The daily morning journal and courier., 1903-06-01
FATAL RIOT AT BALL GAME
LYNCHING NARROWLYAYERTED
 IN GETTYSBURG.

SIX Negro Crap Shooters Draw heVolSers
 When Ordered from che Grounds-one
 Beaten 10 Death After Desperate
 Fight and Another Was About to be
 Hanged When the HIob Came to Its
 Senses.
 Pittsburg. Pa. May S1.-In a riot at a baseball ground at High Bridge, in West Liberty borough, to-day, one me- gro was killed, two were probably fa- atlly shot, a third was badly beaten and thrown over a hill and three white boys were severely but not fatally wounded. One of the negroes escaped lynching by very narrow margin.
 The dead: Charles Kelly, negro. aged thirty, literally pounded to death.
 The injured: William Davis. negro, shot in the back and neck, probably fa- tally; Sandy Garrett, negro, shot in left breast; George Foster, negro, badly beaten with clubs and stones; Leo Merlin, white boy, aged seventeen, shot in the hand; John Pierce, white, aged thirteen, shot in the groin; Joseph Tu- metha, white, aged seventeen, shot in the face.
 The ball ground at High Bridge is a popular resort on Sundays and to-day fully two thousand persons, men, Wo- men and boys, had congregated there to witness a game between two of the local amateur teams. Before the game had started, Sandy Garrett, a large negro, whom the Beltzhoover dub car ried as mascot, discovered the pres ence of six negro crap shooters and gamblers who had come upon the ground with their paraphernalia pre- pared to do business. Sandy objected to this, and backed by number of the Beltzhoover men and rooters for the club, ordered the gamblers from the grounds. The latter refused to go and produced a brace of revolvers.
 The players then began to retreat and the negroes began shooting. Finding that Sandy had been partially stunned by a blow over the head. his friends rallied and with endorsements made a rush for the gamblers. By this time probably 1000 men and boys were in the pursuit. George Foster, one of the fugitives, was caught and terribly beat en and thrown over hill. The two re- maining fugitives continued their flight, using their revolvers freely. They took refuge in a chicken coop standing near the roadside and when Sandy made dash for the coop. intending to drag the men out, he received a bullet in the breast under the heart and fell to the ground with a groan. Following this up. the men inside the coop would open the door. fire into the crow and then jump back to safety. One of the mob climbed to the roof and the next time the negro inside opened the door to fire. a huge rock fell and landed on his head. There was a shout of delight from the hundreds. The negro, who was identified later as Charles Kelley fell forward, and at the same instant
 both arms went out and from his hands flew two revolvers. There was a rush The man was literally pounded to death Still thirsting for vengeance, the men
 rushed the coop and in a few moments ! amid untitled shouts and curses. they emerged, dragging the second negro with them Then shout came Get a rope; get rope" In few moments stout rope was secured and witf shouts of glee, it was frightened about | the half mead negro and a dozen men al l the other end Of it started down the l hill for distance of at lease 300 yards The negro was bleeding from a dozer cuts and bruises and bullet wounds, anG was apparently more than half dead. Over the rough ground, the victim of 1 the mob's fury was dragged to 8 large I tree. Soon men were climbing the tree to fasten the rope to al innb, and it l was only d question of minutes when there would have been a lynching. At | this critical moment. some one yelled | ''Let him alone, let the law deal with him. Can't you see he's about all in.'' 1 The crowd came to it's senses appar-
 ently and some one else yelled, "Here comes the officers,'' and this settled
 the Iynching. The negro to all appear
 ances dead, was left lying on the
 ground with the rope still around his | neck and the crowd walked away. It was fully three hours later before a physician was summoned to examine | the victim, who proved to be William | Davis. He was later taken to a hospi- l tai in very serious condition. :