The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-09-08
Set Fire to Jail and Hold Off. the Fire Department
 by Shooting
NEGRO HAD KILLED AND
 ROBBED AGED FIDDLER
John H. Wallace and Solicitor Erie Pettus Make Impressive Pleas to the Mob, But Were
 Hooted Down.

Huntsville, September 7.-After setting fire to the jail and smoking out the pris- oner while the fire department was held at bay with guns and the sheriff, his deputies and the soldiers outwitted, mob estimated at over 2oOO persons lynch ed Horace Naples, the negro accused of murdering John Waldrop, by stringing him to a tree in the courthouse lawn to- night.
 This action of the mob was taken notwithstanding strong protests made by Solicitor Erie ettus and John H. Wal lace, Jr., in stirring speeches in which law and order were pleaded for elo- quently.
 The crowd began to gather this after noon and tonight, as soon as the details of the crime spread throughout the coun- try In which waldrop had a number of friends, and before the militia which was ordered from Birmingham by Acting Governor Cunningham arrived the mob had swelled to enormous proportions.
 PIuckiIy Stood Their Ground. The sheriff and his deputies pluckily stood their ground, but they were pow erless before the mob and the fire. The local militia company was called out but they were outwitted by the men who con ceived the idea of smoking out the pris- oner.
 At 1920 o'clock the jail was fired. the l ack part burning fercely, dense smoke spreading through the upper stories and cells of the building. The fire department was not allowed to approach within block of the scene, and was driven away with bullets.
 The crowd on the outside would allow nobody to enter or come out until the person of Horace Naples was surrender ed to the crowd. The sheriff and his guards would not give in, but in some manner the negro got through win dow and Jumped out of the building into the crowd
 He was chased down and a rope thrown around his neck, and he was quickly Lulled up to the county court house. There was an immense crowd on the lawn. While Naples was confessing his crime, and duplicating white man and two other negroes John Wallace, Jr., and Solicitor Erie Pettus delivered impas- stoned addresses trying to dissuade the mob.
 We're Hooted Down.
 They were hooted down in turn put fn- ally when Solicitor Pettus called on all who were in favor of the law taking its course to hold up their hands, about half in the big crowd of several thous- and did so. There was cheering for a moment, but the men with the rope pull cd the negro away, threw one end of the rope over a limb and drew him up. The negro was dead in a. few moments.
 A crowd will make an attempt to cap- ture the legroes implicated as accom- plices, but no further disorder Is expect ed tonight. United States District Judge Shelby during the attack issued an order for United States deputy narshals to pI O. tect United States prisoners in the burn ing building and obtain the names of all parties engaged in endangering the pris- cners lives.
 Another Account of Affair.
 Huntsville, September 7.-(SpeciaL)- The body of Horace Naples, the negro murdered now hangs from a limb in the county court house yard, and around him hang Japanese lanterns that earlier in the evening frightened an ice cream supper. The Madison county jail Is al- fnOSL BuIIeu Dy Ire on the lower uOWerS and the damage will amount to thou sands.
 Early In the evening the mob was kept from the streets leading to the Jail by sentries. The guard lines were rushed at g o'clock and the jail doors were broken in. In making promiscuous fires to smoke out the sheriff and the militia company the jail caught fire The fire department was turned back with a volley of pistol shots. During the excitement Naples jumped from a window in the upper story and was quickly taken to the court house with rope around his neck.
 Made a Confession.
 He made a confession that set the au- thorities on the trail of a white man and two negroes alleged accomplices in the murder Hon. John H. Wallace. So- licitor Erie Pettus and one or two others made addresses, but they were interrupt- ed by frequent cries to ''hang the negro" Fully half of the crowd disapproved the lynching, but nothing could be done to save the negro without endangering the lives of scores of people. In manner calmn and deliberate for a mob, the guilty negro was swung up. The crowd was cleared away and several volleys of shots were fired into his body. Additional military companies were or dered here tonight, but the lack of train equipment prevented them frori taking specials and reaching here when needed The action of United States Judge Shelby may add complications to the lynching and cause an unexpected hand to be taken by the government. He ordered several deputies to the jail to protect United States prisoners and instructed them to obtain names of men composing the mob. This was done and the next grand jury will investigate.
 Provisional Company in Decatur.
 Decatur, September 7.-(Special. )-The provisional company from Birmingham ordered by Governor Cunningham to Huntsville to aid in protecting the negro Horace Naples is here awaiting further orders from the governor. and until word is received from the chief executive no further move will be made
 The following appointments have been made. the same affecting only the pro- visional company from Birmingham: Capt. Edward D. Smith of the Brandon