The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1900-12-18
MOB COMPLETED ITS
WORK OF VENGEANCE
One Hundred Men From ROckpOrt
Went to bonneville. Ind,
and Hanged John ROlla.

| Indianapolis Ind. Dec. IA special 10
the Sentinel from Bonneville. Ind, says:
John Rolla. the third of the colored men
implicated in the murder OF Hollie Si.nols.
was hanged to a tree in the Courthouse yard
by a mob of about 10 men from ifochPoi'
at $50 O'Clock this evening.
Not a shot was fired and everything was
conducted as quietly as IL the execution had
been under the sanction of me law
Rolla was brought to this place In charge
of Sheriff Anderson o: Rockport. Upon his
arrival. he was placed in a cell ON the sec
oud floor OF the Jail, and his presence was
known only to Il few citizens.
few minutes after o o'clock body of
: 10, men marched through the principal
streets of the town to the Jail and de-
mauded that the prisoner be turned over
to II. =
sheriff Bsniauin Hudson was out OF
,ovn and his deputy Raymond Cherry. was
in charge of the jail. He had heard th'tt
a mob was ON its way here, anu at oiice
made an effort to get the prisoner OUT Oh
town tu take him To Evansvilie but before
this could be accomplished the mob had ar
rivaJ and the futility of the attempt became
apparent.
Rxttcr~d fn Wall of Jail.
He declined 10 give up the keys to the jail.
and th,, members of the mob at once began
TO halter in the wall of the Jail with teie-
,raph pole. which was handled by Il dozen
or more men. As soon aS a hole large
enouch to admit tle body OF man was bat
tered through six members of the moo
,rayled through with sledee hammers ana
broke down the door of Rolla's cell.
Inside the jail the negro could hear the
sounds of the battering ram as 1t pounded
down the wall. and he lay upon the Hoor III
mis- cell In an agony of fear
When the men reached his cell he pro-
tested his innocence in loud tones. begSins
piteouSIy to be spared. The men Working AT
the door Of the cell might have been deaf.
iu,I.iur by thc attention they paid TO the
wailing OF the negro
IJttl, time. was used in breaking into the
cell. and very soon the thoroughly terroriz-d
negro was in the hands II his eNecutioners.
who placed Il rope ar"uiid ms neck
All left. crawling again through the hoie
by which they had entered. dragging the
negro after them
nnnueL Him nnd Quickly Departed.
A few minutes time WAS consumed III the
march to the lail yard. wnere the rope was
thrown over the limb OF tree anu a nun
dTed wiliin,; hands pulled the rope. and sent
the negro's body flying into the air,
The loose end OF the rope was tied to IA
tree and as soon the members of the
r:lob we've sure that their work had been
completed, they left In as quiet a manner
as tncy had entered the town.
None of the mob wore masks. To all ap-
IoararCcs men OF every station in life took
par; in the lynching. Not shot was fired
refore or after the lynchiug. and. except
fer the excited groups Of men standing on
Tie street corners q stranger would have
known nothing of the tragedy that mas
ieen Just enacted
Citizens Of Bonneville made no effort TO
assist in the protection OF the negro. and
number quietly admitted that citizens
generally were in sympathy with the work
of the mob.
Judge Swan of the Warrick county Cir
cult Court sought to prevent violence, but
the members of the mob ignored him AMI
proceeded with the work.
Members of the mob came to Bonneville
in wagons and bugeies and on horseback
Their rigs were lett in a grove half a mile
from the town. and the men marched in
columns of two. under the command OF
three who had evidently been selected as
leaders.