The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1900-07-24
FEATHER SMOKE
ROUTED SHERIFF.
Alabama Mob Then Hanged the
Assailant of a White
Girl.
NEGRO BRAVELY DEFENDED.
Fore Against the Jailer Was In-
effective and Strategy Was
Used to Carry the Day
Victims Body Riddled.
NEGRO BRAVELY DEFENDED.

Huntsville. Ala. July - E,jah Clark. n
negro who yesterday assaulted Susan Phi st.
I2-ycnr-oId girl was taken from the tai
in this city tonight and lyuched near th'
spot where his crime was committed. HIS
body was riGdled with bullets
Sheriff Fulgham defended his prisoner ~
the last hu, dense smoke from n comb''1-
ton Of tar. feathers ard oil. fired ~ the
mob. ives too much for him and h WIS
dragged from the Jail and placed uncsr a
PHYSICIANS care william Vingtn. Who at
tempted TO rush through the crowd and up
the fail steps. was shot and dangerously
wounded
A crowd Of 80 men. principally employees
Of the cotton mills N Dallas. suburb OF
this CITY. searched the woods all niSat Tor
Clark. who was identified at the 'iin re
assaulted Miss Priest by her litti" SISTER
No success attended their efforts. and early
this morning sheriff Fulgham started ou'
with a posse and before o'clock mao cap
turad Clark on Beaver Dan; Creek. ten rni'-s
from Huntsville
He was soon landed in jail. and by l
O'Clock the news Of the prisoners capture
was abroad A mob was soon formed an"
marched TO the tail. sheriff Fulgham' see
ing that he had a desperate crowd 20 COM
bat, wired Governor Johnston the tac's ''i
the case. The Governor responded 10 'ie
effect that he had ordered the fniii'ia az
BIRMINGHAM Montgomery ana Decatur u
proceed with all haste TO the scene.
The Sheriff then telsphcned Judge = NJ,
Stewart and asked for an iIlinepA'e 10
OF the negro. and the Judge replied sou,
after that he had arranged for speciai
session OF court at O'Clock inns aiieThOo''
before Judge u. :. Spea&e.
Crowd Jecred sheriff
The mob by this time had assumed
alarming proportions, ana the NnrIlL.
thinking to quiet Il. appeared at Wihdp"
and announced that a special trlai haa nsh
arranged for the prisoner at J p. M. lhiS
was greeted with jeers by the cro"c' anu
the CITY Revenge" went up
The oUter door to the jail. a wooden bar
rier was then attacked and soon bat'tTei
down, the mob gaining entrance 10 lne nI:t
floor. Here they encountered the Shtth
wife. who pleaded with them TO refrain
from violence aud let the law take us
course.
Sheriff. Fulgham. however. on hearing 'he
door being forced, retreated with his PRISON
er 20 the third floor. where he locked hi'n
self In with Clark. The mob then stopped
to devise ways and means OF securing 'ie
prisoner without doing him harm
-
at the window waving his hands 10 the mob
TO go away. could have been shot. but the
lvnchers chose strategy "a the mrst IT,
fective way out OF the difficulty.
A large amount Of tar, feathers and OH
was secured and piled up on the cement
floor Of the fail and n match applied a
suffocating smoke arose and spread QUICKLY
throughout the jail. The Sheriff again re-
treated to thee orner farthast from the
burning pile. taking his prisoner with MN.
Nor, tar and feathers we're brought In ana
icnited The Sheriff was seen to disappear
from the window and when he did not re-
appear chief OF Police David Overton broke
through tho crowd and ran up the stairs
through the binding and sut:ocatinc smoke.
Reaching the third floor he found Sheriff
Fugham in a semiconscious condition.
The Chief dragged the half-conscious man
down the two flights Of stairs into the
street He was quickly taken 10 the City
Hall and doctors summoned.
Taken to His Execution.
The Shsrirr's departure was the signal
for the mob to proceed with it's work. and
II quickly took possession Of the jail. Fully
an hour was consumed In breaking the
lock to the cell In which the negro was
confined but as soon as this was accom-
plishsd two men secure d Clark and appeared
with him on the front steps Of the jail.
rope was placed around his neck. and,
guarded by twenty heavily armed men. he
was dragged out OF the JAIL yard Down
Clinton street the mob led the victim. fol-
lowed by fully 1900 persons of both sexes.
Clark was hustled quickly to Dallas. Here
he was taken before his victim and posi-
lively identified Clark collapsed and had
10 be borne on the shoulders OF his captors
to Moores Grove. where the rope around
his neck was thrown over the limb or a
tree by Miss Priests brother
Tho negro was placed across tho back OF
n horse which was led from beneath him.
The body fell and as It dangled in tho air
n hundred bullets were fired into II.
The Decatur militia arrived at Huntsville
as the mob dispersed
Work at the mills IN Dallas was sus-
penaed for the day.