Palestine daily herald. [volume] (Palestine, Tex.) 1902-1949, 1905-07-18
NEGRO FIENDS'
AWFUL WORK
Five Negroes In an Alabama Jail
on Terrible Charge.
WHITE LADY VICTIM.
After Being Repeatedly Assaulted the
Unfortunate Woman WINS Dragged
by Her Hair Down Embark.
ment and Murdered.

Montgomery, Ala, July 1S.-At 10
o'clock Sunday night Governor jerks
received the following telegram from
Gadsden: my jail and prisoners con-
fined therein threatened by mob. Pris-
oners in Jail charged with rape and
murder of white woman. Need mill
tary assistance. Answer"
The governor Immediately wired
Captain L. b. Raney. commanding the
Gadsden company of the state troops
to place his company at the disposal OF
the sheriff and to keep the executive
office advised of further developments
The negroes ii the Gadsden Jail are
Vance Gardner. Will Johnson, Ed
Johnson. Bunk Richardson. JEFF Afford
and Fannie Mayo. The victim of the
criminal assault and murder which
they are alleged to have committed
was Mrs. s. ]. Smith. white. widow.
The deed was committed Saturday
night. but was not discovered until an
early hour Sunday morning, when one
of the negroes now under arrest Vance
Gardner, reported that he had found
the dead body of Mrs. Smith. Chief
of Police White and several officers
went at once TO the scene and discov-
cred the nude body of the woman ly-
ing partially concealed in some bushes
by the roadside about three quarters
of a mile from Gadsden. The evidence
obtained shows that Mrs. Smith was
attacked on the upper side of the road.
and. after having been repeatedly as
saulted, was dragged By her hair
down an embankment over rocks and
stumps into the clump Of bushes.
where she was left, after efforts had
been made to conceal her body. Her
shoes and stockings were found near
by, having been torn from her and he'd
false teeth were nearby in the road
The woman's neck was broken.
The ground at the scene of the crime
showed that the woman had put up
desperate struggle for life and honor
and a pair Of scissors and a case knife
were close to her body. weapons which
she had evidently used against her as
sailants.
Mrs. Smith was last seen on Satur-
day night. when. with her two sons.
she attended a show i'm Gadsden.
She became separated from her boys
and after making Inquiries as to their
whereabouts without avail she started
home alone. She took path which
was nearer than the usual route. AS
she was emerging from the path into
the road she was attacked by the men.
Vance Gardner. one of the negroes
under arrest and who claims to have
discovered the woman's body, says
that about midnight Saturday he was
passing and was aroused by cries of
"Helpi" and "Murder!" Going to the
scene he found Mrs. Smith PROSTATE
on the ground with a negro standing
over her and endeavoring to stuff a
towel into her mouth. He says that he
called the men to stop but was told to
leave Immediately
A mob of 300 people gathered on
Broad street in Gadsden Sunday night,
marched on the jail demanding that
the doors be opened. One young man
had the rope ready to swing Vance
Gardner. Sheriff Chandler and Judge
j. II. Disque were prepared for them
Company c., with First Lieutenant A.
r.. Brindley In charge. was called out
and had pickets out Congressman
Burnett and Judge Disuue made talks
and the mob dispersed