Omaha daily bee., 1901-01-17
ARE PREPARING A DEFENSE
officials of Kansas Will Try to Justify
Failure to Protect Alexander
LEGISLATURE TAXES UP THE MATTER
Passes Joint Resolution CondcmninH q
the Deed and Demanding that
Perpetrators Re Punished to
FuII Extent of the Law.

LEAvENWORTH, Kas., Jan. 16-Offcials
responsible for the life OF Fred Alexander
the negro burned at the stake yesterday,
today began the preparation OF their de-
tense. The negro's guilt of the assault and
murder last November OF Pearl Forbes,
which he denied with his last breath, was.
they say, proven conclusively by the mans
own statements. while held at the Lansing
penitentiary This evidence will be gath
cred and published.
In addition Sheriff Everhardy said today
that tho report that Alexander had as
saulted a third girl at Stillings. near Hero,
was true, an that the young woman had
appeared at the penitentiary yesterday be-
fore the start for Leavenworth was made
and positively identified the negro as her
assailant.
Sheriff Eynrhardy, who. together with
Warden Tomlnson OF the penitentiary. is
responsible for the removal OF Alexander
from the penitentiary. offered his defense
this morning Last night, overcome by the
strain under which he has worked since
Alexanders arrest, Everhardy went to bed.
and sent out word to newspaper men that
he was too i'll to make a statement. Today
he said:
"You have no idea what trial have had
since Saturday night. Those who condemn
me should place themselves in my position.
did my duty so far as lay within my
power, but was overwhelmed by superior
numbers. | told the warden that l would
land Alexander In the county Jail. and did.
When realized the crowd was bent on get
ting my prisoner / stood up in the carriage
and called to the driver to drive through to
the county Jail in spite of the crowd and
overrun anyone who should get in the way.
locked the man up and did not give up the
keys, although several demands were made
upon me. | deplore the fact that Alexander
was burned. | did my full duty as sheriff
OF Leavenworth county"
when asked regarding the report that he
had begged Governor Stanley for state mi
litia Sheriff Everhardy said:
Glad Troops Didn't Arrive.
81 did not request that. l am now glad
the troops did not arrive. for IL they had
there would have been several innocent
lives lost. The militia could have done no
good. Two companies would have been
poweress to suppress the mob, and have
not the least doubt but that every national
guardsman would have been killed IL is
not necessary for me to say whether
think the man guilty of the crime"
| TOPEKA. Kan, Jan. 16.-A joint resolu-
4 tlOH WAS DdSStu ny lHt
today deploring and condemning the burn
| ing at the stake of Fred Alexander by a
mob at Leavenworth yesterday The reso-
luton favors a most rigid investigation of
all the acts and circumstances attending
| the lynching and demands that the perpe-
traitors be punished to the full extent of the
| law.
The resolution was passed unanimously
| in the house, but met with some opposition
in the senate
| No arrests of leaders of the mob have
| been made, Notwithstanding the fact that
dozens of the men who participated in the
| affair are known. The coroner's jury sat
on the case this afternoon.
buried in Potter's Field.
The funeral of Fred Alexander, the negro
who was burned at the stake yesterday aft
ernoon, took place today and was attended
only by the undertaken and his assistants.
| The remains were inferred in the potter's s
field.
The coroner has impaneled a jury, which
viewed the remains before interment, but
he has not decided when he will hold an
inquest. He is looking up evidence in the
matter, but is unable to find anyone who
can testify in the case.
Nothing has been done toward making
any dlItSlS anu NHtu thS ihhyoi Ndo dohtu
II he would take any steps in the matter he
answered: 1T is a state case. / have
nothing to do with it,"
Miss Thole, who 1t Is charged, was as
saulted by Alexander and threatened with
death If she said anything about it. stated
to a reporter tonight that the announce
ment that she had identified Alexander as
her assailant was erroneous. Her state
ment is that Alexander looked like the
man, but she was not positive about it..
Demand Another Negro.
1t was learned today that the city Jail
was visited late last night by a body of
masked men on horseback who demanded
of the jailer that he deliver to them Charles
Letcher a negro, whom they declared was
guilty with Alexander in the assault and
murder Of Pearl Forbes. Letcher had been
arrested for Insulting several women and
been sentenced to serve three months in
Jail. Jailer Glinn refused to give up the
prisoner and the timely appearance of
other officers prevented his being over
powered. The city jail is situated some dis
tance from the county Jail, and the excite
ment around the latter place over Alex
ander caused the affair at the city Jail to
pass off almost unnoticed. Quiet prevails
today.
vii NOT 0EFER REWARD