The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1905-07-17

Five Negroes In an Alabama Jail
on Terrible Charge.
WHITE LADY VICTIM.
After Bcing Repeatedly Assaulted the
Unfortunate Woman Nus Dragged
by Her Hair Down Embark.
ment aud Murdered.

Montgomery. Ala. July l7.-At 10
o'clock Sunday night Governor Jelks
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 milf
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 in the Gadsdcn jail are
Vance Gardner VIII 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 :, J. Smith, white. widow.
The deed was Committed Saturday
night but was not discovered until an
S"as - AtbAt sFittAas i'ibi lttAt&s W EttlA ONO
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 discoy
cred the nude body Of the woman iy-
ing partially concealed IN some bushes
by the roadside about three quarters
Of 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 All embankment over rocks and
stumps into the ciump 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 aud 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 "A
desperate struggle for life aud 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-
Gay night when. with her tso soma
she attended show I'm Gadsden.
She became separated from her boys
and after making inquiries as 10 their
whereabouts without ryati she started
home alone. She took "a path which
w@s 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
4 covered the wonan's body says
that about midnight Saturday he was
passing and was aroused by cries OF
Help" and Murder" Going to the
scene ne found Mrs. Smith PROSTATE
on the ground with negro standing
over her and @naeavorinK TO stun "A
towel into her mouth. He says that he
called thes men to stop. but was told 70
leave Immediately
A mob VI 800 people gathered or
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. Disaue we're prepared for them
Company C.. with FIRST Lieutenant A
f. Brindley In char-5e. was called cut
and had pickets Our Cong assnlnn
Burnett and Judge Discue made talks
and the mob dispersed.