The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1905-07-07
MOB Stays EIGHT
IN NIGHT ATTACK
ALL BUT ONE OF NINE PRISON
Frs KILLED BY GEoR-
CLANS.
TAKEN FROM PRISON
AND SHOT TO DEATH
Casualty List Includes White Man
and Seven Negroes-One Effects
Miraculous Escape by Feigning
Death When Volley Is Fired.

Watkinsville, Ca, June 80. = Nine
prisoners were taken from Jail here
Thursday and eight shot to death by
mob of masked white men within 200
yards of the center of the town. Eight
men were carried to the scene of the
lynching, but one miraculously escaped
death by falling to the ground when the
volley was fired and feigning that he
had been killed.
Seven Negroes, One White Man.
The names of the prisoners who were
killed are: Lewis Robertson, Rich Rob-
inson, Sandy Price, Claude Elder, Rich
Allen. Bob Harris, Jim Yearly (all ne
groes), Lon Aycock (white). Joe Pat
terson (negro) feigned death and the
mob left him thinking he, too, had been
riddled with bullets.
Charged with Murder.
-Four of the prisoners were charged
with being implicated in the murder
of Holbrook and his wife several weeks
ago and one was held for an attempted
criminal assault. The others were in
Jail on minor misdemeanor charges.
The mob formed quietly and marched
in order to the Jail, where the keys were
demanded of the jailor. The demand
was made at the point of rifles and the
jailor realized that resistance was use
less. With the keys in its possession
the mob opened all the cells, ordered
all the trembling inmates out and then
lined them up in single file tying them
with ropes.
Work Done Quietly.
The prisoners, nine in number, were
marched to corner lot within 200
yards of the gail and in the heart of
the town where they were bound to a
fence with their hands tied behind
them. The work had been so quietly
done that the sleeping residents of the
town had not been aroused. At a
command by the leader the mob
stepped back few PAGES, took DELHI
crate aim and fired a volley from
rifles, shotguns and pistols into the
line of prisoners. Every man in front
of the mob fell at the first volley. Be-
lieving its work had been made COM
plete the mob quickly dispersed.
Negro Escapes by Miracle.
An examination by the jailer, who
had been forced by the mob to accom-
pany it to the scene of execution,
showed that eight of the men had
been riddled by bullets, but Joe Patter-
son was found to have been only
slightly injured. Patterson's escape
from death was as by miracle, for the
fence post to which he had been bound
was torn into fragments by the bull
let's. He possessed the presence OF
mind to fall with his Inflated com
panions and remain motionless upon
the ground. The rattle of the volley
aroused the town. Scores of citizens
sprang from their beds in alarm, to
find the mob nowhere in evidence,
however.
Threatened to Dynamite Prison.
The strength of the mob has been
variously estimated. The jailer de-
clared that there were many armed
men, all wearing masks. He says he
delivered the keys to the men believ-
ing it were better to do this than to
resist, which he was told would mean
the dynamiting of the prison. Gaining
admittance to the Jail the mob first
sought Sandy Price, who was arrested
late Wednesday afternoon by a posse
from Oconee county and delivered to
the jailer. At the time q his arrest a
lynching was narrowly aSerted. Price
was charged by Mrs. WELDON Dooly
who lives in the suburbs of Watkins
vile, with having attempted criminal
assault Wednesday afternoon. No
further trouble is anticipated.