Virginia gazette. [volume] (Williamsburg, Va.) 1893-192?, 1905-07-08

Watkinsville. Ga. Special-A mob /
entered the Jail az watkInsvilie az ? f
o'clock Thursday morning and took .
therefrom nine prisoners. eight of
whom were shot 90 death. ant enc ninth
escaped only by being thought dead ~
tho mob. The prisoners taken out aud
lynched were Leon j. Aycock. white.
charged With the murder az r. VI. Hol-
brook and vile. Oconec county. and
seven negroes Rich Robinson. Lewis
Robinson. and Claud Elder. charged
with the murder 90 the Hoihrook
couple. Sandy Price a Young negro
charged with attempted rape on the
person 81 Mrs. Weldon Doo'ev. Rich
Allen. "a negro convicted ana under SEM
tencc 81 death for the murder OF VIII
Robertson another negro. Gene Yer
hy another negro charged with tho
burglary os rife from Mr.. Marshall
and Bob Harris. a negro. charged with
shooting another negro.
MADE OFFICER OPEN JAIL
The mob came quietly into Watkins
Vile httla before a. m. There were
about 30 o. IS men in the crowd. All
were heavily masked ans no one knows
whence they came or to what point
they returned. They went at once 60
the house ol Town Marshal T. a.. Aiken
and Qucfiy called him 20 The door.
A. ~ rut his head out of the door ne
was seized and told that ne must De-
liver the jail key. He refused aud che
men put pistols in his face and over
f powered him. he being a rather small
man Aiken refused to dress. hut some
~ che party dressed him and carried
/ him along The mob next seized Court
ney Elder. blacksmith and made him
oring his tools aioug with aim
# NTIZENa PLEA DIsREGARnED.
ON their way Or Tho ial they were
met hy A. W Ashford nrorinont
citizen of Watk.usvule. who hal heard
the noise at che marshaIs house. and
came down town as soon as hn could
dress MT. Ashford begged che men %
dcsist and Doc the law take les course
especially pleading for Aycock. oa the
ground chat fln evidence had not been
secured tr warrant Dis conjunction Ha
also begged them nof to lynch those
not rarsct with capital crimes They
told hum THAI they were cool sober
ana determined and that he might az
wei ago back and go to bed The
jail was then opened hy the town mar
shal under Che cover Cf several pis-
tolls. and inside the iaN che mob Reid
20 The cells. He refused at FIRST hut
surrendered them after being menacef
with guns Jailer Crow begged hard
Tor AyCOck ON the Same ground that
Sir. Ashford did. and also for the two
negroes who were NOE charged with
capital crimes Members 90 tho attack
lns party told him to shut his mouth
They know what to 1o. they sald and
they were going to clear QUO the whole
Jail
WHITE Man DIES PROTESTING
The mob eot every prisoner in jail
except Ed. Thrasher. D. negro. charged
with gambling who was On thc INSIDE
meanor side az the prison and carried
90 point some one hundred Yards
from the jail and tied To- three fence
posts. hy their necks Aycock protested
his Innocence 90 the last He said they
We're killing an innocent man. while
the general belief in Oconee county Is
that Aycock was not guilty. stiil there
are many who did not believe SO. Rich
Robinson said &c vas all right SO far
AS he was concerned. but that three
more negroes were in the Holbrook
murder. He named Sidney Norris. Jim
Taylor. aud Wiley Durham ass the three
implicated. These negroes had been IN
jail before on this charse and had been
f released after full Investigation BY the
committee. The other prisoners did not
open their mouths during their march
90 their doom
ONE NEGRO WILL RECOVER.
After the prisoners had been tied 20
the fence posts. the mob lined up and
fired five volleys into their bodies. All
died without a struggle with the ex-
ception OF Joe Patterson a negro. who
was charged with pointing a gun al
Albert Ward Patterson was shot sew.
eral times tn the body but was alive
after the mob left and will recover
AycOcks body was fairly riddled
With shot. a great hole was torn
, through his heart and another through
bis right breast.