The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1901-06-13
MOB ST0RMED JAIL
Three Men Hold Crowd Of Five
Hundred Angry People at Bay.
EXCITEMENT AT CARR0LLTON
One Member of Mob Killed and An
other Wounded BY Sheriffs
Possee In Protecting
Negro Prisoner.

George Bennette, who led mob OF
500 on the jail at Carrollton, Ca, in an
attempt to lynch Ike Williams, colored,
the convicted murderer of young Otis
Word, is dead as the result OF pistol
wound inflicted by one Of the sherlns
measer posse, and Tom Smith, another
member OF the mob, is severely
wounded in the shoulder.
Sheriff Joseph l.. Merrill, Senator w.
D. Hamrick. Of the district and l.. Il.
Fletcher, the sheriff's brother IN law,
are the heroes Of the day. Alone these
three withstood the mob Of 500 infu-
rated men who were intent upon hav-
ing Williams's life.
Which one of them fired the fatal
shot is unknown, for they all tred
upon the mob, and as they did so the
mob, while returning the fire, fell back.
The crowd remained around the jail
all the afternoon, but fearing to make
another effort to get at the prisoner.
gradually dispersed with the quiet
threat that l.: would return at night
fall.
The arrival of the troops ordered out
by the governor, it is believed, Is the
only thing that prevented an attack
on the Jail Friday night. They reach
ed the city at o'clock and after
short conference between Major w.
w. Barker and Judge Sam Harris, the
latter signed an order for the removal
of the negro to Atlanta. The militia
went up to the Jail, formed Gordon
around the prisoner, who was accom-
panied by Sheriff Merrill and his dep
uty, G. w. worley, and with these In
the center of a square they marched
back to the depot and at o'clock took
their special train to return to Atlanta.
Such is the brief story OF one OF
the most exciting days in the annals
Of Carrollton. The trouble came up
wholly Unexpectedly, the sheriff hav'
ing been assured a short time before
hand that there would be no disturb
ance, and he was unprepared for 1t.
But the crowd had gathered In the
city expecting a hanging. When 1t did
not take place many Of them were
mad and this doubtless led to the at
tempt upon the jail.
The attack on the jail was wholly
Cause Of the Trouble.
The negro, Ike Williams, whom the
mob wanted to lynch, had been con-
victed of the murder Of young Otis
Word, the fourteen year old son OF
Charles WoEdn who lives at Victory,
about tens niles south-ot -Carrollton.
Young Word was killed on January
1st, and his body was not found until
January 23rd. Ike Williams was the
last man seen with him, and 1t was
known that the boy had some money
at the time. The body was found f.
nally in a pond some distance from
young Words home. ~ was necessary
to drain the pond o. before the body
was found.
The case against Williams was call.
ed for trial in March, but the state
asked for a continuance, because some
witnesses were lacking. The case
came up again about the middle OF
April. Williams was tried, convicted
and sentenced to death.
The hanging was to have taken
place Friday under the sentence OF
the court and the people from all Sec
tions of Carroll county gathered
to see it. The majority Of the crowd
was composed of people from around
Victory, south Of Carrollton, where
Word lives.
Judge Harris had granted a super
sedeas some days ago, but had not
passed on the motion for q new trial
Friday he passed on the motion,
refusing new trial. OF course, the
supersedeas still held good until VIII.
liams's case could be taken to the su-
preme court.
The people who had gathered were
unfamiliar with court proceedings, and
thinking, enormously, of course, that
something had been done to favor Will
liams, the plan to lynch him was
started.