The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1903-04-22

.La unknown Nsgra Tramp vas
alsfsIy Suspected Of Murder.
JOPLIN III THE HANDS aF MOB.
Mob Raids Negro Quarter and
Driyes Blacks From Town
Houses Burned.

:Toplin. No, April ia mob took
an unknown negro tramp from the city
Jail this evening and hanged him to
telegraph pole at the corner OF Second |
and Wall streets, two blocks from the
fail. The negro was charged with
having murdered Police Officer Leslie,
who was shot dead last night IN the
Kansas City Southern railroad yards
while endeavoring to arrest several
negroes suspected of theft,
Officer Leslie had ordered several
negroes who had taken refuge in box
car to surrender and when shey, failed
TO do so he fred several shots at the
car. During the shooting negro slip
ned from the car and coming up behind
the officer, shot him through the
head. The negro then fed and within
short time posses were after him.
About 3 O'Clock this afternoon, Lee
Fullerton, aged 81, located the fugltlYe
in slaughter house just east, OF Jop-
lin. The negro was armed with 3 rlt1e
and defed arrest. Fullerton slipped
into the structure unobserved and
crept up behind the negro. Suddenly
he sprang at the unsuspeeslng fugltlve
and before resistance could be made
he had the negro on MS back with q
knife st his throat. The negro tnen
surrendered his rife, and pointing
the weapon at him Fullerton march
4 ed him ont ofNthe building. With
the assistance of another man the ne:
gro was brought to Joplin and placed
IN Jail.
and the Jail was speedily surrounded,
by hundreds of people. There were
cries of Lynch him." on all sides
and City Attorney Il. s.. Decker
mounted the Jail steps and made a
strong plea in behalf Of law and order.
This. served temporarily to stay the
mob but did not appease 1t and a
short time after Decker,s speech the
mob started to batter in section OF
the iaiI$Wall. Every effort was made to
prevent the entrace of the mob, but
without avail and. within l5 inmates
the men had gained entrance to the
iaiI and secured the trembling negro.
As he was dragged forth City Attorney
Decker again interfered and urged that
the negro be given trial. For half
an hour he talked and the mob listen
ed TO him with the negro IN their
custody. At one time it seemed that
the CITY attorney would win, as mem
hers of the mob began dispensing, but
Suddenly rush was made for the spot
where the negro was being nelo ana ne
was dragged two blocks from the jail
With a rope fastened around ms neck,
and sitter. the rope had been tofoWn
over Che crossbar OF a Telegraph poie
"a score of men attempted to pull she
negro from the grourd. AS many
more seized the negro aid pulled to
prevent him being hanged. For some
moments it was a verltaole tug OF
war. but Reinforcement on the Tree
end of the rope proved the stronger and
the negro, despite his, protestations
of innocence, was finally swung into
the air and strangled to death, while
shouts Of satisfaction went up from the
mob.
The name Of the negro was not known
and he was a stranger IN Joplin. AS
soon as the negro was dead the mob
dispersed and later the body was cut
down AMI taken in charge by the
coroner.
There is still great excitement in
8 joplin and it is feared that more
trouble will follow in case the as
socistes of the dead negro are appre-
hended.
The lynching of the nergo served only
temporarily to satisfy tbs indignance
OF the mob and later tonight hundreds
of men again assembled and rloted
through the negro section OF the city,
burning houses, stoning negroes ana
finally driving every negro from the
confines OF the town Of Joplin. The
police were powerless.
The first act Of the mob after hang
ing the nergo was to demand the re-
lease from Jail of a local character
known as Hickory Bill" who was
under arrest on the charge Of assault
ing a negro. In the hope that this
wonld appease the mob the prisoner
was set free.
But the mob did not disperse. In
stead a rush was made through Main
street, the principal street OF Joplin,
and every negro was frightened off the
street and fed to the northern part OF
the city where the colored population
resides. In this way the negroes were
GT1V6n ITOiu ail paris u SAO Ivy w Va
negro section. Then the mob charged
down on the section. Stones were
thrown, doors and windows of negro
houses we're broken in and finally sew
eral we're fred. The fire department
responded, but many of the houses
were burned TO the ground. The mob,
made endeavors to prevent the hre
department. from extinguishing the
flames and were partially successful.
All the officers of the city, township
and county were called out, but the
mob swept them aside and proceeded
with the rioting. Mayor, Trigg ran
from corner to corner and meunting
boxes made earnest appeals to the MOB
TO cease, but beyond cheering the
mayor yociferonsly the mob swept on
and the depredations continued.
The saloons were hurriedly closed by
the mayor. After the hundreds OF
frenzied mea composing the mob had
vented their wrath in the north end
of the city they rushed to the southern