Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1902-04-09
negro HANGED Ind R|DDLED.
IN HI;ART OF ROME, GA, NEGRO WALTER
ALLEN PAYS THE DEATH PENALTY FOR
ASSAULT UPON YOUNG White GIRL.

4 VI VII IVohA
County Jail Stormed by Enraged Citizens -Four
thousand Took Part In Lynehlng.
Rome, Ca, April 1.---W alter Allen
was hanged to a telegraph pole in the
middle of Broad street tonight at
500 O'Clock. The lynohing was in
the very glare of an immense electric
light, corner Broad street and Fifth
avenue. -Four thousand people took
part in the deed without masks. The
body was perforated with a thousand
bullets. The crowd battered down
the Jail door with sledge hammer
and broke the steel cage of the
negro's cell. He was quickly rushed
block and half from the Jail and
allowed to make statement. He
swore he was not guilty and prayed
that the right party might be caught
and hanged.
The crime for which Allen was
lynched-attempted criminal assault
was committed late Monday after
noon. The young lady whom he
selected for his victim was Miss
Blossom Adamson, one of Rome's
most prominent young girls. She was
choked into insensibility and would
have suffered an outrage had not the
negro taken fright.
The affair was kept secret until
this afternoon, when the story came
out after the negro's capture.
Allen was taken from the Floyd
county Jail at 8 o'clock tonight and
lynched from telegraph pole in
front of the Central Hotel and not
less than thousand bullets pierced
his body from pistols in the hands of
infuriated citizens.
Capt. A. B. S. Moseley, an uncle
of Miss Adamson, shot at the negro
three times at police headquarters
this afternoon, one of the balls
wounding the negro, but not seri-
ously.
Miss Adamson is young girl not
more than 16 years old, a daughter
of j. N. Adamson and niece of
Hon. Seaborn and Moses Wright.
Rome is wild with indignation and
excitement tonight. There seems
to be no doubt of his guilt, as he was
identified.
Yesterday afternoon Miss Adam
son was returning to her home shortly
before dark, and when passing the
house of Mrs. Brehen, a well known
dressmaker, who lives ON East First
street, between Fourth and Fifth
avenues, negro man, said to be
Walter Allen, stopped her and told
her that Mrs. Brehen wanted to see
her.
Miss Adamson, who is we'll ac-
quainted with the dressmaker, un-
hesitatingly walked in the house, not
noticing that the negro was follow
ing her. After she passed into the
front room the negro suddenly ran
up behind her, and fastening his
fingers around her throat, choked her
almost into insensibility before she
could scream for aid. At this mo-
ment Allen, hearing Mrs. Brehen,
whom he had evidently previously
seen leave her home, returning,
snatched the young lady's pocket
book and fled without accomplishing
his purpose.
AS soon as she was able Miss
Adamsop went to the home of her
uncle, Capt. A. B. S. Moseley, which
is only three doors from where the
assault occurred, and told her uncle
her fearful experience. Capt. Nose
ley and few trusted friends decided
to say nothing to the public until
the negro could be located. This
afternoon the negro was located by
an officer, who was taken into the
confidence of the captain, and taken
to police headquarters. AS soon as
Capt. Moseley heard of this he went
to headquarters, and upon coming
into the negro's presence pulled out
his pistol and fired at the negro three
times, one of the balls wounding him
slightly in the right arm.
In the excitement caused by this
the negro got away from the officers
and made desperate dash down the
Oostanaula river bank for his liberty.
He was recaptured after an exciting
chase and was hurried to Jail.
BY this time the story had become
public property, and several hundred
people soon surrounded the Jail.
There is no doubt that the negro
would have been lynched before he
ever reached the Jail had not the
original story been kept 80 quiet
pending his capture.