The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-09-21

men IN the mob
Private Adams Testimony.
Private Adams, who is connected with
the United States recruiting office here,
testified as follows:
ION the night of the lynching went
to the corner where the mob first broke
through and just about the time that
| l arrived there I saw the lines run over
a sentry Sergeant Giles, member OF
the local company, and myself found
private lying on the ground where he
| had been ehoked and thrown by the mob.
We rescued him and carried him back to
! the jail
Sergeant Giles held the mob back at
| the point of his bayonet for several min
utes and together he and took the pri-
, vate from the mob The mob hesitated
when Sergeant Giles ordered the members
to do so, and I believe a determined Off
Ger and small force could have held the
mob at bay and at least held the jail. II
the sentries had been ordered to fire
and had they been supported by the main
body of the company which was at the
jail believe that the mob could have
been held back. In the fight had with
the mob over the private 1 took a pistol
away from one of them and later the
mob took It back. I do not know what
Jailer Saw Men Under Bed.
Jailer G. II. Giles was then called and
told of the soldiers hiding in his room
under the bed and in the closet. He
said:
81 was in the jail on the night of
the lynching where belonged. The first
knew Of the arrival Of the soldiers was
when they marched down to the jail
I did not hear any orders given to the
officers of the company by Sheriff Rod
| gers. When the military came into the
/ Jail the first thing the soldiers did was
to turn out the lights in the upstairs
room. Some of the soldiers went into a
bedroom which I keep for company and
saw them under the bed, and some were
in the closet. There were some rifles ly-
ing on the bed. Other soldiers were in
the room, where they could command the
steps. l could not distinguish which sol
diers were under the bed. There were
two or three under the bed. There were
t. or three under the bed. I did not
see any of the soldiers resist the mob
and no shots were fired by the soldiers.
saw Captain Hay on the steps par
OF the time, and part of the time In q
room which I use for a parlor. Did not
talk to him during the trouble. No mem
Der of the mob came up the steps. The
soldiers seemed quiet and not excited
handed water to Sheriff Rodgers to hell
extinguish the flames as long as
thought it necessary"
Sheriff Rodgers on the Stand.
Sheriff Rodgers was then called to thu
stand and as soon as the court com
menced asking questions the counsel foi
the defense asked that he not be re
| ,1,x.
ceedlngs had been recommended against
him and that some of the evidence before
the court might tend to convict him, OF
hurt him in the later proceedings. The
court, however, overruled the request anc
proceeded, however, giving the sheriff the
| right to refuse to answer any questions
He testified as follows:
II ordered the soldiers out on instruc-
lions from Judge Speake of the circuit
court. When Captain Hay marched his
| soldiers down to the Jail | said to Lieu
tenant Hay In the presence of Captain
/ Hay and where the latter could have
heard had he wanted to, thai they must
| take care of the jail and protect the pris-
! oners. | ordered the military into the
| 1ail but did not order 1t upstairs. In
| fact, went up stairs and ordered 1t down
| to the landing after the soldiers had
climbed up stairs
some OIL IHGHn went ltO luS Nlh6 iCoAi1
of the jailor. l gave no orders to shoot
except that the soldiers were not to allow
any one to come up the steps OF the
jail. and to shoot II they did. | saw
some guns which were military rifles In
the crowd and they had been taken from
some of the soldiers. The military did
not give me the assistance that / ex-
| pected.
Yes, ! believe that a competent milf
tary officer and twenty-five men could
have defended the Jail against the mob.
/ cannot answer the question, II the SEN
| tries had been given orders to fire, do you
believe that they could have held the
mob. had they been reinforced by the sci
diers who were stationed at the Jail?'
Neither can l answer the question, 'Could
Captain Hay and the soldiers under his
command have held the jail had the SOL
diers been ordered to shoot?' These re-
fusals were made at the suggestion OF
the counsel for the defense Continuing,
Sheriff Rodgers said:
II never gave the order to shoot but
did tell Lieutenant Hay to take charge
of the jail. The soldiers reported to
me in the early part Of the evening"
Sergeant Brock Recalled.
Sergeant Brock, who testified yester-
day, was recalled to the stand and testt-
fed as follows: 81 gave the order to the
|
| rushed the sentry lines. I did so without
specific orders, but Lieutenant Hay had
ordered the company to fall in. 1t was
my understanding that II the mob rush
ed the lines we were to assemble in from
of the jail and make a determined stand
We feared that the mob would rush thu
lines and expected 1t. Sheriff Rodgers
ordered us into the jail after we ha'
formed company in front Of the jail afte
the lines had beeen rushed"
Private McLain overpowered.
Private T. e. McLain testified that h
had fallen in with the company on tn
night of the lynching and marched to tn
iail with the company; that he was places
on sentry duty by Sergeant Gooch, ant
remained there about three hours befor
the mob rushed the lines. He was sta
toned at the corner where the mob frs
rushed the lines. He was not INSTRUCTED
to shoot, nor to load his rifle, but wal
only instructed to hold the crowd bacl
from the rope which had been stretched
across the street. He and another sentr,
had the post alone. About o'clock al
he turned at the end of his post to go the