The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-04-04
WANT HIM HANGED TO-DAY.
SUMTER COUNTY PEOPLE DEMAND
JOHN HENRY'S DEATH.


Probability Is That He VIII Be
Lynched if Request Is Not Grant
ed-ODIy by Great Goodness on Part
of Judge w. =. Bullock Was Lynch
ing Prevented at the Trial This
Observation-Disclosures FIourished in
Court and the Judge Handcuffed
Himself to the Prisoner After Con-
victiOn.
Tampa, Fla, April 3.--John Henry,
Sumterville's murderer. who was con-
victide by jury there yesterday, is in
imminent danger of lynching. Gov.
Jennings has been asked to name to-
morrow as the date for the hanging.
If the Governor delays action. Henry
will undoubtedly be hanged by the citi-
zens before tomorrow night. The peo-
pie demand immediate execution of the
death sentence.
Remarkable Scene I'm Court.
Ocala, Fla, April 3.-Several weeks
ago, Henry Wilson, alias John Henry,
a. negro, confined in the Sumter coun-
ty Jail, broke out of prison and es-
capped to the woods. In doing so, he
had a running fight with the citizens
OF Sumterville. one of whom, Lee Ora
ham, a most estimable and popular
young man, was killed. Wilson was
captured in Tampa last week, and
special term of court was called at
Sumterville to try him. Judge w. S.
Bullock, of Ocala, who presides over
the circuit, opened the court for the
trial Tuesday, as published in a Morn
ing News dispatch to-day. The court
room was filled and the court house
surrounded with the friends of the
murdered man, all heavily armed, over
200 repeating rifles being counted in
the crowd.
Looks, words and actions were very
threatening. and lynching was not
only possible, but evidently inevitable.
Judge Bullock is a man of more than
resources were needed. The trial was
short, the prisoners guilt being clearly
established.
Crowd Tried to Get Prisoner.
Soon after the trial commenced some
of the crowd made a break for the
prisoner They were stopped by Sher-
if Nugent of Marion county, VINO, pis-
tol in hand. stepped in front of the
negro and declared he would shoot the
first man who touched him. This
stopped the first rush. but the crowd,
continually increasing in anger, was
soon in a state where no opposing
force present could hold them.
FINALLY they agreed m leave the mat
ter with old Mr.. Graham, the father
of the murdered man. The old gen.
tleman, so broken with grief that he
could hardly speak, said he wanted
the murderer hung, but, at the in
stance of the judge. added that he
wanted 1t done legally. The trial then
went ON to an end, the prisoner being
the first degree. When the
verdict was announced, some
one fired pistol, and this came very
near causing the crowd to break loose
again.
During the trial, Sheriff Lane Of
Sumter tried to address the crowd
with view of quieting them. The
principal reason for Wilson's escape
was the negligence of Sheriff Lanes
brother, who was left in charge Of the
Jail during the sheriff's absence. con-
sequently the feeling against the sher-
iff Is very bitter, and his attempt to
speak caused more trouble.
Pistols Drawn I'm Court.
A controversy arose between the
sheriff and Walter Graham, a brother
OF the murdered man, and the two
drew their pistols Judge Bullock
caught the sheriff and persuaded him
to sit down, and others did the same
for Graham, and riot was averted.
Judge Bullock was In a quandary
about getting the prisoner back to
Jail, as there was evidence
that the journey might end
with a premature hanging. Finally
he had himself hand-cuffed to the ne
gro, and the two, accompanied by the
sheriff and ten deputies, chosen from
among the best citizens present, went
to the jail. where the prisoner was
placed in temporary security.
Later in the day, when the excite
ment had somewhat abated, the pris-
oner was brought back to the court
house and sentenced to death.
A special messenger was sent to Tai
lahassee with the necessary papers and
q request to the Governor to act on
them at once, for if one thing is more
certain than another, it is that If the
negro is not hung Immediately in a
legal manner, he will be illegally, for
the Sumter county jail is not near as
strong as the indignation of the people.
A petition to the Governor to have
Sheriff Lane removed has received
many signatures, but it will not be
forwarded until the excitement has
abated, and maybe not at all.