Bryan morning eagle. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1898-1909, 1903-04-17
LYNCH NG At JOPLIN
Mob in That Missouri City Strings
Up a Negro.
OTHERS HAD TO GO.
Every Member Of the Race Residing
In Place Driven 20 the Northern
Part of Same and Several
Houses Set on Fire.

Joplin. Mo. April lG-Desplte the
pleading OF City Attorney p. H. Deck
er. and the efforts of law abiding cltl'
Eens. who were overcome IN a tug oi
war over the body OF the victim. q
mob wednesday night hanged a negro
tramp 10 telegraph pole. after forci'
bly, taking him from Jail on suspicion
that he might be the man that Tuesday
night shot 10 death Policeman Les
lie while the officer was trying % ar.
rest him some negroes In the Kansas
City Southern railroad yards.
The lynching % the negro served
only temporarily 20 satisfy the lndiE-
nation Of the mob, and later hundreds
o, men assembled and rioted through
the negro district. burning houses
stoning negroes and finally driving
every negro from Joplin The police
were powerless
The negro who was ynched. was
found in a slaughter house east OF Jop-
lin by Lee Fullerton He was armed
with a rife Fullerton slipped into the
structure unObseryei and crept up be-
hind the negro Fullerton sprang at
the man and threw him down The
capior held knife az the captlve's
throat until the negro surrendered the
rife Pointing the rife az the prison.
er. Fullerton marched him 70 Jail
which was surrounded by hundreds Of
people City Attorney ?. n Decker
mounted the JAN steps and made a plea
Tor law and order This dii not ap-
pease The mob aud a short time after
Deckor.s speech the mob started tOI
batter down a section OF the jall wall
Futile efforts were made 10 prevent
the entrance OF the mob. but within
fifteen minutes they had gained en-
trance into the Jail and secured the
trembling negro As be was dragged
forth. city Attorney Decker again
urged that the negro be given a trial.
For half an hour he talked and the
mob listened % him with the negro In
their custody Some OF the mob began
TO dIsperse Suddenly "a rush was made
Tor the spot where the negro was held
and he was dragged two blocks from
the jail a rope was fastened around /
his neck After the rope had been
thrown over the cr0ssbar of a teie- /
graph pole a score OF men attempted /
20 pull the negro from the ground.
as many more seized the negro and /
tried 90 prevent his being hanged. For
some moments 10 was a tug OF war. bu'
reinforcoments on the free end OF the
rope proved the stronger and the me-
gro. despite bis protesiati0ns of .nno-
cencn. was finally swung into the air
and s'rangled 20 death. while shouts
went up from the mob The name OF
he negro was not known he was a
stranger In Joplin
The dnt act ~ the mob after hang
nr the negro was to demand the re-
lease from Iail of n local character
known as Hickory Bill who was under
arrest on the charge OF asslultug
negro ln the hope that this would
ippCaso the mob the prisoner was seq
rec But the mob dld not dIsDorse
Instead "a rush was made through
Vain street and every negro was driy.
.n 90 the north part of Joplin where
ho Co'0rod population lives. Then the
mob charged down on the quarter
stones were thrown. doors were brok-
20 ln and finally several houses were
Ired The fire department responded.
.ut many of the houses were burned
% fhc ground
The mob made endoayors tO prevent
he fro department from cXt.nguIsu-
ms fho flames and were partly success.
ul AN the officers ~ the city. town.
hip and county were called out. o..
ho mob swept them aside and proceed.
q with the riotinE Mayor Trigg ran
rom corner 20 corner. and mounting
ONes made earnest appeals 90 the mob
p cease. but. cheering the mayor VOC
Ifcrously the mob swept on and dep.
ad1iIons continued The saloons were
urr.elly closed by the mayor. After
le hundreds OF frouz.od men com.
Qsiug the mob hau vented their
.rath In The north end of the city.
hey rushed to tha southern end whore
number of negroes lived. Their
1us. were vacant and u0- "a negro
luld ho found Three more houses }
ere nrel aud two were burned. 3