swinging
bodies. the mob. eager for another vie
tim, hurried away to catch the other ne
gro implicated by ROwlands in his confess
sion. lie was found al hotel, where he
was employed as a porter. The negro es-
capped 10 ihe roof Of the building, and
Manager Debruler succeeded in convincing
The mob that the porter had nothing TO
do with the crime, proving an alibi for
nm. The mob then dispersed, apparently
satisfied with its work Of vengeance.
Crime n hIeh Aroused Popular Fury.
The negroes victim, Simons, was way
laid and murdered in the most brutal
manner one square from the main street
Of the city as he was going IL his home
from his barber shop al O'clock this
mo ming. AS was customary with him he
carried the receipts Of the day at his
place of business. The negroes were
aware of this, and evidently laid the plans
accordingly Crouching behind fence,
they awaited their victim, and Jumped
from their place Of cOncealment and at
tackled him from behind. striking him
over the head with a heavy club with a
large nail driven into the end Of IT,
Although terribly beaten. Simons made
a desperate fight, and his cries and strug-
giles soon attracted two boys, who weat
10 his assistance, but they were a mo-
ment too late. the victim of the two ne
groes having succumbed 10 the terrible
beating, lying dead at their feet. The
Taurderers then drove the would-be reseu-
ers away and accomplished their original
design-that of robbery-securing a bag
containing something over $40 from the
PROSTATE form of their victim. and made
their escape.
simons was terribly beaten. his skull
crushed in. and his head and face beaten
into pulp. -Four gaping wounds showed
where the spike on the club had pune
tured the dead mans skull and penetrat-
ed his brain.
Walter Evans, one Of the young men
who attempted TO save SimOns' life and
who afterward assisted in the removing
OF the dead mans remains 10 his home
was greatly affected and almost suffered
nervous collapse. After witnessing the
lynching he lost his reason.
The dead mans widow is prostrated
and IL Is believed she will die from the
shock. Hollie Simons came here from
Winslow, Ind, three years ago, and was
n popular young man.
Exodus of Negroes from City.
The feeling against the negroes was in
tensifed by reason Of the fact that within
the past two weeks over a dozen houses
have been robbed at Rockport. and Hen
derson and Rowlands were suspected o
being the leaders in these robberies. TIL,
mob announced that In the case OF all fu
ture robberies the guilty persons woult
be run down and lynched. Many negroe.
left the city tonight. among them Jo,
Rolla. Those remaining are keeping
themselves closely indoors. Eight othe
negroes were arrested as suspects. az,
would have been lynched had they no
been able 10 prove alibis. ...
The mob was very determined. Their,
was no demonstration except the firln.
Of about twenty shots In the air 10 pre-
vent the throng OF bystanders from crowd
ing up too closely.
After The lyucEing hundreds OF the mo-
collected in the hotels and other publ
places and discussed the lynching, max
ing no attempt 20 conceal their connec
tlOn with The affair.