The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-06-23

Wilmington, Del, June 23.-The natural
and interesting question to-day is wheth-
err the authorities will take action looking
toward the arrest and punishment Of
those men who took part in the lynching
Of George White early this morning. That
many Of them are known cannot be
doubted, for they were seen by thou
sands. It is also known that the arrange
ments for the lynching were talked Of in
advance and that men were invited to
and told where to assemble.
It was this fact that gave publicity to
the lynching, for the news that 1t was
to occur last night was circulated around
Wilmington yesterday with the result
that the thousands who went out last
night did so with the knowledge that the
affair would come off according to ar
1t is a fact that public sentiment so
generally approves the lynching that it
would be hard to secure the conviction Of
a lyncher, even if arrests were made,
which seems doubtful.
During the day thousands of persons
went to the scene of the lynching, many
of them intent upon securing CHASTITY
relics. In this, however, they met with
little success. as the burning had been so
effectual as to destroy almost every YES
tige of the victims body.
Judge Grubb to-day made public
statement in which he deplores the lynch
ing Of White and its consequent ref1ec-
ton upon the good name of Delaware.
Judge Grub also explained the action
Of the court in refusing to call special
session Of the grand jury for the indict-
ment of Miss Bishops murderer. He says
the trial would have been attended by
such public clamor and prejudice that
fair trial would have been impossible
and the court would have been compelled
to grant the motion for a change of
venue Once the prisoner was moved to
the insecure jail of Kent county or Sus-.
sex county, says the court, he might have
escaped.
Quiet Prevails To-day.
All is quiet in this community to-
day following the horrible lynching
of White, Helen Bishops confessed
slayer, at an early hour this morn
ing. or the mob Of nearly 5000
that overpowered the authorities, stormed
the county workhouse and dragged from
a cell the trembling wretch and burned
him at the stake; the identity OF only one
is publicly known. That one is little
Peter Smith, IL years old, who fell when
the guards fired a volley into the ranks Of
the attacking mob. The lad was struck
by a bullet which entered his back and
is thought to have penetrated his kid
neys.
After. the mob had completed the awful
WOTh OIL lynCIllIS, Inc DOOy VI Tie IuuT-
derer was left chained to the stake with
the fire burning all around it and the
members of the lynching party went
home. A rain which began falling later
extinguished the fire and at daylight the
charred body still hung limp in plain sight
Of passers-by.
Public Sentiment Approves.
Public sentiment here SO far as ex-
pressed appears to approve the Iynching
Of White and it is not believed there will
be any arrests.
The confession made just before the
torch WAS applied to the pile Of oil-soaked
| brush around him was an admission OF
everything and more than had been
charged against him. He is alleged to
have said:
I was sent by Mr.. Woodward to the
corn field to get some corn. I saw MIR
Woodward's daughter and intended to as
sault her, but a couple of mon came alons
and did not disturb her. Then saw the
Bishop girl and I followed her. I seized
her and asked her If she had any money
she would give me to let her go. She gave
me 40 cents. Then / again seized her anc
she cried: Please don't hurt me-
Whites Awful Confession.
II choked her and accomplished m,
purpose. Then asked her If she was 20.
ing to tell on me. She said she was
gave her hack in the throat with my
knife and asked her again is she was 60
Ing to inform on me. She said she was ant
| then cut her throat twice again and lef
| her.
After that went back to Mr.. Wood
ward and told him there was no goot
water to drink down there and he sen
me somewhere else. went back one,
but soon left Then went back to tn,
house and put on a white hat, instead o
! the cap that wore. You would not q,
| this If was white man and did that
The negro's confession rendered the al
ready incensed crowd even more desper
ate and some wanted to tear him lirnl
from limb before they reached the seen,
Of his execution. The negro begged Dit
eously not to be burned, but no mere,
was shown the >slprit and, altho his SUI
ferings were terrible, White remained con
scious and rational to the L. t.
While at times during the night thar
were at least 5000 people around tn
workhouse, the men who actually tool
part In the lynching did not number owe
300. The leader was a man who said hi
name was Baker and that he was from
Virginia. His face was familiar to mos
Of the people and it is believed he Is ,
4 resident of Wilmington, altho some sa,
he had been imported for the purpose Q
leading the mob
/ The lynching Is believed to have bee]
the result Of a plot which was concocte,
4 several days ago and was to have beel
put into execution Saturday night bu
on that occasion there was misunder
, standing and the attempt failed. Earl,
yesterday morning word was passes
around that the attack was to be mad
ION the prison at 10 o'clock last night an
THAT the men who were to participate il
it were to meet at Prices Corner half al
hour before that time.
Police Were Notified.
The police department was advise,
during the day Of the contemplated at
tack and thirty policemen in charge o
sChief Black and Captains Evans an,
Kane went to the workhouse. This wa
Il at o'clock last night. There were sew
J eral thousand persons at the prison a
J the time and the officers were powerles
against such large numbers, SO the.
entered the building to assist the guard
in an effort to protect the prisoner. Dur
ing one of the rushes made by the crowds
s several shots were exchanged and Pete
Smith, a boy Of 70 years, OF Wilmington
was shot in the back and 80 seriously In