Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-10-04
OFFICER KILLED
BY MOBILE MOP
EFFORT MADE TO REAcl A...lsoN-
Err SUPPOSED TO BE IN
THE JAIL
Colored Man Is Not There, But Shot Is
Fired-Another officer Is Injured
Mob Seeks Prisoner For the Purpose
Of Lynching.

Brlm1ngham, Ala., Oct. 3.-DepuIy
sheriffs from Mobile reached Blrming-
ham today, having in charge Cornelius
Robinson, negro, who is alleged to
have assaulted IL year old white
girl near that city, because Of which
crime mob attempted to storm the
Mobile Jail last night. Robinson was
placed in the county jail. He denies
his guilt.
Mobile, Ala, Oct. 3.-Seeking to
lynch a negro arrested for attacking a
white girl, mob attacked the jail last
night and in the fighting that ensued
one man was killed and several woun :.
ed.
Roy Hoyle, special officer for the
Mobile and Ohio railroad, who assisted
in the defense of the jail, was killed.
Among the Jail defenders wounded
was Aid. A. S. Lyons.
News Of the negro's crime lnfamed
a section Of the citizens, whose nerves
already were on edge as result Of the
second storm experiences, which start
ed out to capture the negro. A fierce
hand to hand fight occurred at the door
of the JAIL Hoyle and Lyons were shot
in the first volley.
Victim Mob Seeks is Boy.
The negro, Dick Robinson, who Is
only II, and still wearing short trous-
ers, yesterday attacked Ruth, the IL
year old daughter Of Blount Sossaman,
who lives about three miles from here.
The girl was passing a secluded spot
not far from her home when she was
attacked. Later, she was found lying
n h1y tho ROO dof5o on6 mo {,
taken to her home.
Detectives were placed on the track
Of the negro and within three hours he
was captured. He was taken before
the Sossaman girl, who at once jdenti-
fed him. Deputy Sheriff Fatch, know
ing that the life Of the negro would be
taken by a mob if he brought him into
this city, caused him to be conveyed to
La station several miles up the Mobile
and Ohio railroad
Speakers Urge Crowd to Lynch.
There have been several assaults
upon white women within the last few
weeks and the news Of this latest out
rage caused intense wrath and ex-
citement. AS early as o'clock in the
evening crowds of men commenced to
gather in the downtown streets, and by
$3.50 500 men had formed at the inter
section Of Royal and Dauphin streets.
The crowd was harangued by several
speakers, who urged them to take the
life of the negro If he could be found,
and in short time the entire crowd
was on the march for the Jail
Sheriff Powers met the leader Of the
mob and informed them that the man
they were seeking was not in the jail
and had never been brought there. He
offered to let anybody whom he person
ally knew pass through the jail to sat
isfy the crowd of the truth Of his state
ment,
About forty men walked through the
corridors some Of them returning and
assuring the members Of the mob that
the man was not there.
Force Door With Telephone Pole.
While several men, including Hoyle
and Lyons, were still in the Jail por-
tion Of the crowd led by tall, raw
boned man, whose name is not known,
seized telephone pole which had been
blown down in the recent storm and
dashed it against the closed part of a
double door, one-half Of which was
open. The door fell with crash, and
almost instantly a shot came from a
revolver in the hands of man stand.
ing in the gate. Others followed, and
Hoyle and Lyons fell.