The Batesburg advocate. [volume] (Batesburg, S.C.) 1901-1911, 1903-04-22
Takes Charge of Joplin and Hangs
an Unknown Black Tramp
WHO KILLED A POLICE OFFICER.
The Mob Raids Negro Quarter
and Drives the Blacks from
the Town Defying the
Authorities.

unknown negro tramp from the city
Jail and hanged him to telegraph
pole at the corner Of Second and Wall
streets, two blocks from the Jail. The
negro was charged with having muir
dered Police Onicer Leslie, who was
shot dead Tuesday 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 i'm Il box
car to surrender and when they failed
to do SO he fired several shots at the
car. During the shooting Il negro
slipped from the car and coming up
behind the officer, shot him through
the head. The negro then fled and
within short time posses were after
him.
About 3 o'clock Wednesday after
noon, Lee Fullerton, aged 81, located
the fugitive in a slaughter house Just
east of Joplin. The negro was armed
with rifle and detied arrest. Fuller
ton slipped into the structure unob-
Suddenly he Sprang at the unSuSpect-
ing fugitive and before resistance
could be made he had the negro on
his back with a knife at his throat
The negro then surrendered his rifle,
and pointing the weapon at him Full
lerton marched him out of the build
ing. With the assistance of another
man the negro was brought to Joplin
and placed in jail.
News OF the capture spread rapidly
and the Jail was speedily surrounded
by hundreds of people. There were
cries of Lynch himw on all sides and
City Attorney III. III. Decker mounted
the Jail steps and made 4 strong plea
in behalf Of law and order. This
served temporarily to stay the mob
but did not appease it and a short
time after Decker's speech the mob
started TO batter in section OF the
Jail wall. Every effort was made to
prevent the entrance OF the mob, but
without avail and within ID minutes
the men had gained entrance to the
jail and secured the trembling negro.
AS he was dragged forth City Attor-
ney Decker again interfered and urged
that the negro he given trial. For
half an hour he talked and the mob
listened to him with the negro in their
custody.
At one time it seemed that the
city attorney would win, Us members
OF the mob began dispensing, but sud
denly rush was made for the spot
where the negro was being held and
he was dragged two blocks from the
Jail with rope fastened around his
neck, and after the rope had been
thrown over the croSsbar OF tele-
graph pole score OF men attempted
TO pull the negro from the ground.
AS many more seized the negro and
pulled to prevent him being hanged.
For some moments it was veritable
tug Of war, but reenforcementS on the
free end of the rope proved the
stronger and the negro, despite his
proteStationS of innocence, was finally
swung into the air and Stranglcd to
death, while shouts OF satisfaction
went up from the mob. The name OF
the negro was not known and ne was
stranger in Joplin.
The lynching Of the negro served
only temporarily to satisfy the indig-
nance OF the mob and Letter WedneS-
day night hundreds OF men again as
sembled and rioted through the negro
section Of the city, burning houses,
stoning negroes and finally driving
every negro from the confines OF the
town OF Joplin. The police were pow
erleSS. The first act of the mob after
hanging the negro was TO demand the
release from jail OF a local character
known as Hickory Bill" who was
under arrest on the charge OF assault
ing negro. In the hope that this
would 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 of the
street and fled to the northern part of
the city where the negro population
resides. In this way the negroes were
driven from all parts Of the city to the
negro section. Then the mob charged
down on the section. Stones were
thrown, doors and windows OF negro
houses were broken i'm and finally sew
eral were fired. The fire department
responded, but many Of the houses
were burned to the ground. The mob
made endeavorS to prevent the fire de
partment from cXtinguishlng the
flames and were partially successful.
All the officers Of the city, township
and county were called cut, but the
mob swept them aside and proceeded
with the rioting. Mayor Trigg ran
from corner to corner and mounting
boxes made earnest appeals to the
mob to cease, but beyond cheering the
mayor vociferouSly the mob swept on
and the depredatiOnS continued. The
saloons were hurriedly closed by the
mayor. After the hundreds of frcn.
zied men composing the mob bad
vented their wrath in the north END
Of the city they rushed to the south,
ern end where lived number Of ne.
grOes. Their homes were vacant and
not negro could be found. Three
more houses were fired and two were