Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1902-03-26
Negro Accused Of
Foul Crime.
Colorado Citizens Broke
Into Court House
To Secure the Wretch a Woman
Had Identified.

La Junta, Col, March 26.-W. H.
Wallace. a negro sleeping ear porter
was lynchcd at o'clock last night
in corner of the Court House square
being hanged to an electric light poie
by bowling mob of 4.OOO persons,
who had been hunting for him all Day
After the hanging the body of the ne
gro was riddcd with bullets. wal
lace had been kept out of town all
day by Sheriff Fnrr in an attempt 10
save him from the mob. The prisoner
made no resistance to the lynchipg
and died protesting his innocence.
Mrs. Henrietta II. Miller, gray
haired woman, aged 81, going from
Los Angeles, Cal, to Denver to Visit
relatives, was brutally assaulted IN
the Santa Fe railroad yards here Mon
day night by negro porter on Pull
man car running between Denver ana
La Junta.
After leaving the Chicago limited
train here Mrs. Miller asked "a porter
whom she met on the station platfor
where the Denver sleeper was The
mnn offered to conduct her to the car
After going with him considerable
distance Mrs. Miller became suspicious
and started to return to the station.
She was then knocked down by a
blow ON the head and after struggle
with her assailant was choked into
insensibility.
When she rcgained consciousness,
about an hour later she crawled back
10 the station and gave an account of
the assault and description of her
assailant. Washington II. Wallace, II
Pullman car porter, who runs between
Denver and this city, stopping here on
each run from 9:45 ut night until noon
the following day. was arrested in the
car of which he had charge. He was
identified by Mrs. Miller. Blood
hounds were brought from Canyon
City and they trailcd the man who
accompanied Mrs. Miller through the
yards to the car in which Wallace
was found.
Eight assaults have occurred hero
In the past few months and II is be-
Iieved all were committed by one man
Mrs. Millar's condition Is critical.
Fenring lynching, Sheriff Farr de
cldcd to take the prisoner TO Pueblo
When his intention became known
clared that he could not travel by rail
as they would refuse to operate th'
train out Of LA .Iunta with Wallace
on board. The Sheriff placed hi'
prisoner In II carriage and started fo
Sugar city, on the Missouri Pacific
100 late 10 catch the train for pucbl,
and then decided to drive through
Meantime IN armed party had lcf
Isa Junta TO overtakc the sheriff AM
prisoner. The carriage was FINAL
overtaken at Patterson. midway b,
tween Rocky Ford and Manzanol,
Sheriff Farr made no resistance an
Wallace did not ask for mercy Th
carriage was turned back toward /.
Junta Passing through Rocky For
the mob was joined by 800 men of thu
town.
In ,luntn was reached about q
clock, where thousands of men, w
men and children, many from II
surrounding country, awaited them.
peace element cndeavorcd 10 stop Il
proposed lynching and II committ'
consisting of Robert Patterson. ban
er; DR.. Fleming, Charles Dearborn
County Treasurer, and other prom
nent citizens asked the privilege
trying to get II confession from Wa
lace. This was granted, and the n
gro was taken into the Court lIous
After half an hour or 80 the wo
Went out that the Court House doc
We're locked, and that the committ
would try 10 prevent lynchlng, II