The Washington weekly post., 1900-03-27

the authorities at Emporis We were
given 70 pnderstsnd thar pr0tection would
Be- given The prisoners. The result shows
that this confidence was abused.
/ "A meeting was hs-t by the judge. the
I sheriff snd a numD~r OF the leading Cti-
[ zens IN the judges Office. and pledges
I were then made 30 upholS the iav. The
( Eheriff was led 10 believe tIlAt me prison.
ers would be protected. and In accordance
win that belief, he withdrew MS request
for military prOtection- The sheriff Is su-
| prerae in such instances except. as have
said, where marital law Is declared
Portsmouth Wanted Cetfon-
Just before Gov. Tyler received d teie-
/ gram from Judge GOODWIN announcing
; that Cotton had been taken out and
/ lynched BY the mob, ne was in long-dis-
I tance telephone communication with
I Sheriff Branch, Of Portsmouth. who wish
l ed 20 secure a writ for Cotton. who was
wanted In that city, and VINO had been
under sentence to hang on January - last.
! The conversation was interrupted by the
receipt OF the telegram. and when the
I governor told rbe Portsmouth sheriff
what mad happened. h- asked for an order
for the body Of Cotton, but the governor
/ informed him that Sheriff Lee had control
/ Of that.
Gov. Tyler was up the whole night and
kept IL touch with the situation. At ll:le
I O'Clock he received d telegram stating
/ that twenty-five deputies had been sworn
/ in and that the troops had been relieved
/ Of duty The situation, however. changed
I as the morning grew near. and about I'D
1 o'clock another telegram came from Map
Cutchins, which read:
n gain under orders. Trouble brewing.
II you can send companies at once, do
/ So"
stlI another telegram followed at
O'Clock. which read:
Send cOmpSIleS at once.
The governor responded as follows:
"Will get troops together as fast as
possible. Keep me constantly informed.
second Company Turned Back.
At S:l5 o'clock Gov Tyler telephone1
the train dispatcher OF the Atlantic Coast
Line, telling him to have trains in readi-
ness 70 transport more troops 10 the
scene Of trouble. train was Immediately
made up and placed in charge OF Conduc-
tor Williams and Engineer Bradshaw, and
consisted OF a baggage car and passenger
coach.
Company A, Of the Blues, Capt. Cheat
wood commanding, was ordered out Ow-
ing to the hour. some little difficulty was
experienced in getting the men out. FL
naHy 1OTty-tWO men were secured, anu al
7:45 o'clock this morning the train pulled
out for Emporia. Capt. CheatwoOd being
in command. Private Secretary Ben p.
owen and Maj. Heth Tyler accompanied
the troops.
The trip was destined TO be a short one
however, for at Clopton the following tel
egram was handed Capt. Cheatwood:
Emporia, Va, 7:S9 a. m.
Gov. J. HOge Tyler Richmond Va:
Hold company at GrnOry. Everything quiet this
morning We will be discharged. Without
protection the prisoner will be lynchei tonight.
Shall obey order and leave?
SOL CUTCHNs.
sheriff and JUDGE Frightened.
The Blues reached home at 12:55 o'clock
Mai Cutchins declares he had done all
he could to avert the tragedy.
"The judge and the sheriff were two
frightened men," said Maj Cutchins.
They believed their lives were in danger
and, under the pressure brought to bear,
they were forced to act as they did. We
could have taken the prisoner from Jail
yesterday evening and brought MIN TO
Richmond with little trouble. But there
would have been trouble, and probably a
great amount of bloOdshed, had we at
tempted to bring him away this morning
with one company"