The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-04-17
Negro Charged With Murder
Dragged From Jail and
Hanged.
THE TORCH THEN APPLIED
Furious Mob Attacks Negro Section, Fires
Houses and DRIVES Occupants Out Of
Passionate but Vain
appeals to 0by
the Law.
the Law.
(By the Associated Press.)

Joplin, Mo, April ia mob took an
unknown tramp negro from the city Jail
this evening and hanged him to a tele-
graph pole at the corner of Second and
Wall streets, two blocks from the jail.
The negro, who was charged with having
murdered Police Officer c. Leslie, who
was shot dead last night in the Kansas
City Southern Railroad yards, while en-
deavoring to arrest several negroes sus
pected of theft.
officer Leslie had ordered several ne
groes who had taken refuge in a box car
to surrender, and when they failed TO
do so he fired several shots at the car.
During the shooting a negro slipped from
the car, and coming up behind the officer,
shot him through the head. The negro
then fed and within a short time posses
were after him.
About three o'clock this afternoon Lee
Fullerton, aged 81 years, located the
fugitive In a slaughter house just east
OF Joplin. The negro was armed with
rifle and deied arrest. Fullerton Slip
ped into the structure and sprang at the
unsuspecting fugitive. and before resist
duce cOulu Dt ndu iiIu OH peiLh
with a knife at his throat. The negro
then surrendered and Fullerton marched
him out of the building.
With the assistance of another man the
negro was brought to Joplin. Here the
Jail was speedily surrounded by hundreds
of people. There were cries of lynch
him" on all sides, and City Attorney p.
Fl. Decker. mounted the jail steps and
made q strong plea in behalf of law and
order. This served temporarily to stay
the mob but short time later they
started to batter in section of the Jail
wall. Every effort was made to prevent
the entrance of the mob, but without
avail. The negro was dragged forth,
City Attorney Decker again interfered
and urged that the negro be given
trial. For half an hour he talked and
1t seemed that he would win, as men,
bers of the mob began dispensing, but
suddenly rush was made for the spot
where the negro was being held, and he
was dragged two blocks from the Jail, a
rope fastened around his neck and after
the rope had been thrown over the cross
bar 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 being hanged.
For some moments it was veritable tug
of war. but endorsements on the free
end of the rope proved the 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.
AS soon as the negro was dead the
mob dispersed and later the body was
cut down and taken in charge by the
coroner. There is still great excite
ment in Joplin, and it is feared that more
trouble will follow In case the associates
of the dead negro are apprehended.
THE NEGRO QUARTER ATTACKED.
The lynching of the negro served only
temporarily to satisfy the indignation of
the mob, and later tonight hundreds of
men again assembled and rioted through
the negro section of the city. burning
houses, stoning negroes and finally driv-
ing 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 a local character known as
Hickory BILL" who was under arrest or
the charge OF assaulting negro. In the
hope that this would appease the mob
the prisoner was set free.
But the mob did not dispense. Instead
rush was made through Main Street
the principal street OF Joplin, and every
negro was frightened off the street and
fled to the northern part of the city,
where the colored population resides. In
this way the negroes were driven from
all parts of the city to the negro section.
Then the mob charged down on the sec
ton. Stones were thrown, doors and
windows OF negro houses were broken in
and finally several were fired The fire
department responded, but many of the
houses were burned to the ground. The
mob made endeavors to prevent the fire
department from extinguishing the flames
and were partially successful. All the
officers of the city, township and county
were called out. but the mob swept them
aside and proceeded with the rioting.
Mayor Trigg ran from corner to corner
and mounting boxes made earnest APP
peals to the mob to cease. but beyond
cheering the mayor vociferously the mob
swept on and the depredations continued,
The saloons were hurriedly closed by
the mayor After the hundreds of fren-
zied men composing the mob had vented
their wrath in the north end of the city
they rushed to the southern end where
lived a number OF negroes. Their houses
were vacant and not a negro could b.,
found Three more houses were fred and
two were consumed All efforts to reason
with the rioters were futile. as appar-
emily a frenzy had seized upon them. Lac
streets were thronged and at f:15 o'clocS
the whole city was In an uproar. So far
as known at that hour no fatalities had
occurred. although many persons had re-
ceived minor injuries.