The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1901-06-13
A MOB REPULSED,
Georgia Sheriff Keeps Infuriated Cit.
Rens at Bay.
SAVES A NEGRO FROM LYNCHERS.
One of the Leaders of the Mob Shot
and Another Seriously Wounded
Negro Taken to Atlanta.

Carroilton. Ga. Specialize nerve
Of all obscure Georgia sheriff. whose
name is Jos. Merrill. upheld the law
Ct the State and saved the life Ct I nc
gro from mob. In protecting the
negro. who was saved from tie gal.
lows. only few hours before by the
efforts OF his lawyers. one life was
lCSI and two men were w0unicl. TCe
arrival Of the State militia ayer.ea
threatened trouble and at . o'C,O-k
aTccial tain lClriIg tEH negro
whCSa crime was the murder oi Z little
white GOr. whom II" foIrl ishins
alone. and his guarl was speeding TO-
wares Atlanta. The man killed II at.
taCking The jail was George PCLU%Jt,
OF CayrC.!tOn. AMI The wounicd ;Gen
aTc Tbom9s Smith. also OF CarDiltDn.
and an unknown man. presumably a
iarGc". Thomas s. W ord, lathr. Cf
tie murdered boy who was in the
f,Cnt rank Of the wOuiii-be lynche"S.
vas. strange to say. not hit. .\.,cr
E;nr@'t fe!l. Mr.. Word Jumped urCn
TIE window and exclaimed drAmGt.-
cal!r. : Shoot ne. Mr. Sheriff. |0Id
as s0Gn Gic rOV as any time. Oa!v
MIN. shots we're fired 2nI the walls
OF the jail show the marks Of The nUl-
lets. Nor2 Of the sheTiif's posse vas
hi.
Wili&TS. the negro. was t1icl All
found guilty oi numbering Otis WU'd.
On January 1st. this year. end IL
tcn,ci 10 lie hanged, being Te.GS Il a
nov 'r.al by Judge Harris. FriiaT
morning. his attorneys filed ! riIi
Of exceptions and carried tEe .as2
To the SupreGc Court, \ large "!2"d
cf people had come TO town to witness
The HANGING and when it was learned
that an appeal had been taken 20 the
Sup:e@c Court. delaying execution,
there was much talk. which rry5sal.
lied sc0l cftc. in the formation OF
mob.
At n9ar the mob made an assault
on the il They battered down lie
outside iron doc: S. despite the "a,n.
ing OF tle shsriff. and entered ;hc
builGinc They made a demand on
the sheriff fer the key to the nesros
cell. but were refused. With the re
fusal. they rc:an their advance upon
the sheriff an the deputies which he
hal been able to summon 10 his aid.
They wcIe told 10 stop. or they w0uti
be fred on, but the order was no.
o.eycd.
AS they advanced down the cOrltcr
towards The sheriff. the order VAS
given TO FIRE Bennett fell. dying al
Il, ST Instantly. Thomas Smith. %
-, in ~ IF
mob. vas badly shot. as was also N
unknown ,ountrrn.aa. The mex
pcctcd fight Of the sheriff 2nd his
posse frightened the mob and hey -
tlCa'pl outside the jail. Here iney
broke end ran and were soon divided
into iit&e groups. discussing the
event.
Sheriff Merrill at once consult
judge Harris. Of the county court, and
it was decided to call upon Governor
Gambler Tor aid. The Governor Was
communicated with BY telephone AMI
said lie would send companies from
Atlanta as soon as they could lr as.
sembled. During the afternoon 'he
mob telephoned the situation tn
friends in adjoining towns. ana riaGC
an dpDc1l lDI IlIClt .lltI ~ '!'NN N''N
capture Of the negrc This vas com
municatei also to Governo' Ca2dler
and tie Governor soon wired rrocla-
nation 10 the people of the c3Ia.y. 1t
was read from the steps OF The court
house at 1 o'clock by the .lavnr. IAa
Governor commanded the peoil2 -
disperse and said the entire mil.tlrv
and civil forces of the State would
be used to enforce order II &c: Sary.
The reading of the prccia".aii1n .ap'
parently had i good effect, as man.
people were seen to m"ra1 Fhel;
horses and leave the town.
Much apprehension was l@!t Tor the
night and the sheriff and city and
county officials after a Co3suIth, ,toa
decide! to take the prisonc' oit OF
the county tCr safe keeping. tn" At
lanta militia under command ot Ma.
jor Barker. a"rived about s o'clock and
one hour later escorted the I".:ro and
sheriff to the train which Was soon
speeding southwark for Atlanta.