The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-04-16
UNKNOWN TRAMP
NEGRO HANGED
Wild Work Of an Infatuated Mob
at Joplin, No.
HAD KILLED A POLICEMAN
HOUSES BURNED AND OTHER
NEGROES DRIVEN OUT.

/ OPLIN, No, April 15.-An infurI-
ated mob took an unknown tramp
= negro from the city jail tonight
and hanged him TO a telegraph pole at
the corner Of Second and Wall streets.
two blocks from the jail. The negro
was charged with having murdered
Policeman Leslie, who was shot dead
last night in the Kansas City Southern
railway yard while endeavoring to ar
rest several negroes suspected Of
theft
Leslie had ordered several negroes
who had taken refuge in a box car TO
surrender. and when they failed 20 do
so he fired several shots at the car.
During the shooting a negro slipped
from the car. and. coming mp behind
the policeman shot him through the
head.
Fugitive Discovered
About O'Clock this afternoon Lee Full
lcrton. aged Is. located The fugitive in a
slaughter house just east of Joplin. The
negro was armed with a rifle and defied
arrest. Fullerton slipped into the strue-
ture unObservcd ana crcpJ up behind the
negro Suddenly DE spraus at the UNI
suspecuing fugitive and before resistance
could be made ne had the negro on his
back, with "a knife az his throat The
negro then surrendered bis rifle. and,
pointing The weapon ~ him. ulleiLoh
marched him out Of the building.
With the assistance of another man
the negro was brought 20 Joplin ana
placed i'm jail News of the capture spread
rapidly and the Jail was speedily sur
rounded hE EuUIFaIE of naIuIE. IueIt
were cries of Lynch him, and city At
tOrey Decker mounted the Jail steps and
made a strong plea I'M behalf OF law and
order.
Jail Door Battered Down.
This served TO temporarily stay the
mob. but did not appease II. and short
time after Decker speech the mob
started in 10 batter iu the side of the jail
Every effort was made 20 prevent the
entrance Of the mob bat without avail.
and within fifteen minutes the iuturiated
men had gained entrance 10 the jail and
secured the trembling negro. As DE was
dragged forth CITY Attorney Decker
AGAIN intcrfercd and urged that the negro
be given a trial For half AN hour he
spoke and the mob listened 10 him with
the negro in their custody
At one time II seemed that the city at
t0rney would win, as members or the moo
began dispensing but suddenly a rush
was made for the spot where the negro
was being held and he was dragged two
blocks from the Jail, a rope fastened
around his neck and after the rope haa
| been thrown over the Cross-arm of "a
/ telegraph pole a score of men attempted
20 pun the negro from tho ground.
Victim Swung Up.
As many more seized the negro and
pulled 90 prevent his being hanged For
some moments It was "a vcritable tag of
war. but reinforcement or the flee end
Of the rope proved The stronger, aud the
negro, despite his protestaJl0ns of lnn0-
CeuCe was finally Swung into the air and
strangled 30 death while shouts Of salts
faction went mp from the mob.
The name OF the negro was not known
and be was a stranger ln Joplin.
AS soon as the negro was dead the body
was cut down and taken IN charge by the
coroner
The lynchiug Of the negro served 10
only temporarily satisfy the indignation
of the mob. and later tonight hundreds
of men again assembled and riotet
through the negro section Of the city
burning houses and stoning negroes, ana
finally drove every negro from the con-
fines of Joplin. The police were power
less.
Mob Did Not Dispense.
The first act of the mob after hanging
the negro was TO demand the D. lease from
jail of a local character known as
Hickory Bill. who was under arrest ON
the charge of aSsaultlng negro. In the
hope that this would appeasc the mob the
prisoner was set free. But the mob ald
not dispense Instead. "a rush was made
through Main street and every negro We
frightened off the street and fled 90 the
north part of the city, where the colored
population resi- les. ln this way the ne
grOes We're driven from an parts of the
CITY 10 the negro section. Then the moo
charged down on the section. stones
were thrown. doors and windows Of ne
gro houses were broken i'm and finally
several houses were fired. The depart
ment responded. but many of the houses
were burned 10 the ground. The mob
made endeaVors TO prevent the FIRE de-
Dartment from eNtiuguiShiug the flames
and were partially successful.
Officers Were Powerless.
All the officers of the city. township
and county were called out but the mob
swept them aside and proceeded with
the riOtiug Mayor IrigS ran from cor
ner TO corner and. mounting boxes, made
earnest appeals 10 the mob 20 cease,
but beyond cheering the mayor voclfer-
0usly the mob swept on and the depre-
datiOns continued. The saloons were hur-
riedly closed by the mayor
After the hundreds Of frcnZled men
COMPOSING the mob had vented their
wrath iu the north end of the city they
rushed 10 the southern end. where lived
a number of negroes. Their houses were
vacant and not "A negro could be found.
Three more houses were fired and two
We're consumed.
All efforts 10 reason with the rioters
We're futile as apparently a frenzy had
seized upon them The streets were
thronged and at ll:l5 O'Clock the whole
city was i'm an uprOar. So far as known
at that hour 40 fatalities had occurred.