The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-12-21
MOB HAS ITS WAY
Sixty Armed and Masked Men
Break Into Jail
In MaryIand's Capital City and
Take Out a Negro.
MARCH OUT OF TOWN.
UnmOIested by the Police and
Hang Their Victim.
He Had Committed a Criminal
Assault and Confessed.

Annapolis, Nd, Dec. 21.=Henry
Davis. alias Henry Chambers, colored.
who committed a felonious assault on
Mrs John Reid of Brownsville, five
miles from Annapolis, last Friday, and
who had confessed his crime, was
taken from the jail here this morning
by a mob of about sixty masked men
and lynched- He was strung up and
his body riddled with bullets.
The jail is situated in Calvert street
in the western section of the city and is
quite Isolated. The mob had no diff
Guilty in securing the prisoner. Taking
along the road leading to the scene of
his crime. The plans of the lynchers
were kept very quiet as no one except
those who participated in it knew any
thing about what was to take place.
Their movements were carefully
guarded.
In a statement made after the man
was taken from the jail, Deputy Sheriff
Ruben /. Smallwood said that about 2
o clock man appeared outside the
jail and rang. He said that he had a
prisoner. Deputy Smallwood saw that
he had no prisoner and refused to ad-
nit him, whereupOn he left Soon
afterWard a mob of about sixty men
appeared before the jail with whip
ping post and endeavOred to batter
down the door. Unsuccessful with that
means they procured sledge and
pick and managed to break a hole in
the door, through which one of the
men crawled and unlocked the door
Then five or six men entered the build
ing and proceeded to the warden s
room where they encountered Warden
George Taylor, Deputies Smallwood
and James c. Grouse and Night Watch
man Frank Marcellius- At the point of
a pistol the warden surrendered the
keys. In a few moments more Davis
x4roe a. nd c1 H
made no resistance. His appearance
outside the jail was greeted with yells
He was kicked and beaten by members
Of the lynching party and in few
minutes was taken to Brickyard hill on
the Annapolis, Baltimore & Washing
ton railroad.
Here Davis was closely questioned
and again admitted that he had crimf-
nally assaulted his victim and repeated
that he would have done 1t living or
dead.
AS he made this assertion those who
heard him raised cry, a rope was
quickly knotted and the moose slipped
over his head.
BY this time Davis was nearly un-
conscious from fright and the blows
which had been rained upon him. While
in this condition he was hOisted to the
limb of tree. Almost before his feet
had left the ground a revolver cracked
and bullet cut cash through his
scalp. IT was the signal for general
firing and at least 100 bullets must
have riddled his body.
After L few m;Eutes the body was cut
down and after few had examined
it and a few took pieces of rope and
clothing as souve Mrs the mob dispersed
The personnel of the mob is not
known, but reliable witnesses to the
occurrence state that all those who
composed il were young men in ap-
pearance They ali wore masks, had
their faces blackened and each one was
armed with a revolver.
The negro was carried through the
negro section of the city but no one IN
terfered. When people appeared at the
windows the Y were warned to remain in
doors if they did OF want harm to come
to them The police permitted the mob
to have its way. none of the officers
apparently interfering.
Mrs Reid, the negro's victim was
confined 20 her home for some days in
a serious condition as a result of her
injuries.
Mrs. Reid is a white woman. When
arrested last Sunday Davis protested
innocence, but the next day being con-
fronted by his victim who identified
him he confessed. He had already
served two years in the penitentiary
for a similar crime.