Milford chronicle., 1904-07-22
I1OIE ASSAILANTS
GIVEN 49 YEARS
=. Negroes, Guarded by Soldiers
l'' RSailroaded 's Prison.
, Consumed 15 MINUTES

lSE GUNoOH1A4
Nous' Ii Ionas Sims and William Aus
noerS' 80 80 negroes who confessed
the ,'ing 'rlg Mrs. Elsie Biddle, of Bur
ato1 we're sentenced s,s,, TO - years nstar ea0a
rslol tate at prison, at Trenton after a
lli ls breaking trial. The three men
co'u,0i0 ~ Mount Holly at 1.l5 p. m.
fl'ea - holf an hour later they had
ass u '1'- aniltv. been given the extreme
asltv ,.j for their crimes oy JuGge T,o..n,, Gas,
@ na,~ .rd were on their way to trenton
\ sariu aT their long sentence.
Ir.n Dss,1 the three men, handcufred to
"nsn Electives. stepped from the train
nT'e .ro W., at least 1000 persons congre-
per- "t,, 'sort the railroad station. Com
w. r New Jersey national guard
lhl i.,,g oneped a passageway and with
lcn' r,inrtes the criminals were in
NV Va house. Judge Gaskill had or
'Yr, 5.bot the curious be excluded from
y s.'a oonrt room, and in consequence OF
order only the newspaper men and
r,ordsmen were admitted.
gIson tbe negroes were brought be-
W. .ha court Judge Gaskill appointed
w .sal IN defend the men. A brief
.usnItation was held between counsel
n tbe three men, and 1t was an
~ uaresd I that the men would plead
atr Tudge Gaskill accepted the plea,
l.'.' NY 1r,nouncing sentence said:
~ @Tbe Judgment of the law and SEN
.nco of the court is that for the charge
.one 10 which you have just pleaded
,a-r r each of YOU be confined in the
ato nrison at hard labor for the term
Il Years: upon the charge of rob
-v IL wears: upon the charge of
SAINT with intent to kill an officer
Years and upon the charge of rob
inc the house of William Streaker,
sTen years, making a total of 49
fears" -.
,bree criminals had consumed about 10
ninutes. As soon as sentence had been
Pronounced the men were removed
lam the court house. AS they appeared
tho entrance the soldiers formed
vo columns of fours, and with the
nan in the centre they marched down
side street to the special train which
lad brought them from Camden. The
frst demonstration of any character
toob pace as the negroes neared the
rain. Here a crowd of several hundred
booted and jeered the negroes, and the
fry of shoot EN-" was heard distinct
IN several times.
It was decided to run the special train
by way of Kinkora Junction, to avoid
sny possible demonstration that might
be made should the men pass through
Burlington
Trenton was reached at 2.S0, and the
men had begun their sentences at 2.45.
They had travelled 100 miles, were tried
and sentenced and placed in Jail in the
remarkably brief period of hours and
l5 minutes.
Judge Gaskill later explained the
swift methods employed in sending the
three negroes to the state prison. He
said:
The rapidity with which the cases OF
the three assailants of Mrs. Biddle were
tried. sentenced and sent to prison may
Impress some citizens as being un'
Necessary, but the officers knew what
they were doing. There was a meeting
Df 200 men held Thursday night a
Rancocas at which complete arrange
ments were made to blow open Mt
Holly Jail last night. secure the three
negroes and lynch them. There is alb
sOlutely no doubt in my mind tina
these arrangements would have beel
carried out.
The sheriff had spy at the meet
ing and it was his report that mad
1s know that under no circumstance
must the prisoners be allowed to pas
3 night in jail here. l notified Cover
nor Murphy, and a detail of the ma
tional guard was Immediately sent t
Camden. l am very thankful that tn
case is now closed.
1T was the women of the countr
that drove the men to determine o.
desperate measures"