The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1901-05-21
FRANTIC MOB
LOSE VICTIMS
CLEVER RUsE OF OFFICER
SAVES MURDERERs.
NEGRO COUPLES CRIME
Railroad Man Stoned to Death
Then Robbed of Watch
and Money.

Connelsville, Pa, May 18.-Five
thousand frantic white people sur
rounded the fragile little lookup in
the town hall here tonight. Behind
the cell bars trembled William Fair.
fax and his wife, BLACK Ell" both col.
ored, who had just murdered William
Moore, assistant yardmaster in the
Baltimore and Ohio yards here.
Moore and Baggage Master John
ston, of the tairmont branch train,
were going towards the hotel Haas
on Water street, through the alley.
Johnston left Moore and the latter
before ne had been alone a moment
was assaulted by Fairfax and his wife
who threw stones. Several people
saw the woman dart forward and the
black mar also, each hurting missiles.
Moore was struck with a brick on the
head and fell forward. Quick as a
flash Fairfax leaned down over his
PROSTATE victim, jerked his watch
from his pocket, took his money from
his clothing, am with wanton brutal.
ty took the unconscious body in his
arms and hurled it over a stone wall,
a distance OF 10 feet. The fall broke
Moore's neck, and he died instantly.
In a moment the town was on fire
with excitement. The woman contin.
ued to stone back the crowd which
pressed upon her. Fairfax in the con-
1usion fled. Officers took the woman
and hurried her up Man street to the
lookup, she compelling them to drag
n carry her the entire distance.
Fairfax was soon after secured
and placed in the lookup in the cell
next to his wife. In a few moments
the Jail was surrounded by a bowling
mob OF Infatuated men. In the midst
OF them were Moore three sons. For
two whole blocks the crowd OF men
held sway and their shouts could be
heard all over the town.
The officers %blockaded the narrow
aisle leading from the outer door to
the cells. The crowd kept battering
at the doors, %entreating the officers
to give up the prisoners, and shout
ing, Bring him out to the rope
Lynch him.
In the crowd surrounding the lock-
up were many railroad men frantic
over Moore's death.
About 10 o'clock a few of the ring
leaders succeeded in getting on the
inside and opened fire with revolvers
through the cell doors. FOR several
minutes this fusilade continued. The
officers thenh shot into the aisle to
brighten people. Suddenly down the
street came a crowd of men bearing
a telephone pole which the crowd
speedily took n useing il as a bat
tering ram, began to knock down the
walls OF the building.
In the meantime Sheriff George A.
Mccormick of F'ayette county was
sent for. BY 1880 o'clock the mob
used the battering ram so effective
" that rne outer wall of the
building broke through. Under the
electric light within stool the negro,
Fairfax. The omcers, headed by
County Detective McBeth, stood be-
fore the man %thwartlng the work of
the RAM, standing on it with their
feet to stop it's work. McBeth in
formed the men that he would shoot
the first n who entered the cell.
No n IN the mob was brave enough
to face death at the hands of the off.
GERS. At midnight the crowd had not
%lesseneu around the lookup. Sheriff
Mccormick had not yet arrived and i,
was reported the engineer of the en-
CINE hauling the special train, learn.
ing that ne was bringing the sheriff
RI rp,nfo1f tho x,l 0r0, 80 rs. -,1s1---l
friend, refused to move the train fur.
Their.
1t is probable that no attempt will
be made by the sheriff and his posse
if he arrives to move the prisoners
tonight, but instead, that he will form
a Gordon of police about the building
and protect the negro until morning.
Shortly after midnight William
Moore, eldest Sol Of the murdered
man, came from his house. He mount
ed the steps in front of the Jail and
asked the people to dispense without |
further attempts at lynching. Father
John Jurns, pastor Of the Immaculate
Conception church and Burgess 10.
siah KurtZ. also spoke to the crowd
and asked them to preserve the good
name of the town. The crowd listened
attentively but renewed the efforts to
reach the negro as soon as the speak.
ers had finished.
At lao o'clock this morning, Sher.
if Mccormick, by a clever .ruse, sue.
ceeded in eluding the mob, and placing
Fairfax on a special train, started for
Uniontown Jail with his prisoners.
Beware Of a Cough.
A cough is not a disease but al
symptom. Consumption and brOn-