New-York tribune., 1905-07-27
MAY BURN NEGRO OUT.
LINES DRAWING CLOSER.
automobile Posse See and Fire on
FHgitiUe SeUeraL Times.

PIainheId n. J.. July % (SpeciaD.-A poles
posse, armed with rifes. afoOt and in autOmO-
biles. with mounted farmers. have surrounded
the Dismal Swamp. in which Charles Long. the
negro murderer q Matthew Cunningham. Is hi1-
ing The negro is stiu liberty. but the cor
don OF police and citizens is hourly contracting.
and it is the general belief that Long wiz soon
be found All sources OF food are thought TO be-
cut OF. and the police believe he will either be
soon starved out or else captured in a Desperate
attempt to break through the narrowing lines.
He was seen by the police several times yes-
tsrday. but each time made good his escape in q
fusillade of bullets. He was last seen this morn
ing. when several detectives opened FIRE on him
with their revolvers. but the negro escaped
again. apparently unhurt. The sound OF the
shots brought half dozen automobiles tearing
down the rough roads to the spot, and a fruit
less search was made By the party for ths
fugitive.
The swamp land comprises an area OF about
six square miles. and the dense underground
makes it exceedingly difficult to find the negro
He was seen yesterday at South Plaindeid. and
Dennis Harlan. a section boss On the Lehigh
Valley Railroad. at once told the Trenton de-
tecrives OF his Whereabouts Before they could
reach the scene the negro got away and a few
hours later appeared at Picton. in the sans
neighborhood. This time the station agent at
Picton 4Iephoned to Police Headquarters IN
this city and Chief Kiely and Detective McCar-
thy went after the negro in an automobile.
riving there in less than a half hour Again
Long was missing. and 1t was Learned that he
had gone toward South Plafndeld-
The search Is being continued tonight with
greater vigilance than ever. and large police
force from Trenton is expected tomorrow to
join in the chase. Interest in the case was IN
creased when it was learned that negro
woman. supposed to be the one over whom Long.
and Cunningham quarrelIed. was in the neigh
borhood- She is supposed to have secretly taken
food to Long. George steengraf OF South
Plainfeld says that he saw such woman rid
ing a bicycle
Owing to the presence OF the negro the resi-
dents near the swamp are much worried, ana
many have armed themselves with guns IN
preparation for an attack
Frank Nelson, the farmer who employed Long.
is said TO have given the negro the tip about
the presence OF the detectives. Long made
his first appearance az the Nelson farm last
Thursday. the murder having been committed
the previous Sunday IN Trenton. Mr. Nelson
gave him employment. He remained on thu
farm until Saturday afternoon. when the de-
teetives from Trenton arrived there. Mr. Nelson
saw the detectives. and is said to have told
Long. Before the police could reach the farm
they saw the negro running away across tho
fields and disappear in the woods and swamp
land
The Board of FreehoIders OF Mercer County
has refused TO increase the reward of $50 for
the capture Of Long- II was suggested to-day
that it would be a good plan TO start fire io
the swamp. thus driving the man Out