Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1901-06-12
SHERIFF OHAS GRIT
One Develops in Georgia and Pre-.
vents an Outrage on
the Law.
MOB DOES NOT HEED A WARNING
One Rioter Dies and Two Others Stop
Bullets-Then the Mob Runs
and the Governor Acts.

OF Georgia sheriff whose name Is
Joseph Merrill, yesterday upheld the
law of the state and saved the life OF
q negro from mob. In protecting the
negro, who was saved from the gal
lows only few hours before through
the efforts of his lawyers, one life was
lost and two men were wounded. The
arrival of the state militia ayerted
threatened trouble last night, and at
o'clock a special train bearing the
negro. whose crime was the murder or
q little white boy whom he found fish,
ing alone, was speeding toward At
lanta under guard. The man killed In
attacking the Jail was George Ben
nett, of Carrollton, and the wounded
men are Thomas Smith, also OF Car
rollton, and an unknown man, presum-
ably a farmer. Thomas s. Word, ia
Their of the murdered boy, who was IN
the front rank of the would-be lynch
ers, was not hit After Bennett fell
Word jumped upon window Sill ana
exclaimed dramatically:
"Shoot me, Mr.. Sheriff; / would as
soon die now as any time"
Postponed Hanging Causes the Trouble.
Williams, the negro who caused the
trouble, was tried and found guilty OF
numbering Otis Word on Jan. i, 1881,
| and sentenced to be hanged yesterday.
| He was only yesterday morning re-
| fused new trial by Judge Harris, but
| his attorneys filed a bill of exceptions
| and carried tie case to the supreme
| court A large crowd of people had
| come to town to witness the hanging,
and when it was learned that an ap-
peal had been taken to the supreme
court, delaying the execution, there
| was much excited talk, which crystal
lied soon after in the formation of d
| mob. At noon the mob made an as
sault on the Jail. 1t battered down the
outside doors despite the warning OF
the sheriff, and entered the building.
But the sheriff Did HIS Duty.
1t made a demand on the sheriff fol
the key to the negro's cell, but was
refused With the refusal it began its
advance upon the sheriff and the few
deputies which he had been able tt
summon to his aid. The rioters were
told to stop or they would be fired on
but the order was not Obeyed. Al
they advanced down the corridor to
ward the sheriff the order was giveI
to fire. Bennett fell, dying almost in.
stantly.
And the Mob Foun IL Out.
The unexpected fight Of the sheriff
and his little posse frightened thu
mob, and it retreated outside of thu
Jail. Here the rioters broke and ran
and were soon divided into littl
groups discussing the event. Sheriff
Merrill at once consulted Judge Har
ris, of the county court, and 1t wa
decided to call upon Governor Candle
for aid. The governor was cOmmuni
Gated with by telephone, and said b
would send two companies from Al
lanta as sOoh as they could be assem-
bled. During the afternoon the lead
ers of the mob telephoneu the situa
ton to friends in the adjoining town
of Villa Rica and Temple, and mad
an appeal for more men to get posses
; sion of the negro. This was cOmmun
: Gated also to Governor Gambler. an
the governor soon wired proclaim;
ton to the people of the county.
Governor Demands Civilization.
: 1t was read from the steps of tn
court house by the mayor. The go'
ernOr commanded the people to di
perse, and said the entire military an
civil forces of the state would be use
to enforce order, if necessary. TIL
reading of the proclamation apparen
i ly had Il good effect, as many peOpl
were seen to mount their horses an
q leave town. Much apprehension Wa
q felt for the night, and the sheriff an
city and county officials, after a cor
sultation, decided to take the prison,
out of the county for safe-keepin
= The Atlanta militia, under command ,
!, Major Barker, arrived about g o'cloc
|. and one hour later escorted the negl
and Sheriff Merrill to the train, whic
was soon speeding southwark to A
l. lanta.