West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1904-08-04
THE NATIONAL GUARD
Ordered Out by the Governor to Pre-
vent Mob Violence.
Companies X or Clarksburg. and q OF
KingwOOd, at Charles Town.


at this place was ordered out last
week by the Governor to proceed to
Charles Town, Jefferson county and
guard the Jail and Court House
there during the trial of George w.
Williams, a negro from Baltimore,
who committed a rape on Miss
Laura Knode, prominent young
school teacher of near Harpers
Ferry, who drove into town June
a7th to make arrangement for a trip
to the Exposition at St. Louis.
The negro has been a roustabout on
the steamboats, on the Ohio and
Mississippi river and is about as
tough a specimen as can be scared
up. He had been tramping through
the country when he met the young
lady about mile out of Harpers
Ferry, driving home. He jumped
out from the roadside and grabbed
the horse by the bride and dragged
the girl from the buggy into the
brush where he assaulted her in
spite of her struggles. Inside of an
hour crowd of men was hunting
him and captured him near the
scene of crime. He came very
near being lynched then and had to
be taken to Moundsville and kept
in the penitentiary to save him for
trial. A special session of Circuit
Court was called for Tuesday of
this week by Judge Boyd Faulkner
and the negro was taken to Charles
Town last Friday morning to get
ready for trial. Sheriff Blllmyer
and Deputy went to Moundsville
Thursday after him and came east
on No.4 that night with the prison
er. Knowing that he would be
lynched unless heavily guarded
Gov. White ordered out two Com
panies of the National Guard to
accompany the Sheriff to Charles
Town and guard the jail and Court
House. Co. X of Clarksburg and
Co. G of Kingwood were selected,
because they are considered two of
the best Companies in the State.
The Company here left Thursday
night at o:3o on special train and
caught No. 4 at Tunnelton, with Co.
K and the prisoner and Sheriff and
Deputy. Arrived at Harpers Ferry
just after daylight, put off baggage
there with guard under command
OF Lieut.. Brown of Co. G., and ran
the rest on to Brunswick, Md, and
back on special, picking up the
baggage detail at Harpers Ferry and
arriving at Charles Town about s
O'Clock. Train stopped outside OF
town and Guard formed with Co. G.
in front and Co. X in the rear with
Sheriff and prisoner in the ceuter
and marched to the Jail.
| There was a large crowd waiting
at the depot and cries of chang the
nigger," '1ynch him, "get a rope"
etc. but no attempt was made to do
so. There were many threats made
much wild talk and all kinds of ru.
mors in circulation, but no trouble
to amount to anything till Sunday
night an account of which will be
found in another column, taken
from the Fairmont Times. The
trial Tuesday was short and the
jury was only out ten minutes, when
they returned a verdict of hanging
and the Judge sentenced the negro
to be taken to Moundsville and
hanged Friday, Sept. 9th, just as
soon as the law would allow. There
was a tremendous crowd present.
thousands of people hocking into
town and packing the Court House,
yard and streets all around il. The
troops preserved good order and
handled the crowd easily. There
was greart cheering over the verdict.
which met with popular approval.
In fact any other verdict would
have precipitated trouble. TIL e
prisoner was badly broken up for
about an hour, when he regained
his composure and took il coolly
after that. He was kept IN the
Court House under a guard till next
day, yesterday, when the troops
came home on a special running
as second section Of *. The
Sheriff and Deputy with the prisoner
came with the soldiers and went
right on to the Penitentiary. Com.
pany G.. came home on a special
from function, arriving about g
O'Clock, all the boys well and hearty.
except Bert Hardway who had the
mumps.
Stewart Walker, of Berkley county