Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1901-02-26
.SMASHERS SHOT
WHILE SMASHING
Armed With Sledges and Pts
tolls and Disguised.
RAIDED WHOLESALE SHOP

Resisted a Policeman, Whom They
Accuse of the Shooting-Of1lcer De-
clares He Shot In the Air to Fright
en- Them.
Topeka, Feb. 25.-As a result of q
raid on the Curtis wholesale liquor house
by mob last night, j. A. Adams, a
carpenter, lies at the hospital in pre-
various condition from pistol shot
wound and probably will die. DIR. j. e.
Mitchell and Rev. DR.. +. w. Emerson
are both under arrest as leaders Of the
mob, and the liquor house is almost a
wreck.
At midnight crowd numbering about
go citizens, heavily armed with revolv-
ers, sledge hammers. crowbars and
battering ram, and with faces masked,
broke into the wholesale liquor house of
''Cash" Curtis on West Curtis street,
between Kansas avenue and jackson
street, and began destroying the liquor.
Three policemen drove the crowd back,
firing their revolvers into the air to
frighten the mob. Several members Of
the mob also fired revolvers, and J. A.
Adams, carpenter, received two bull
let's in his breast and sank to the ground
unconscious. He was taken in hack
to riverside hospital, where he lies in a
precarious condition.
DR.. Mitchell and Rev. +. w. Emer-
son were both arrested by the police.
Rev. Mr.. Emerson was taken to the DO
fof ho
the charge of resisting an officer. He
was allowed to go upon his own recogni-
zanCe. DR.. Mitchell accompanied the
wounded man to the hospital and was
allowed to stay and administer to him
without giving bond.
The three officers claim that Adams
was shot by his own crowd while he
was retreating from the store. At the
hospital Adams regained consciousness
and asserted he was shot by one of the
policemen. Officer Connors says that
his revolver, 38-caliber, was knocked
from his hand. Officer Downey says he
did not arrive at the scene of the tronbl0
until it was about over, and Officer
Boyles who carries a Colts 44-caliber,
claims that he shot but twice, pointing
his weapon upward. Dr. Mitchell and
DIR. Hammond, who cared for Adams at
the hospital say he was shot with a 80
or 38 caliber revolver The bullets have
not yet been extracted.
Story of the Smashing.
The crowd which did the smashing
met On West Curtis street, about two
blocks from the liquor house. A few
moments past midnight the crowd
marched quietly to the liquor store,
which is a small frame building. Half
a dozen men carried log about 10 feet
long, TO be used as a batterinE assilI.
With it the door was burst open and the
crowd rushed in. The lantern which
the crowd carried was extinguished and
the work was done in the dark. Three
men stood inside and passed the bottles
and kegs of beer to the men in the door,
way, who threw them into the yard to
be smashed. The crowd used heavy
sledges, axes and crowbars. The owners
of the beer made no resistance, but
summoned Officers Boyles, O'Connor
and Downey from the Union Pacific de-
pot, two blocks away Before the officers
arrived 80 cases and two kegs of beer
had been smashed and the debris was
scattered over the yard.
Fusilade of Shots.
When the officers arrived the crowd
fell back to ditch near Jackson street.
where the leaders succeeded in rallying
the forces. While the crowd was being
driven back, 30 or 80 shots were fired,
and during the fusillade Adams fell and
made no effort to arise. Several ran to
his assistance, and upon Snding he had
been shot the crowd quickly dispersed.
DIR. Mitchell and Rev. Emerson, who
were STOPPING over the wounded man,
were placed under arrest. DR.. Mitchell
was permitted to accompany Adams to
the hospital, but Rev. Emerson was ia
ken to the police station, where it was
found his hand had been badly cut.
The injury was bandaged. He was
booked and later was permitted to go
home.
When the crowd had left, the broken
cases and the smashed beer bottles were
carried into the building and man
stood guard near the building with q
shotgun.