Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-08-13
THREATENED WITH | NCH|AG.
TWO COLoRED PRISONERS WE'RE
BROUGHT HERE FROM FAIR
MONT LAST EVENING.
FIGURED IN THE SHOOTING
which Resulted I'm Detective Lilley,
of Grafton, and B. & D. Employe
Downey Being Seriously WOund-
ed-One of the Negroes Admitted
That He Shot to Scare the Two
Men-BOth Prisoners interviewed
Last Night.

The two negroes, George Campbell
and Albert Thomas, who were arrested
Saturday evening at Fairmont, charged
with shooting B. & o. Detective Char
les Lilley, of Grafton, and Henry Dow
ney, B. & o. employee, are now in the
Ohio county jail, having been brought
tc this city over the B. & o. road last
evening about half past six o'clock, in
charge of four deputy sheriffs. This
action was taken by the authorities be-
cause of the fact that the two prisoners
were threatened with lynching while in
the jail at Fairmont yesterday morn
ing about two o'clock.
According to special dispatch to the
Register from Fairmont, a crowd of
four hundred people gathered around
the county Jail there while the build
irg was being searched for the two ne
groes. 1t is learned that it was their in
tention to lynch them if found and the
county officers quickly realizing the sit
uation, hastily took the two prisoners
to a place called Gray's Flats, thence
to Barracksville, where tickets were
purchased for Moundsville, and finally
brought them here.
A Register reporter visited the cells
Of the two men last night, and both
were reluctant to discuss the case in de-
tail. Both men had lain down for
rest, and refused to get up while they
were being interviewed.
Campbell seemed inclined to evade
direct questions and with considerable
hesitancy stated that he and Thomas
were arrested for shooting, but did
not shoot at any one. When asked
if he thought there was any cause for
his arrest, he replied that he would
not talk about it yet as he had plenty
of time. He said that his home was
at Larimore, North Dakota, and that
his parents are dead.
When questioned Thomas said that
he did not know the nature of the
charge against him, but admitted that
he figured in the shooting He, said
that as soon as he saw the detective
coming toward him, accompanied by
another man, that he drew revolver,
which he carried, and shot to scare
them. He also stated that he used
ND rterIof he
detective meant to arrest him for
vagrancy. The prisoner said that
Philadelphia, Pa, was his home, and
he had been on the road since last
I March, moving from one place to an
other He had no occupation, but de-
pended on odd jobs for livelihood.
He had met Campbell about month
ago, and they had been together con-
stantly since then. He also stated
that he had never stolen anyth n and
! had always managed to earn enough
/ money to buy something to eat.
Campbell is twenty-five years old
and Thomas only seventeen years of
age. Both stated that they were
badly frightened when the crowd sur
! rounded the jail at Fairmont, and
were anxious to get away
AS reported in the Geographic col
umns of yesterdays Register Detective
Lilley and b. & o. employee Downey
were seriously injured, receiving
wounds from 80 and SO calibre re-
volvers. 1t was learned late last night
that Lilley will recover, but Downey
will probably die
The two negroes, it is said, together
with three white men, attempted to
board a freight train at Pennington
Saturday night, and being prohibited
! from doing so, fired at the brakeman,
|. without effect The detective and
Downey found the negroes at Fair