Arizona republican., 1903-04-16
IA TUG OF WAR
 IN MISSOURI IA Suspected Negro Lost the
 Contest
The Lynching of a Man Only Suspect ed, but Protesting His Innocence of the Killing of Policeman.

mob took an unknown tramp negro from the city jail tonight and hanged him to a telephone pole, two blocks from the jail. The negro was charged with having murdered Policeman C. Leslie, who was shot dead last night in the Kansas City Southern railroad yard while. endeavoring to arrest sev eral negroes suspected of theft. Les lie had ordered several negroes who had taken refuge in a box car to sur render, and when they failed to do so he fired several shots a the car. Dur ing the shooting a negro slipped from the car and coming up behind the po- liceman, shot him through the head. The negro then fled and within short time posses were after him.
 About o'clock 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. Fuller ton slipped into the structure unob- served and crept up behind the negro. Suddenly he sprang at the unsuspect- ing fugitive and before resistance could be made, he had the negro on his back with knife at his throat. The negro then surrendered his rife, and pointing the weapon at him, Full lerton marched him out of the build ing. With the assistance of another man the negro was brought to Joplin and placed in the jail
 News of the capture spread rapidly and the jail was speedily surrounded by hundreds of people. There were cries of lynch him." ard City Attorney Decker mounted the jail steps and made a strong plea in behalf of law and order. This served to temporarily stay the mob but did not appease it. and short time after Decker's speech the mob started in to batter in the side Of the jail. Every effort was made to prevent the entrance of the mob without avail, and within fifteen min utes, the infuriated men had gained entrance to the jail and secured the trembling negro.
 As he was dragged forth City Attor- ney Decker again interfered and urged that the negro be given a trial and for an hour he spoke and the mob listened to him with the negro ir their custody. At one time it seemed that the city attorney would win. as members of the mob began dispersing, but suddenly a rush was made for the spot where the negro was being held, and he was drag ged two blocks from the jail, a rope fastened around his neck, and after the rope had been thrown ever the cross arm of telegraph pole a score of men attempted to pull the negro from the ground.
 As many more seized the negro and pulled to prevent him from being hang ed. For some moments it was a verit- able tug of war, but achievements on the free end of the rope proved stronger. and the negro, despite his protestations of innocence. was finally swung into the air and strangled to death, while shouts of satisfaction went up from the mob. The name of the negro was net known. and he is a stranger in Joplin. As soon as the ne gro was dead, the mob dispersed, and later the body was cut down and taken in charge by the coroner
 The lynching of the negro served to only temporarily satisfy the indig- nation of the mob, and later tonight hundreds of men again assembled and rioted 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. The first act of the mob after hanging the negro was to demand the release from jail of local character known as Hickory Bill, who was under arrest on the charge of assaulting negro. In the hope that this would appease the mob, the priS- oner was set free. But the mob did not disperse. Instead, q rush was made through the main street, the principal street Of Joplin. and every negro was frightene doff the street and fled to the north part Of the city where the col ored populati resides. In this way the negroes were driven from all parts of the city to the negro section.
 Then the mob charged down on that section. Stones were thrown, doors and winodws of negro houses were broken in and finally several houses were fired. The department responded but many of the houses were burned to the ground. The mol made endeav- ors to prevent the fire department from eXtinguishinG the flames, and were partially successful. All the off cers of the city. township and county were called out. but the mob swept the maside, and proceeded with the rioting.
 Mayor Trigg ran from corner to corner and. mounting boxes, made earnest ap- peals to the mob to cease but beyond cheering the mayor vociferously. tho mob swept on and the depreda tions continued. The saloons were hurriedly closed by the mayor.
 After the hundreds of irenzied men composing the mob vented their wrat in the north end of the city. the rush cd to the southern end. where lived d number of negroes. Their houses were vacant. and not a negro could be found Three more houses were fired, and two were consumed. All efforts to reason with the rioters were futile as appar- ently frenzy had seized upon them The streets were thronged and at Il :15 o'clock the whole city was in ar up- roar. So far as known at that hour nc fatalities had occurred, although many persons had received minor injuries.
 PERHAPS THE RIGHT MAN.
 Carthage, Mo, April 15.-The negro lynched in Joplin tonight was Thomas