The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-04-16
TRAMP NEGRO
IS STRUNG UP
Then Negroes Are Driven
From Town and Their
Houses Burned.

JOPLIN, Mo-, April 16.-An 1nfur1at-
ed mob took an unknown tramp negro
from Jail this evening and hanged him
to a telegraph pole two blocks from
the Jail. The negro was charged with
having murdered Police Officer c. Les
lie, who was found dead last night in
the Kansas City Southern railroad
yards. He was killed while endeavor-
ing to arrest several negroes suspect
ed OF theft.
officer Leslie had ordered several ne
groes who had taken refuge in a box
car to surrender and when they failed
to do so, he fired several shots at the
car. During the shooting the negro
slipped from the car, and coming up
behind the officer, shot him through
the head. The negro then fed and
within a short time posses were after
him.
This afternoon Lee Fullerton, aged
twenty-one, 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 structure unobserVed and crept up
behind the negro. Suddenly he sprang
at the unsuspecting fugitive. and be-
fore resistance could be made he had
the negro on his back with a knife at
his throat. The negro surrendered his
rifle to Fullerton. The latter, pointing
the weapon at the colored man, march
ed him out of the building. 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 him" on all sides. and
City Attorney P. H. Decker mounted
hn 10 csfC 4 ~
on behalf Of law and order. This serv-
ed to temporarily stay the mob, but
did not appease it. and a short time
after Decker's speech the mob started
to batter in a section of the jail wall.
Every effort was made to prevent the
entrance of the mob, but without avail,
and within fifteen minutes the men
had gained entrance to the Jail and
secured the trembling negro. AS he
was dragged forth City Attorney Deck
er again interfered and urged that the
negro be given a trial. For half an
hour he talked and the mob listened
to him.
At one time 1t seemed that the city
attorney would win, as members of the
mob began dispensing, but suddenly q
rush was made for the spot where the
negro was being held, and he was
dragged two blocks from the jail,
rope fastened around his neck, and
after the rope had been thrown over
the cross bar of a telegraph pole a
score of men attempted to pull the ne
gro from the ground. AS many more
selzed the negro and pulled to prevent
MIN being hanged. For some moments
1t was tug of war, but reinforce
ments on the free end of the rope
proved the stronger. and the negro,
despite his proteStations of innocence.
was swung into the air and strangled
to death, while shouts of satisfaction
went up from the mob.
Inc name of the negro was not
known and he was a stranger in jon
lin. AS soon as the negro was dead
the mob dispersed in the twilight, and
later the body was cut down and TAX
en- In charge by the coroner 1t is
feared that more trouble will follow in
case the associates Of the dead negro
are apprehended.
The lynching of the negro Served
only to temporarily satisfy the indigna-
tlon OF the mob, and later tonight hun
areas OF men again assembled and riot
ed through the negro section of the
city, burning houses and stoning ne
groes, and finally drove every negro
from the confines of Joplin. The police
were powerless.
A rush was made through Main
street, the principal street of JonIin.
and every negro was frightened off the
street and fled to the north part of the
CITY, where the colored population re-
sides. 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 We're
thrown, doors and windows of negro
houses were broken in 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 denart-
ment from extinguishing the flames.
ana was partially successful. All the
ofncers Of the city. township and com
~ were called out, but the mob swept
tnem aside and proceeded with the
Mayor Trigg ran from corner to cor
her and mounting boxes made earnest
Appeals TO the mob to cease, but be-
yond cheering the mayor loudly the
mop swept on and the depreda tons
continued. The saloons We're closed nv,
the mayor. After the hundreds ~
Lrenzied men composing the mob had
vented Its wrath in the north end of the
cry they rushed to the south end
Where lived number of negroes. Thair
houses were vacant and not a, negro
could be found. Three more housas
were nred and two We're consumed
80 lar as known no fatalities bara
occurred, although many persons "
celVed minor injuries.
Inc negro who was lyncbed moe
InOlnaS (IilVard "etHo