Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1903-04-23
A MOB'S VENGEANCE.
A Negro Taken from the Joplin jail
and Hanged to a Pole:
ACCUSED OF KILLING A POLICEMAN.
The Frenxied Mob Then Charged the Negro
Sections of the City and stoned Houses
and Set Some on Fire-AIi the
City Onicials Poweriess.

1 lily Omclhib EOWONAoess
Joplin, Mo-, April 16.--An infuri
ated mob took an unknown tramp
negro from the city Jail yesterday
evening and hanged him to a tele
graph pole Of the corner of Second
and Wall streets, two blocks from the
jail. The negro was charged with
having murdered Police Officer G.
Leslie, who was shot dead Tuesday
night in the Kansas City Southern
railroad yard while endeavoring to
arrest several negroes suspected Of
theft.
Officer Leslie had ordered several
negroes who had taken refuge in q
box car to surrender and when they
failed to do so he fred several shots
at the car. During the shooting q
negro slipped from the car and, COM
ing up behind the officer, shot him
through the head. The negro then
fed and within short time posses
were after him. About three o'clock
yesterday afternoon Lee Fullerton,
aged FL, located the fugitive in q
slaughterhouse just east OF Joplin.
The negro was armed with rife
and defed arrest. Fullerton slipped
into the structure unobserved and
crept up behind the negro. Sudden
ly he sprang at the unsuspecting fu-
gitive and before resistance could
be made he had the negro on his
back with knife at his throat.
The negro then surrendered his
rifle and, pointing the weapon at
him, Fullerton marched him out OF
the building.
With the assistance on 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 the Jail steps
and made strong plea in behalf
Of law and order. This served to
temporarily stay the mob, but did not
appease 1t 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 Is minutes the in
furiated men had gained entrance to
the. jail and secured the trembling
negro. As he was dragged forth
City Attorney Decker again inter
fered and urged that the negro be
given trial. For half an hour he
talked and the mob listened to rim
with the negro In their custody. At
one time 1t seemed that the city at
torney would win, as members Of the
mob 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,
rope fastened around his neck and
after the rope had been thrown over
the cross-bar Of telegraph 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
1t was veritable tug-of-
war, but reinforcements on the free
end OF tire rope proved the stronger
and the negro, despite his protesta-
tions Of innocence, was finally swung
into the air and strangled to death,
while shouts of satisfaction went |
up, from the mob.
,iAs soon as the negro was dead the
mol. dispersed and later the body was
taken in charge by the coroner.
,aT6eo first demand of the mob after
hanging the negro was to demand
t6ss release from jail Of local char
Meter, kppwn as Hickory Bill" who
WAS oNRaet, arrest on the charge Of
aisslsg1l9pG negro. In the hope that
thiA would iappease the mob the pris-
Rper was set free. But the mob did
R9tls d5sHerseH Instead, a rush was
pPdssthrNIg6 Main street, the prin-
apa,lo street tef Joplin, and every ne
yro was frightened off the street and
PedJS the 3qaEth part Of the city,
EbeNs TIL. S9l9Tsd population resides.
ri h sf i~B9Xo 't 9sibfgroes were driven
iF0ph mp .RN|tJfP fs lbs city to the ne
IrRoafStiPR fFheRutBbias mob charged