Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-12-21
Masked Men Take Henry Davis,
CoIored, From the Jail and
Hang Him.
HE CONFESSED HIS CRIME.
CriminaIIy Assaulted a Woman
Warden and Officers Made no
Attempt to Protect Prisoner.
His Appearance Greeted With Yells---
Kicked and Beaten by Members
or the Mob.

Annapolis, aid Dec. 2l.--Henry Da-
Wis, alias Henry Chambers, colored.
who committed felonious assault on
Mrs. John Reid OF Brownsville. fyee
miles from Annapolis last Friday, ana
who had confessed his crime, was TAX
en- from the Jail here this morning by
a mob Of about 90 masked men and
lynched. He was strung up and his
body rlddled with bullets.
The jail Is situated In Calvert street
In the western part of the city and is
quite isolated. The mob had no DIM
Guilty in securing the prisoner. Taking
him from his cell they carried him
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 1t knew any
thing about what was 10 take place.
Their movements were carefully guard
ed
In statement made after the man
was taken from the tail Deputy
Sheriff Ruben l.. Smallwood said that
ubOuA ~ AiNth IL llltIl OuASiut
the Jail and rang, He said that he had
Il prisoner Deputy Smallwood said
thar he had no prisoner and refused TO
admit him, whereupon he left Soon
afterwards n mob OF about 60 men APP
peared before the Jail with a whipping
post and endeavored to batter down
the door. Unsuccessful with that
means, they procured siedge and pick
ana tried 10 break a hole In the floor.
through which two OF the men crawled
and unlocked the door. Then five or
six men entered the building and pro-
cceded 10 the wardens room, where
they encountered Warden George Tay-
Tor, Deputies Smallwood and James C.
Grouse and Night Waterman Frank
Marcellus. At tIe point of pistol
the warden surrendered the Keys. ina
few moments more Davis was secured
and carried out bodily. He made no
resistance. His appearance outside the
jail was greeted with yells. He was
hicked and beaten by members OF tho
lynching party and in a few minutes
was taken 10 Brlckyard hill on the An
napolis, Baltimore and Washington
railroad.
Here Davis was closely questioned
and again admitted that he had crimin-
ally assaulted his victim and repeated
that he would have done 1t living or
dead.
As he made this assertion those who
heard him raised a cry, a rope was
quickly knotted and the moose slipped
over his head.
BY this time Davis was nearly uncon-
scious from freight ana the blows which
had been rained on him. While In this
condition he was hoisted to limb
OF tree Almost before his feet had
lao. l,.s &. ,.ts lg.A an
a bullet cut a cash through his scalp.
1t was a signal for general firing ana
nj least 100 bullets must have riddled
his body.
After a few minutes the body was
cut down, and after few had ex-
amined Il and few took pieces OF rope
and clothing rs souvenirs the mob dis
persed
The personnel of the mob Is not
known but reliable witnesses 10 the cc-
eurrence state that all those who com
posed II were young men In appearance.
They all wore masks, had their faces
blackened and each one was armed
with revolver.
The negro was carried through the
negro section OF the city, but no one
nterfered. When people appeared at
the windows they were warned to re-
main indoors II they did not want harm
10 come TO them, The police permitted
the mob to have Its way, none OF the
officers apparently interfering.
Mrs. Reid, the Negroes victim. was
confined 10 her home for some days In
a serious condition as result OF her
injuries,
Mrs. Reid is a white woman. When
arrested last Sunday Davis protested
innocence but the next day after being
confronted by his victim, who identified
him, he confessed. He had already
served two years IN the penitcntiary for
a similar crime.