Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1901-05-19
DETERMINED OFFICERS
Baked THE MOB'S FURY.
A PAIR OF MURDER0US NEGROES
ESCAPED WITH THEIR LIVES
BY HAIRS BREATH.
STRUCK DOWN HARMLESS MAN.
THE JAIL AT CONNELLSViLLE AL
MOST TORN DOWN WITH HUGE
GATHERING RAMS.

thousand franctic people surrounded the
fragile little lookup in the town hall
here tonight.
Behind the bars trembled VIM. Fair
fax and his wife BLACK Ell" both col
ored, who had just murdered VIM.
4-oore assistant yardmaster in the Bal
timore G. Ohio yards here, a man well
known in Fayette and Westmoreland
railroad circles for many years.
The tragedy developed so quickly that
it took the breath from the townspeo-
pie.
The streets were crowded with the
Saturday night tnrongs. VIM. Moore
and Baggagemaster Johnston, of the
Fairmont branch train, walked down
Main street and turned in towards the
Hotel Haas, on Water street, through
a rear alley. Johnston left Moore and
the latter before he had gone moment
was assaulted suddenly by Fairfax and
his wife, who threw stones.
Several people saw the woman dart
forward and the black man also each
hurting the missiles. Among the by
ISLANDERS who witnessed the attack was
Otto Gilbert Moore was struck with a
brick on the head and fell forward.
Quick as a fash Fairfax leaned down
over the PROSTATE victim, jerked his
watch from his pocket, took his money
from his clothing and then with iend-
ish haste and wanton brutality took the
opportunity to throw the unconscious
body over a stone wall, a distance of
thirty feet. Moore was not dead when
he was hurled over the wall, but the
fall broke his neck
And He Died Instantly.
In a moment the town was afire.
The murder was right in the heart
of it.
The woman continued to stone back
the, crowd which pressed upon her
Fairfax in the confusion fed.
Constable VIM. Hart, of Connellsville
township, County Detective Alex Nc
Beth, who happened upon the scene, and
Policeman Charles Stillwagon took the
woman and hustled her up Main street
TO the lookup, she compelling them 10
drag her and carry her the entire dis
lance. In the meantime search began
for Fairfax. He ran up the rear stairs
of a vacant house in Meadow Lane and
there was betrayed by a woman, who
saw him secrete himself He was hust-
led UP the dark alley and before the
crowd knew of it he had been placed
in the lookup in the cell next to his
wife. In few minutes the lookup was
surrounded by bowling mob of infur-
lated men. In the midst of them We're
hoores three sons, crying and adding
to the excitement and the bitterness of
the crowd. For two while blocks the
crowd of men held sway and their
shouts could be heard all over the
town. Inside with the negro murder
ers were County Detective McBeth, Po-
licemen Frank Mccormick. Martin
Coyne, Charles Stillwagon, Constable
Hart, B. & o. Officer Robert Sheppard
and a few oilers. The officers block
AIDED the narrow aisle leading from the
outer door to the cells and the men on
the outside beat this in But the
Police Remained Firm.
The crowd kept battering at the doors
entreating the officers to give up the
prisoners and shouting bring him
out lynch llim.' And this time the
phalanx of officers who remained cool
and determined, blocked the little
passage inside and others outside helped
TO keep back the crowds that rushed
against those protecting the prisoner
within. The shouts were deafening.
Moore was 81 years of age and well
known in railroad circles. He was mar
ried and lived with his wife and family
on Eighth street. He has been assis-
tant yard master of the Baltimore &
Ohio here for many years. In the
crowd surrounding the lookup were
many railroad men thoroughly frantic
over his death. A few minutes before
10 o'clock a few of the ringleaders sue
ceeded in getting on the inside and
opened fire with revolvers at the ne
groes through the cell doors. For sew
eral minutes this fusilade continued
The officers shot into the air to fright
en- the people.
Suddenly down the street came a
crowd OF men bearing a telephone pole,
which the crowd speedily took and us
Ing it as battering ram began to
knock down the walls of the building.
In the meantime Sheriff George A. Nc
Cormick, of Fayette county. had been
notified and with large posse is be-
ing
Rushed to ConneIlsviIIe
from Uniontown on a freight the in
tention being to take the prisoners un-
der escort to the train and get them
into Jail at Uniontown.
Fairfax has lived in Connelsville on
Fairview avenue for several years. He