The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-10-09

Mobile, Ala, October 8.-The crimes
committed upon Ena May Fowler, Lii
lion May Savell, Ruth Sossaman, and
attempts ON others whose names are
not given, were revenged by party Of
As men this afternoon AT 1885 o'clock
in lonely place just off the Holt road
in the neighborhood of Pritchard's sta
tion. The leaders ordered the men,
who were all armed with revolvers,
shot guns and rifles, not to fire shot
and the orders were carried out
Thompson, the negro youth, who COM
mitted the first crimes that startled
the people of Mobile and worked them
up into a fury, was hanged first. Rob-
insOn, the other negro was executed
Immediately afterward. A long ha' f
inch rope was thrown over the limb
of a live oak tree and Robinson was
drawn up about Is feet and the rope
was fastened. He slowly strangled to
death. According to one of the lead
ers of the mob, Robinson confessed The
Associated Press representative was
called over to hear the confession, but
Robinson looked frightened and said
he was not the man. Robinson was
hanged at 1888 p. m. Thompson was
hanged before the body of Robinson
was cut down.
The hanging of the negroes was con-
Quoted in a very quiet manner and
during the time that the work was go
ing on hardly word was spoken.
The negro Thompson was very sui
len from the time he was taken off the
train until the rope was placed around
his neck Robinson maintain d tha.
he was going to heayen.
When Mount Vernon was reached on
the trip from Birmingham, eight men
wearing white masks boarded the train.
Five of them leveled pistols at Sheriff
Powers and his deputy and said the
men had came for the prisoners. The
revolvers of the sheriff and deputy
were then taken from them. The con-
ductor was asked to move all the peo-
pie in the first class coach to the rear
seats as others of the crowd were go
ing to get on at Plateau. The conduc-
tor complied with the request and
some of the passengers were also placed
in the sleeper One of the mob leaders
who stood on the platform of the train
heavily masked said that the crowd
which had just boarded the train were
all business men Of Mobile and that
their action had ben decided upon only
after careful consideration.
He said that if the negroes were
taken into Mobile by the sheriff and
tried under military protection there
would certainly be bloodshed, ant
their method was the best. When the
train reached Creole, Is miles from Mo
mile, large number of men wearing
masks and one of them carrying bag
which contained straps and ropes, came
On board here and were given their or.
ders. At Pritchards station, the mask
ed mob, with the prisoners closely
guarded got off the train and started
down the road. The cry was given tt
hurry and the mob and prisoners
broke into a run. After running 2;
yards, big oak tree was reached anG
the mob stopped and ropes were pro
duced. Fearing trouble with the
neighborhood's negroes, scouts armed
with rifles guarded the main road. TIL
negroes were then strung up. Nearly
everybody in tn crowd took part Of thu
rope.
While the negroes were being hang
ed strict orders from the leader rans
out Boys do not fire a shot. we ar
carrying out the will of the people"
Birmingham, Ala, october 6.-A
special from Montgomery says tha
Governor Jelks this afternoon mad
public the correspondence passing be
tween himself and the sheriff and citi
zens Of Mobile county in explanation o
why the militia was not sent to Mobil
with the negroes Thompson and Romil
son, lynched near that city today. Tn
governor admits receiving Telegram
from members of the Mobile bar las
night asking that military be Furnished
and makes public the telegram he sen
in reply stating that soldiers would b
put on the train when it reached Mont
- - r.