Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1902-11-29
HANGED BY FARMERS
A NEGRO LYNCHED IN INDIANA
DESPITE GOVERNOR.
Mob Hurries Its Plan When the
Troops Are Ca11ed-Takes Prisoner
from Sheriff and Before Women Vic
tims-Victim Protests Innocence.

| from ShGr1H ana before "O"CH
| tims-Victim Protests Innocence.
Indiana farmers, armed and angry and
| refusing to heed piteous appeals for rner-
| cy, lynched James billiard Thursday
| night in spite of the efforts of Sheriff
Dudley and Governor Durbin to protect
the negro captive. The mob hanged him
| on telegraph pole near John Lemons
| farm, ten miles from Sullivan, in Knox
| County.
Previous to his execution by the mob
billiard had been identified by Mrs. Mary
| Davis, of Sullivan County, wife of Milton
Davis, and Mrs. Lemon as the man who
attacked them the previous Tuesday.
| Both women are still in a critical condi
| ton as a result of injuries inflicted by
the negro.
The attacks on Mrs Davis and Mrs.
Lemon aroused the entire region for miles
| surrounding their homes. Men and boys
| swore to be avenged If the perpetrator
could be captured. Posses were organ
lied and the police Of many towns and
| the sheriffs of all nearby counties
were asked to join in the man hunt.
Negro Arrested in Illinois.
was arrested wednesday dG
Lawrenceville, ILL.,, after a fight with the
town marshal, in which the negro was
shot three times. News Of his capture
and of the suspicion that he was the
aEsailant of Mrs. Davis and Mrs. Lemon
spread rapidly and at once rumors of
prospective lynching arose. In order to
protect billiard better the marshal Of
Lawrenceville, took him to Robinson, Ill.
Tnhv, ;rofo ~ In
ture and he hurried to Robinson. He
identified the prisoner as the perpetrator
of the assaults in Indiana.
Sheriff Dudley, of Sullivan, went to
| Robinson, secured the prisoner and with
several deputies to assist brought him
to Sullivan Thursday afternoon. The
sheriff made an attempt to steal into
town without the knowledge Of the citi
zens. But the angry farmers were on
guard at every conceivable spot. Half
hundred determined men with revolvers
in pockets or shotguns in hand awaited
the sheriff's return and they discovered
the sheriff the moment he reached town
with the prisoner.
Mob Seizes and Beats Prisoner.
Sheriff Dudley and the negro, accom-
panied by the deputies, came back in a
wagon. AS Dudley drove up to the Jail
the members of the mob ran from hiding
places and overpowered the officers The
deputies offered resistance, but were COM
PEELED to release the negro. billiard
begged for mercy. The mob beat him
over the head with revolvers.
billiard was dragged into the main
street of Sullivan and thrown into
wagon. The mob then followed after
the wagon and he was taken to the home
of Mrs. Davis, where he was identified.
Then the mob started with the negro for
the farm of John Lemon. The mob mean
time had swelled to enormous proper
| tons.
Mob Outwits the Governor.
Soon the mob learned that an appeal
! had been made to Governor Durbm for
| troops to protect billiard. 1t also learned
| that the Governor had ordered Captain
Mccoy, with Company A of the State
guard, to leave Vincennes by special
train and intercept the mob at some point
between Carlisle and Oaktown. At once
the mob took means to thwart the Gov
crnor's order. The leaders with the
prisoner dashed their horses and drove
to Lemons home by a route that avoided
the railroad.
It took some time, to get the militia
men together and more to prepare spe-
cial train. Meanwhile the nHb drove the
ten miles to Lemons, secured the iden-
tification of billiard by Mrs. Lemon, and
then started back to Sullivan. A mile
from the farm the farmers held coun-
Gil, condemned billiard to death and, in
spite of his pleas for mercy, threw Il rope
over a pole and jerked him into the air.
When he was dead the mob dispersed.
Protests He Is Innocent.
Before his execution billiard was asked
if he wished to make any disposition of
his body
yes, / want 1t sent to my mother,
Mrs. Anna Bursh, 18th street, Indian
apolis," was the reply Il die an inno-
cent man and l hope you won't beat me
with clubs or shoot me-"
The leaders of the mob assured billiard
they would not torture him.
"Then l am ready to go to my maker"
he said without a tremor in his voice or
the least sign Of fear. He muttercd a
prayer as the crowd drew him up.
News of the lynching reached Vim
cennes and the Governors office in In
dianapolis just as the State troops were
taking train. The Governor then coun-
fernandez the order calling out the
troops.