The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1904-03-11
NEGRO PAID AN
AWFUL PENALTY
desperate Who Shot and Fa'
tally Wounded Policeman
Lynched by Mob.
IS RlDDLED WITH BULLETS
Exciting Time at Springfield, o.-Moh
Pushed Aside Policemen and Bat
tered Down Prisons Doors and
Drag Out Murderer.

- -
Drag Out Murderer.
Springfield, O, March Orchard
Dixon, a negro desperate, who shot
and fatally wounded Policeman Charles
Coils Sunday morning, paid an awful
penalty for his crime. A mob battered
i n the doors of the Jail at a late hour,
dragged the negro to the yard, where
he was shot to death, then carried the
body to one of the principal streets Of
the city, hoisted it to the crossarm of
a telegraph pole, and for half an hour
Tired revolver bullets into it.
The mol forced an entrance to the
jail by buttillg in the east doors with
a railroad iron.
The mob melted rapidly and it was
the general opinion that no more at
tempts would be made to force an en-
trance. Small CUP of men, how
e;er, coul be seen in the shadows Of
the court house n adjacent buildings.
The police were satisfied hat there was
nothing more to fear, they, with
other officials and newspaper men.
passed freely in and out of the jail. A
diversion was made by a small crowd
moving from the east doors around to
the south entrance. The police fol-
lowed and an attempt was made to
push 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" and
Lynch he niger" We're made, inter-
spersed with revolver shots. All this
Tune the party with the heavy railway
iron was beating at the east door,
Which finally yielded to the battering
ram, as did the inner lattice iron
I uOGrS. The 1j0h .thnr >c111on1 u hroJIp
the east door, o~verpowered the sheriff,
turnkey and handful Of deputies, and
began the assault on the iron cage
turhstlle leading to the cells. The po-
nee came from the south door to help
keep the mob from the cells, and in
tive minute the south door had shared
the fate of the east one.
Surging Mob Enters Jail.
In an incredibly short time the tail
was filled by a. mad mob of $50 men,
with all entrances and gates blocked
With 5000 men, thus making 1t impos-
slble for the militia to have prevented
the access to the negro had it been on
tine scene. The heavy iron partition
Leading to the cells resisted the mob
eifectually until cold chisels and sledge
hammers arrived, which was only two
or three minutes later. The paddock
to the turnstile was broken, and the
mob soon filed the corridors leading to
the cells.
Seeing hat further resistance was
useless and to avoid the killing of in
nocent persons, the authorities con-
(, sented to the demand of the mob for
the light man. He was dragged from
his cell to the Jail door and thence
down the stone steps to a court in the
Jail yard. Fearing an attempt on the
part of he 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
V feet. Nine shots were fired into
his PROSTATE body, and satisfied that he
was done for. a dozen men grasped the
~lifeless body, and with a triumphant
cheer the mob surged into Columbia
street and marched to Fountain ave-
nue., one of the principal t~horoughfares
Of the city. From here tney marched
south to the intersection of Main street,
n a rope was tied around Dixon's
neck. Two men climbed the pole and
threw ther ope over the topmost cross
arm and drew the body about eighteen
feet above the street. They then de-
scended and their work was greeted
with q cheer. The fusillade then be-
gan, and for thirty minutes the body
was kept swayirg back and forth from
the force of the rain of bullets which
was poured into it. Frequently the
arms would fly up convulsively when
u muscle was struck, and the mob went
fairly wild with delight.
The Negroes Last Crime.
Policeman Coils went to Dixon's room.
Sunday morning at the request of the
negro. Dixon said his mistress had his
clothes in her possession and had got
the consent of Jones, the colored pro-
prietor, to keep Dixon away from his
house. Coils accompanied Dixon to the
room, and in a short time the man and
woman engaged in a quarrel which re-
i-,fS f-l MIS-, 49, i~- ~
the left breast just over the heart. She
ieil unconscious at the first shot. and
| Coils jumped towards the negro to pre-
vent his escape from the room. Dixon
then fred four bullets into Coils, the last
of which penetrated his abdomen. Dixon
then fed from the room and was followed
by the plucky officer, who emptied his
revolver at the negro without effect and
fell to the ground. Dixon went immedi-
ately to police headquarters and gave him
self up.
Dixon had spent several terms In the
workhouse. and when news Of the shoot
ing spread public excitement was quickly
| aroused. The discussion of the matter
continued with more vigor after the death
of the officer, but the police thought
nothing OF it until last evening, when a
mob Of boys gathered in front of the jail.
About 300 men had congregated about the
! Jail yard and steps. 1t was known that
| only a leader was wanted to start the as
sault, but no one assumed this office for
| some time.
Sheriff Routzahan addressed the mob
from the Jail steps. He told the men that
there would be a special session of the
grand jury called at once, and the law
would surely give the negro the limit for
mis- crime. The mob paid little attention
to his words. and after apparently dis
larsing, later reassembled in W bodies
and by a strategem one engaged the ma
jority of the police at the south door,
while the other attacked and beat in the
east entrance and secured the negro.
The Hay Resolution.