Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-12-17

INDIANAPOLIS. Ind, December 1S.
A special to the Sentinel from Rock
port Ind, says:
Two negroes, Jim Henderson and
Bud Rowlands, who waylaid. brutaily
murdered and robbed Hollie Simms. q
white barber, early this morning, were
lynehed in the Jail yard by mob Of
LOCO frenzied citizens tonight. The
negroes were arrested early and al
though Rowland's clothing had blood
stains on it, the men claimed they
were innocent of the crime. In tho
Meantime, Sheriff Clemens. OF Union
county, KY. arrived with trained
bloodhound in response to telegraphio
summons.
When the dog was placed on the
trail he followed it until he reached
the house where Rowlands lived, sin
blocks from the scene OF the murder.
and went baying TO the bed the negro
had occupied. This was enough for
the excited citizens. Within a few
minutes a mob of thousand bowling.
blood-thirsty citizens with sledga
hammers, ropes and guns, were run
ming to the Jail. Sheriff Anderson and
his two deputies made a stand and at
tempted to protect the prisoners. The
officers were seized by the leaders OF
the mob, who disarmed them. The
sheriff was then locked in room and
placed under guard, but he stoutly re-
fused TO give up the keys or tell where
the prisoners were hidden. Failing to
get the keys the mob made a determ-
ined but unsuccessful attempt to break
in the jail door. By this time the
would-be lynchers were in a perfect
frenzy and Selling a telegraph pole.
used it as battering ram and broke
in the side wall of the jail. Rowland's
cell. was quickly broken, into with
sledges and he was dragged from the
JAIN to the east side of the court yard,
where a moose was placed about his
neck. He was given time to make n
statement, in which he implicated Jim
Henderson and another negro. Row
lands then begged piteously for mercy,
but the mob swiftly swung the con-
fessed murderer to a tree and riddled
his body with bullets.
Leaving the body Of Rowlands dangling
from the limb OF the tree. tho mob rushed
back to 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 terrihd negro as he crouch-
ed in the corner of his cell. A few mo-
ments more the door or the cell was
broken in. The negro. more dead that
alive, was dragged at a ropes end, TO
the court house yard and swung on tho
tree beside the body of Rowiands Firing
a parting volley at the swinging bodies,
the mob eager for another victim, hur-
ried away to catch the other negro inn
plicated by Rowands in his Confession
He was found at a hotel where he was
employed as a porter. The negro escaped
to the roof Of the building and Manager
Debruler succeeded in convincing the mob
that the porter had nothing 10 do with
the crime, proving an albi for him. The
mob then dispersed apparently satisfied
with its awful work of vengeance
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 to his home
from his barber shop at o'clock this
morning. As was customary with him
he carried the receipts Of the day at hia
place OF business. The negroes were
aware Of this and evidently laid the
plans accordingly. Crouchlng behind a
fence. they awaited their victim, and
jumped from their place Of concealment
and attacked 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
struggles soon attracted two boys, who
went TO his assistance, but they were a
moment too late. the victim Of the two
negroes having succumbed 70 the tsrribla
beating lying dead at their feet. The
murderers then drove the wouId-be req
cuers away and accomplished their orig
inal design-that Of robbery-s~ouring a
bag containing something over 30 from
the PROSTATE form OF their victim, and
made their escape.
Simons was terribly beaten: his skull
crushed in; his head and face beaten into
pulp. -Four gaping wounds showed
where the spike on tine club had pune
tured the dead mans skull and pene-
trated his brain.
Walter Evans. one Of the young men
who attempted to save simOns' life. and
who afterward assisted IN removing ths
dead mans remains TO his home, vas
greatly affected and almost suffered nsr-
vous collapse.
Tonight he witnessed the lynchfng anA
is now a raving maniac.
The dead mans wife Is prostrated an4
Ii is believed she win die from the shock
Hollie Simons came here from winslow.
Ind. three years ago and was a popular
young man.