The weekly true Democrat. (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1905-1912, 1905-07-21
SIX SAVED FROM MOB.
Attempt Made to Get at Negroes Held
Ia MOnlOmery Jaa for Assault and
Murder Of White Woman.

Murder Of White Woman.
At 10 O'Clock Sunday night Govern.
or jerks At Montgomery received the
following telegram from GadSden,
Ala:
MY jail and prisoners conhne4
therein threatened by mob. Prison
ers ia jail charged with rape and
murder OF white woman Need mill
taTy assistance. Answer"
The governor Immediately wired
Captain l.. b. Rsney, commanding the
Gadsden company Of the state troops.
TO place his company at the disposal
OF the sheriff, and TO keep the exec
utive once advised OF further deVel-
opme nts.
The negroes 10 the Gadsden jail
are: Vance Gardner, Will Johns6n,
Ed Johnson. Bunk Richardson. Jell
Afford and Fannie Mayo. The victim
OF the criminal assault and nuPder,
which they are alleged to have COM
mitted. was Mrs. s. j. Smith, white. a
widow.
The iced WAS committed Saturday
night, but was not discovered until an
early hour Sunday morning, when Que
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 discovered the nude body OF tire
woman. lying, partially concealed, in
some bushes by the roadside, about
threequar;ers OF a mile from Gads.
don.
The evidence ObtaInable shows that
Mrs Smith was attacked on the up.
per side Of the road, and after haV.
ing been repeatedly assaulted, was
dragged BY her hair down an EN-.
bankment, over rocks and stumps into
a clump OF bushes, where she was
left. after efforts had been made to
conceal her body. Her shoes and
stockings were found nearby, having
boon torn from her, and her false
teeth were found in the road. The wo-
man IN Ndb UIOkbp.
The ground at the scene OF the
crime showed that the woman had
put up a desperate struggle for life
and honor and pair Of scissors and
a caseknIfe were close to her body,
weapons which she had evidently
used against her 6ssailants.
Mrs. Smith was last seen on Satur.
day night, when she and he- two
sons attended q show in Gadsdcn.
These boys were said to have been
drinking, and she became separated
from them. After making inquiries
as to their whereabouts without avail,
she started home and took a path
which was nearer than the usualrou:e,
and as she was emerging from the
path INFO the road SIZE was attacked
by &c men.
Vance Gardner, Vho claims TO have
under arrest, and who claims to have
the womans body. says
that about midnight saturday he was
passing and MAS aroused by or es O.
Help" and "MGrdor.' Going 20 the
scene he found Mrs. Smith pros rate
On the ground, with a negro stand.
ng over her and cndcavoring to stun
, towel into her mouth. He says that
he called to the men TO stop, hut was
old 10 leave Immediately.
a mob Of 200 people gathered on
BROAD street IN Gadsden a. dark and
ate Sunday night marched OF the
Jail. demanding that the doouE ne
opened. Sheriff Chandler and Judge
!. II, Dlsquo we're prepared for them,
company c, WITH First Lieutenant
In charge. was called out
md had pickles out Immediately, Con
FRESHMAN B,rnett and judge Eislue
made folks and the mob dispersed,
here he ng less than 100 men pres
mt. The mob lacked a lender, which
prevented bloodshed.