The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-12-21
A THIRD NEGRO LYNCHED
FOR THE MURDER OF THE WHITE NAN
AT ROCKPORI, INDIANA.
Taken to BoonvfiIe Tor safe Keeping.
He Is followed by One Hundred Men
From Rockport, Who, Undisguised,
Break Open the JAN, Take tho
Prisoner Out and Hang Him to
Tree on the Court House Square.

Indianapolis. Ind. December H.
Governor Mount tonight ordered a
militia from Evansville to
Bonneville. Ind, to which point a
Rockport mob is marching with the
avowed intention OF lynching two negro
murderers.
The state authorities fear a race war.
as the blacks in the vicinity OF Rock
port and Bonneville are highly excited
and aggressive.
Indianapolis. December 17.-Governor
sheriff of Spencer county that a mob
of 600 men had started from Rockport
to Bonneville with the intention Of
lynching Joe Rolla and another negro
arrested for completely in the murder
of Hollie Simons, Saturday night. He
also notified the govsrnor that the To-
cal authorities would be powerless to
resist the mob and asked that a mill
tary company be sent at ono to the
scene.
Instructions were Immediately issued
to nut company E. located at Evans
willie. under arms as expeditiously as
possible. A train was ordered to be
in readiness as soon as the Bonneville
authorities asked for assistance.
1t was feared. however. that the men
would reach Bonneville ahead Of the
oldiers.
State officials were in consultation
with the governor for several hours late
tonight and he was kept closely advised
of the situation.
Bonneville. Ind. December 17.-John
Rolla. the third Of the colored men I'M
pilcated in the murder Of Hollie Simons,
was hung to a tree I'm the court house
yard by a mob of about 100 men from
Rockport this evening.
Not a shot was fired and everything
was conducted as quietly as if the exc
cutfon had been one under the sane
ton Of the law.
Rolla was brought to this place this
afternoon about 3 o'clock in charge of
Sheriff Anderson. Of Rockport. Upon
his arrival he was placed in a cell OF
the second DOR of the Jail and his pres
ence was known only to a few citizens.
A few minutes after 6 O'Clock a body
of 100 men marched through the prin-
cipal street to the Jail and demanded
that h prisoner be turned over to
them. Deputy Sheriff Raymond Cherry
was i'm charge Of the Jail. He declined
to give up the keys and the mob at
once began to batter in the
. wall of the jail with a telegraph pole.
Six members of the mob crawled
through the hole and with sledge ham
mers broke down h doo Of Rolla's
cell. and soon the thoroughly terrified
negro was in the hands Of the men.
who placed a rop around his neck. All
left. crawling again through the hole
by which they had entered, dragging
the negro after them.
A few minutes were consumed in the
march to the court house yard, the
ope was. thrown over h limb OF a
tree Ink a hundred hands sem his
body flying n the air. The loose
end OF the rope WAS tied to a tree and
as soon as the mob was sure that it's
work had been completed. it left in as
orderly manner as it had entered the
town.
None OF the mob wore masks and men
apparently from every station in life
took part in the lynchinR. Except for
the excited groups Of men standing on
the street corners a stranger would
have known nothing of the tragedy
that had Just been enacted.