Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-03-08


Springfield. Ohio. March 7<AAt II
O'Clock. the negro Richard nixon was
taken from the Jail and shot 10 death
in the Jail yard and the body was TAX
en- from there to the corner, Of Main
street and Fountain avenue and hung
to telegraph pole. where the mob
passed the next half hour Kidding the
body with bullets from several hundred
revolvers. The mob forced an entrance
to the Jail by battering ins~t9& east
doors with a railroad iron. ~ 1890
the mob melted rapidly and it VAS the
general opoinion that no more attempts
would be made to force an entraHce.
Small groups of men. however, could
be seen in the shadows of the court
house. two adjacent livery stables and
several dwellings houses. = ):
At 1915, the police We're satisfied that
there was nothing more to fear and
they went'with other officials and news
paper men in and out of the Jail. Short
ly before II o'clock a diversion was
made by 4 small rcowd moving from
the east doors around to the south en-
trance. The police followed and a bluff
was made at jOstling them off the steps
leading up to the south entrance. The
crowd at this point kept growing while
yells of hold the police" smash the
DOORS" lynch the Niger" We're made,
interspersed with revolver shots.
All this time the party with the heavy
railway iron was beating at the cas-:
door, which shortly yielded to the bat
tering-ram as did the inner lattice iron
doors. The mob then surged through
the east door. Overpowering the sher-
if, turnkey and handful of deputies
and began the assault on the iron turn
stile leading to the cells. The police
from the south door were called inside
to help keep the mob from the cells and
in five minutes the south door had
shared the fate of the east one. In an
incredibly short time the Jail was filled
by a mob of $50 men with all the en-
trance and yard gates blocked by fully
1900 men, thus making it impossible for
the militia to have prevented access
The heavy partition leading to the cells
resisted the mob effectively until cold
chisels and sledge hammers arrived.
The paddock to the turnstile was broken
and the mob soon filled the corridors
Their resistance was useless and to avoid
the killing of innocent prisoners the au-
thorities consented to the demand of
the mob for the right man. He was
dragged from the cell to the Jail door
and thence down the stone steps to the
paved court in the jail yard.
Fearing an attempt on the part Of the
police to rescue, him, the leaders formed
hollow square. Some one knocked the
negro to the ground and those near him
fell back four or five feet. Nine shots
were fired into his PROSTATE body and
satisfied that he was dead, dozen men
seized the lifeless body and with tri-
umphant cheer the mob surged into Co
lumbia street and marched to Fountain
avenue. one Of the principal thorough
fares in the town.
From here they marched south to the
intersection of Main street and a rope
was tied around Dixon's neck. Two
men climbed the pole and threw the
rope over the topmost cross-tie and
drew the body about IS feet above the
street
The fusilade then began and for 30
the body was kept swaying !
back and forth from the force Of the
rain of bullets which was poured in on
it. Frequently the arms would fly up
when a muscle was struck
and the mob went fairly wild with de-
light.
Throughout It all perfect good order
was maintained and everyone seemed
in the best of humor, joking with his !