The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-10-22
lynch Two Negroes Who Had
 Been Tried and Convicted,
WERE AWAITING SENTENCE
Bodies of Murderers of Mrs. Lewis, an Aaed White Woman, Now Hang In the Public Square at
 Hampstead, Tex.

Hempstead, Tex, October 1.-After be- ing tried with legal form and procedure for criminal assault and murder, and given the death penalty in each case. Jim Wesley and Reddick Barton ne- groes, were late this afternoon taken from the authorities and lynched in the public square by an infuriated mob.
 The district judge asked the governor for troops to accompany the negroes here from the jail at Houston, where they were safe At the request of large number of citizens of Hampstead, who signed a written promise to aid the authorities in preventing any mob law, it Is said Judge Thompson countermand- ed his request and the troops did not accompany the negroes.
 Barton was first tried. He pleaded guilty to criminal assault and then to the murder of Mrs. Susan Lewis aged 6S, Sunday, October R.-The juries in each case, on which were several ne- groes promptly returned verdicts finding the death penalty.
 During the afternoon Wesley was put on trial. He pleaded guilty to assault and then to the murder charge but while the second trial was going on mob broke into the court room and attempted to take him, having learned that the sheriff had finally asked for troops. The mob was dispersed and the trial pro-
 tbrolIpb it's fpS- timony hurriedly in corroboration Of the plea of guilty. Both juries assessed the death penalty.
 The officers of the court sat about the room awaiting the coming of the troops when there was sudden movement on the part of several men in the room; the sheriff was overpowered, and Wesley was taken possession of by the mob and hur- ried away. Another portion of the mob attacked the jail and Barton was sur rendered to them without a struggle.
 The two prisoners were hustled to the public square and there executed by hanging. Neither of them had been sen fenced and District Judge Thompson had positively refused to permit them to waive the thirty days of grace allowed them by law. The suggestion to burn the ne- groes met with disfavor. It was the gen. eral desire that they die quickly. They are hanging tonight to the arm of tel ephone pole where only last month a negro murderer had been strung up by a mob.
 The town is quiet tonight. Sheriff Lips comb was badly hurt about the back by the rough treatment of the mob. During the first rush a shot was accidentally fired and Sheriff Sparks of Lee county was wounded in the stomach, though not seriously hurt. The governor was in- formed of the lynching, but has yet had nothing to say.
 Austin, Tex, October H.-At 3:50 o'clock this afternoon Governor Savers received a telephone message from Sheriff Chan non at Hampstead asking for state troops pest haste, as a mob was trying to ge- the prisoners away from him.
 At 4:15 this was followed by telegram from the district judge asking for troops hy special train. Orders were issaed for Houston and Bryan companies to re- spond. but before they could be assem- bled the mob had lynched the negroes and the order for troops was counter n ended. The governor, in view of the assurance of the citizens and officers at Hampstead, did not anticipate that soi- diers would be necessary to protect the prisoners, as the citizens had promised rot to use violence. The governor knew nothing of threatened trouble until the call for troops was made ar s:SO o'clock followed by the notice of the mob hang ing the prisoners an hour later.