The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-07-28

DdI1NI Ill, July -O-1 Ills City 10 III
the throes Of a race war. One negro,
an unknown man from Evansville. Ind,
wnO tonight shot and killed Henry
Gatterman, white has already been
lynched by a mob of 600 men, who were
later fired upon by the sheriff, three
men being wounded The mob were
clamoring for the life of another negro
named James Wilson, who has con-
fessed to a brutal assault on the wife
of a farmer at Alvon, ILL.,, just north
of here
The unknown negro met his fate
while the mob was on the way to lynch
Wilson. The angry throng was pass
negro became involved in an alterca-
ton with some of its members. They
started after him and he pulled a gun,
firing into the crowd.
Henry Gatterman. a, young butcher
who has recentlv returned from Fort
resS Monroe fell mortally wounded and
expired in a few seconds. The negro
turned and fled but was caught by the
officers within a block of the scene of
the tragedy and hurried to the police
station with the mob in hot pursuit
temporarily diverted from their march
TO the county Jail
The officers with their prisoner took
refuge in the city building, barricad-
ing themselves behind the door of one
Of the offices. They could not check
the mob, however for it secured a long
pole and tri" to batter down a section
of the wall and the door. both Of which
were very thin. On account of the
overwhelming numbers of the mob it
was useless for the officers to resist.
The negro was seized ard rushed to the
spot where he had shot down Cater
man. 1t was the work of an instant to
throw rope around his neck and
swing him up to the nearest telephone
pole. The mob did not delay long. but
waited to see that their victim was
dead. The life was slowly strangled
out and he was left hanging while the
mob proceeded on to the county Jail.
The officers hope to save the second
negro by some ruse.
Wilson. it is charged, went to the
farm house while the woman was alone
and told her he was hungry. While
she was getting him something to eat,
he entered the kitchen door and seized
her. He fled. leaving her half dead.
Afterward she managed to crawl to
the nearest farm house where she told
the story. A posse of officers started
Wilson was captured he was hurried
to the county Jail to prevent lynching.
There the negro confessed.
Three other negroes have been at
tackled by members of the mob and
severely beaten. One Of them is named
Ben Rich and the other two are said to
be refugees from Evansville, Ind
Some negroes are arming themselves
and others are preparing for flight.
The victim Of the mob later was iden-
titled as J. D. Mayfield.
The mob changed it's mind before at
tacking the Jail and went back and
cut down Mayfields body. They rush
ed it to the public square and burned it
| IN a bon fire, hacking 1t to pieces with
| knives as it burned.
Then they charged the Jail and the
sheriff and deputies fired. wounding
several members Of the mob some fatal
ly.
The dead are:
| J. D. MAYFIELD, Evansville. Ind.
negro, lynched. and burned by the
HENRY GATTERMAN. Danville,
H.. white. shot dead by Mayfeld
Fatally wounded: Adam Merry.
white, shot through the head by VOL
| ley from Jail.
| H. Hines. white, shot in neck and
shoulders by volley from Jail.
Otto Heinke. white. shot in arm
Ben Rich. negro, badly beaten by
mob.
| Four unknown negroes We're badly in
| !ured by the mob.
| Patrolman Charles Lopp, dubbed on
! the head while defending Mayfeld.
| Patrolman William LeverenZ badly
| injured internally by mobs battering
| him while defending Mayfield.
| Fred Lorenz, shot three times in the
leg in attack on Jail.
Mince Mobacker shot in attack on
Jail.
| Laid, shot in attack on jail.
Thomas Bell shot in chest in attack
on Jail.
The mob repulsed, sent to a neigh
boring mining camp for dynamite and
probably will attack the Jail. The mob
is infuriated AND threatens to lynch
the sheriff and his deputies also the
negro turn key in the Jail
After securing battering rams. it took
the mob about half an hour to WRECK
the city prison. the negro being found
hid in a safe. He was pulled from The
safe. struck with sledges knocked