Richmond planet., 1900-12-22
Charged with Murder
Thousands witness the mob's
bloody work.
Gov. Mount Active Will Hunt Down the Guilty Parties

BooEBvILLE, IND. Dec. 17.--John Roll
il, she third of the colored men impli-
Gated in the murder of Hollie Simons,
was hanged TO Q tree in the courthouse
yard by . mob of shout J00 men from
Rockport this evening. Two of hi.
comp aDions were lyn chit at Reck2o
last night for the same crime. Not 3
shot was fired and everything wss con-
Quoted ss quietly IS IL the execution
had been one under the sanction Of the
law.
Rclla was brought to this place this
afternoon shout o'clock in charge Of
Sheriff Anderson, of Rookport. Upon
his arrival he was placed in cell on
the second floor of the Jail, and his
presence was hnown only to o few cit
ixens.
AN APPARENT REFUSAL.
A few minutes after o'clock body
OF 100 men marched through the print
cipaI street to the Jail and demanded
that the prisoner be turned over to IL.
Deputy Sheriff RAYMOND Cherry was in
chsig, of the Jail He declined to give
up the keys, and the mob b. gan ct once
to batter in the wall of the Jail with q
telegraph pole. Six members Of the
mob crswled through the hole, and
with sledges broke down the door OF
Rolls's cell. and soon the thoroughly
terrified col ,sed man WAS in the hands
OF the men, who D ased = rope around
his neck. All left. crawling again
through she hole by which they had
enter I'd, dragging the colored man sf-
ter Them.
BODY IN THE AIR-
A few minutes were consumed in the
march to the courthouse yard the rope
was shrown over q limb Of q tree. and
o hundred hands sent his body flying
into the air. The loose end Of the rope
was tied 20 \ tree, and as soon as the
mob was snre shat it's work had been
completed &c left In rs orderly . man
ner 40 it had entered she town.
None Of the mob wore masks, and
men apparently from every station ia
life took part in the lynching. Except
for the excited group OF men standing
on the street corners, . stranger would
have knewn nothing Of she tragedy
that he'd Just been enacted.
oLAINlp ny ookEsssED,
John Rolls was implicated by Row
land, enc Of the colored men lynched
last night at Rockport, but ceaied big
guilt, BE told conflicting stories, and
it was learned that he ives away from
the Verandah Hotel. where he worked
about the time Simmons was murder
ed. Uenfronted wish this evidence.
Rolla weakened, and confessed his
aAa- In kA I'D hak "a
struck the fret blow aud that the 9TH
or two colored men helped him to kill
6imoRs.
TROOPS yBrKxN MINUTES TOO LATE.
The militia from Evansville arrived
1T Bonneville fifteen minutes too late
and the dead body of Rolla met their
gaze As they marched into town.
The citizens of Rockpert held q meet
ing tonight and formed an organixat
ion for the purpose of maintaining Law
and order and assisting the officers IL
the prosecution of criminals. 1t was
also resolved to make an ef Jrt to take
municipsl affairs out Of politics.
While ths lynching was only Incl
dentally discussed, the general senti
ment OF ths community upholds the
hctlOu Oh the n1OD III GkklDR huhlrs III
their own hands. There is no purpose
to prosecute any one concerned in TIT
mob.
TEooPs ORDERED OUT.
Evansville, Ind, Dec. I7Gh--Order
have just been received from Govern
or Mount instructing the officers O
the local military company TO assem-
BILE their men at once and repair as rap
idly as possible to Bonneville to pro
tect two colored su poets removed t
that place from Rockport late to. nigh
This order was issued by the covers
or upon information received from tn
Rockport officials saying q mob hAI
started from that point and woul
march to Boonville with the intention
OF lynching the two suspects.
ooLoRED PEOPLE INDIGNANT.
Advise from Rockport say the color
ed people are thoroughly aroused an
raee war is imminent.
They openly threaten that out of re
> venge for the lynching Of the colore
men they will burn the to wn tonight
Guards have been stationed abou
4 tho town and all of the citizens ar
- heavily armed and watching closel
for any sign Of an outbreak among th
= colored people,