The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1901-06-08
SAVED BY SHERIFF'S PLUCK
W0ULD-BE LYNCHERS DRIVEN
FROM Il JAZZ IN GEORGIA.
Failed to Heed the Warning of the
Sheriff and Were Fired Upon-One
Killed and Two wounded in Attempt
to Get Negro Convicted of Murder
State MiIitia Called Out.

| Carrollton, Ga, June THE nerve
of Joseph Merrill, sheriff of Carol
county, to-day upheld the law of the
state and saved the life of a negro
from mob. In protecting the negro
who was saved from the gallows only
a few hours before through the eff
forts of his lawyers, one life was lost
and two men We're wounded. The ar
rival of the state militia avert teo
threatened trouble and at o'clock a
special train bearing the negro, whose
crime was the murder of a little whit e
boy whom he found fishing alone, ant
his guard left for Atlanta.
The man killed in attacking the jail
was George Bennett, of Carrollton, and
the wounded are Thomas Smith, also
of Carrollton, and an unknown man
presumably a farmer. Thomas S.
Word, father of the murdered boy, who
was in the front rank of the would-be
lynchers, was, strange to say, not hit.
found guilty of numbering Otis Word
on January 1. He was sentenced to be
hanged. The execution was to have
taken place to-day. A new trial was
refused by Judge Harris this morning
and his attorneys. Reese, Smith & Ber-
kin, Immediately filed a bill of excep-
tions and carried the case to the su-
preme court
A large crowd of people had come to
town to witness the hanging and when
it was learned that an appeal had been
taken to the supreme court, delaying
execution, the mob made an assault on
the Jail. They battered down the out
side iron door, despite the warning Of
the sheriff, and entered the building.
They made demand on the sheriff for
the key to the negro's cell and on be-
ing refused advanced upon the sheriff
and his deputies. They We're told to
stop or they would be fired on, but the
order was not obeyed. AS they ad-
vanced down the corridor towards the
sheriff the order was given to fire.
1t was decided to call upon Governor
Gambler for aid The governor was
communicated with by telephone and
said he would send two companies from
Atlanta as soon as they could be as
sembled.
During the afternoon the mob tele-
phoned the situa tion to friends in adj
Joining villages and made an appeal
for more men to effect the capture of
the negro. This was communicated
also to Governor Gambler and the gov
ernor soon wired proclamation to the
people of the county. 1t was read
from the steps of the court house by
the mayor The governor commanded
the people to disperse and said the en-
tire military and civil forces of the
state would be used to enforce order
If necessary. The reading of the proc
amation apparently had good effect
as many people were seen to mount
heir horses and leave the town.
Much apprehension was felt for the
1ight and the sheriff and city and
county officials after consultation
decided to take the prisoner out of the
county for safe keeping. The Atlanta
militia under command of Major Bar
xer arrived about o'clock and one
lour later escorted the negro and
sheriff to the train, which was soon
speeding southwark for Atlanta.