The free press. (Southern Pines, N.C.) 1898-19??, 1904-03-11
Springfield Mob Shoots to Death a
Negro Who Killed An officer
SNORT WORK FOR RICH. NIXON
After Killing the Negro the infnrlated
Mob Strung Him on Telegraph
Pole and r1utilated His Dead Body.

was taken from the Jail and shot
10 death in the Jail yard and the body
was taken from there to the corner OF
Main street and Mountain avenue, and
hung to a telegraph pole, where the
mob spent the next half hour Kidding
the body with bullets from several
entrance to the Jail by butting in the
east doors with a railroad iron. AT
20: 80 the mob melted rapidly and it
vas the general opinion that no more
attempts would be made to force an
entrance. Small groups OF men, how
ever, could be seen in the shadows of
The court house, and two adjacent liv-
aly stables At 1C:45 o'clock the po-
lice were satisfied that there was moth
ing more to fear and they with other
officials and newspaper men, passed
freely in and out of the jail Shortly
before II o'clock a diversion was
made by small crowd moving from
The east doors around to the south en-
trance. The police followed and bluff
was made at jostling them off the steps
leading up to the south entrance. The
erowd at this point kept growing while
yells of "hold the police" smash the
doors" lynch the niger" were made,
nterspersed with revolver shots. All
this time the party with the heavy
railroad iron was beating at the east
door which shortly yielded to the bat
gering ram as did the inner lattice iron
doors. The men then surged in the
door, oyerpoWered the sheriff, turnkey
and handful OF deputies and began the
assault on the iron trusntile leading to
the cells. The police from the south
sioor was called inside to keep the mob
from the cells and in five minutes the
south door had shared the fate of the
east one. In an incredible short time
the Jail was filled with a mob Of 250
men with all the entrances and yard
gates blocked by fully $500 men, thus
making it impossible for the militia to
have prevented access to the negro had
it been on the scene. The heavy iron
partition leading to the cells resisted
the mob effectually until the cold
chisels and sledge hammers arrived.
which were only two or three minutes
later in arriving The paddock to the
turnstile was broken and the mob soon
filled the corridors leading to the cells.
Seeing that further resistance was use
less, to avoid the killing of innocent
persons, the authorities consented to
the demand of the mob for the right
man. He was dragged from his cell to
She jail door and thence down the
stone steps to a court in the Jail yard.
Fearing an attempt on the part Of the
police to rescue him the leaders formed
a hollow square. Some one knocked
the negro to the ground and those near
TO him fell back four or five feet. Nine
shots were fired into his PROSTATE body
and satisfied that he was dead, dozen
men grabbed the lifeless body and with
a triumphant cheer the mob surged
into Columbia street and marched to
Fountain avenue, one OF the principal
streets Of the town. From here they
marched south, to the intersection OF
Main street and rope was tied around
dxOn's neck. Two men climbed the
pole and threw the rope over the top
most cross arm and drew the body
about 19 feet above the street. They
then descended and their work was
greeted with a cheer. The fulisade
then began and for 30 minutes the body
was kept swayng back and forth from
Che force Of the rain of bullets which
was poured in on it. Frequently the
arms would fly up convulsiyely when a
muscle was struck, and the mob went
fairly wild with delight. Throughout
it all perfect order was maintained and
every one seemed in the best fhumor.
Joking with the nearest neighbor while |
his revolver.
Richard Dixon was shot to death for
The killing of Policeman Charles Col |
lis, who died Monday from wounds re-
.eived, at the hands Of Dixon on Sun |!
law