Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1902-12-26

PITTSBUH9, Kan, Dec. 26.-Montgomery
Cooley, negro. was taken from the Jail
here today and lynched by a mob because
early this morning he shot and killed Mil
ton Hinkle, policeman. who was trying to
protect himself against a crowd of unruly
blacks.
Shot with own PistOI.
The negro jerked the oficer's pistol from
the holster and shot him with Il from be-
hind. Two hours later q mob gathered and
took Cooley from the city jail where he
had been incarcerated, and hanged him to
telephone pole. As he was choking to
death one Of the members Of the mob cut
his throat and ended his sufferings.
large number of negro men and women
from the various mining camps in the vi
cinity among them Mont and Joe Cooley,
brothers, were drinking and carousing at
a ball Hinkle requested them to be quiet.
The Cooley brothers answered him in an
insulting and insolent manner and he tried
t6 arrest them. They resisted and Hinkle
blew his whistle for help. He then began
to use his club In order to protect himself
from the onslaught OF the crowd. He was
holding his own against three of them
when Mont" Cooley grabbed the oficer's
revolver and, placing the muzEle behind
Hinkle's right ear pulled the trigger. The
ball passed through his head and came
out over the left eye. He fell to the side
walk. Other oficers pursued the negroes,
all OF whom started to ruin when the oficer
fell. The Cooley brothers were both cap
tursd and locked up In the city Jail. Hin
kle was carried to the city hall. where he
died at this morning.
Mob storms City Jail.
The news of the murder spread and soon
q crowd was gathered about the Jail, shout
ing Hang himl" Burn hlml" Get a
ropei"
An attempt was frst made 10 rob the city
marshal Of his keys to the Jail door, but
he convinced the mob that they were not
In his possession at the time. A crowbar
and hammer were then procured and the
fail doors battered and broken open.
Cooley cursed the mob when its leaders
sntered TIE 3aiI.s hut lif courage left him
when he began to realize that death was
near. He began to supplicate and beg for
officers to protect him, but they were
overpowered and taken care Of by a portion
Of the mob. The negro was then dragged
from the jail into the yard and given a few
moments to talk. He told so many conflict
ing stories about the affair that the mob
became impatient and hurried him about
three blocks away from the jail Procuring
a rope on the way they hanged him to the
step-pins OF a telephone pole. The rope
broke on the frst effort and Cooley fell to
the ground. At this instant some in the
crowd cut his throat on the left side, sew
ering tho jugglar vein. This brought a
more meroiful death than was intended.
He was then hanged again.
Cooley came here from Pierce City. Mo-,
where the citizens Of that town drove the
negroes out about two years ago. The
mob left his body hanging for several
hours before 1t was cut down.
Great excitement prevails among both
whites and blacks as g result OF the lynch
ing. Belligerent crowds have been on the
streets all day and have made ugly threats.
Numerous negroes have been locked up for
carrying concealed weapons.
1t is expected that there will be further
trouble between the lAces.
0odleys brother was burned at the stake
IN Pierce City, Mo-, nearly two years ago
at the time of the anti-negro troubles
there, following an assault OF a young
woman. Mont Cooley was driven from
Pierce City then.