The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1903-07-29
RACE war IN ILLINOIS.
Northerners Get More Negro
Than They Gan Stand.
Negro is Lynched by Mob of Six Hun
dred Men-hlob Fired on by the
sheriff-Two Killed and Twenty
Two Men Wounded.

/ dred Men-hi0b Fired on DY the
Sherlff-TWo Killed and twenty
TIVE Men Wounded.
Danville, Ill, July 25.-This city
is in the throes of a race war. One
NEGRO, an unknown man from Evans
( vile, Ind, who tonight shot and kill
ed Henry Gatterman, white, has al
ready been lynched by a mob of 6o(
men, who we're later fred upon by
the sheriff, three men being wound,
FED. The mob clamoring for the life
Of another negro named James Viii.
son, who has confessed to a brutal as,
sault on the wife of farmer at Al.
Won, ILL.,. just north OF here.
The unknown negro met his fate
while the mob was on the way tc
lynch Wilson. The angry throng
was passing down East Main street,
when the negro became involved in
aItercation with some of its members.
They started after him and he pulled
a gun, firing into the crowd. Henry
Gatterman, young butcher, who
has recently returned from Fort Mon
roe, fell mortaily wounded and explr,,
ed in q few seconds. The negro turned
and fed, but was caught by the of
| fcers within block of the scene OF
the tragedy and hurried to the
police station, with the mob
in hot pursuit, temporarily diverted
from their march to the county jail.
The officers, with their prisoner,
took refuge in the city building, bar
ricading themselves behind the door
Of one OF the Offices. They could not
check the mob, however, for it secuf-
ed long pole and battered down a
section of the wall and the door
both Of which were very thin. On
account Of the overwhelming numbers
of the mob it was useless for the Off
GERS to resist. The negro was seized
and rushed to the spot where he had
shot down Gatterman. 1t was the
work of an instant to throw rope
around mis- neck and swing him up to
the nearest telephone pole. The mob
did not delay long, but waited to see
that their victim was dead. The life
was slowly strangled out and he was
left hanging, while the mob proceed
ed on to the county Jail. The officers
hope to save the second by some ruse.
THE SAME OLD STORY.
Wilson, it is charged, went to the
farm house while the woman was
alone and told her he was hungry.
While, she was getting him something
to eat he entered the kitchen door
and seized her. He fed, leaving
her half-dead. Afterward she man
aged to crawl TO the nearest farm
house, whore she told the story. A
posse of officers started in pursuit of
the negro and when Wilson was cap
tured he was hurried to the county
Jail to prevent lynching. There the
negro confessed.
Three other negroes have been at
tackled by members of the mob and.
severely beaten. One of them is Ben
Rich and the other two are said to be
refugees from Evansville, Ind.
Some negroes are arming them
selves and others are preparing for
fight.
The victim Of the mob later was
identified as J. D. Mayfeld.
NEGRo'S BODY BURNED.
The mob changed its mind before
attacking the jail and went back and
cut down Mayfeld's body. They
rushed it to to the public square and
burned it in a bonfire, hacking it to
pieces with knives as it burned.
WHITE NAN SACRIFICED.
Then they charged the jail and the
sheriff and deputies fred, wounding
several members of the mob, some IA
tally.
The mob repulsed, sent to neigh
boring mining camp for dynamite and
probably will attack the Jail again.
The mob is infuriated and threaten to
lynch the sheriff and his deputies,
also the negro turnkey in the jail.
THE CITY PRISON WRECKED.
After securing battering arms it
took the mob about half an hour to
wreck the city prison, the negro being
found hid in safe. He was pulled
from the safe, struck with sledges,
knocked down, jumped upon and
stamped to death. A rope was placed
about his neck and his lifeless body
was dragged about three blocks. An
effort was made to hang the body to
telephone pole, but the rope broke.