The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-02-12
BUNK RICHARDSON Is
 TAKEN FROM JAIL AND
 HANGED BY GADSDEN MOB

The day before the execution the Gov ernor respited Johnson until FeDrnarv 9th. at the instance of some Gadsden citizens. who doubted his guilt. Last "Wednesday Johnson was carried tg, Blrmin gham. The next day 1t was a. 4 | nounced that tho negro's death tence had been conamuted to fife fsk- l prisonment.
 1 This announcement was q shock to l many people of Etowah County for I they believed that Johnson was noi {. | guilty as charged. but that lie lnstf- | gated the entire plot to assault, and 1 murder the unfortunate Mrs. Smith. | When the negroes were first arr
 rested and a chain of guilt was fast | ened on them. mob attempted ' ! storm the jail. A wholesale lynching was prevented by the prompt action ! of county officials, among them the sheriff. the judge and the solicitor of the City Court
 sure punishment to the guilty ones, aud this. with the aid of the military, quieted the passion and indignation of | the community for q while. The ne- groes in the meantime, were removed ! to Birmingham. When 1t was known | that Johnson was held guilty by cor oner.s Jury. grand jury. trial jury and f by every officer of the court engaged in the trial and that the pardoning board. after examining the evidence, refused to recommend mercy. some peo- 1 pie of the county left satisfied that the
 Governor would not listen to impor- tunities of those who differed with lo- gally constituted authorities as to the negros guilt. That they felt outraged over disappointment in that belief, the
 Sunday morning lynching sufficientiy aftests. The worst part ef the affair Is that l Richardson was not even under indtct- ment. He was held as a principal, but was used as q witness in the trials of i the others On the stand. in trying to \ save Vance Garner. he swore that he was at the scene of the crime. that he heard the white woman scream for | help that Vance responded and shortly afterwards told him what had taken place; that he shielded the other I brutes
 He was believed to be guilty and would have been held to the grand jury which meets early in March, but what evidence the solicitor might have l against him is not known.
 That the people of this county do not approve of mob law Is certain and the 1 City Court grand jury. which will con-
 vene March 5. next, will most certainly I make every effort to indict the lynch CTS. This will be dtflcult, however. as ! the sheriff and his jailer cannot iden- i tify the guilty ones who are not be-
 lieved to be residents of Gadsden. Indisnnsion at woman's Home.
 Mrs. Smith, the murdered woman, lived in g mining neighborhood out- side the city. and the greatest indigna- tion over the crime would most na- l turaIly exist in that community. There has not been time for public | realization Of the enornity of Che crime involved In the lynching. The great majority indignantly condemn It., but 1t is true that there are those who openly assert that 1t was the result of the unwarranted interference with I the courts of the county and the pre-
 vention of the laws carrying out a just verdict. And for these alleged
 reasons these latter attempt justifi- cation.
 The crime charged to Richardson, i, Garner, Hunter and Johnson was the
 most brutal and atrocious in the an-
 nals of this section of Alabama. They
 wayIaid Mrs. Sarah Jane Smith, white woman, on the night of June Is, 1905,
 and after repeatedly criminally assault ing her, broke her neck and dragged the body down the mountain side to a
 ravine to hide it. The story of the murder, the trials, the execution of the two negroes, the showing of mercy to another and finally the illegal hanging 1 of Richardson have furnished exciting chapters in the history of crime that Is without parallel.
 As soon as possible voroner Guy 1 Woodlin summoned a coroner's jury to | investigate the death of Richardson The initial machinery of law was quick ly set in motion. The following com
 posed the jury: W. c. BeIienger. P. E. Sitz, Robert Campbell. M. L. Campbell. Hne rtr. yNfk T-s,- fNt- 1 10. Meeks. Sherif Chandler's evidence was as follows:
 About l o'clock Sunday morning
 was awakened by some one knocking on the jail doors and calling me- 1 jumped out of bed and opened the door. whereupon several pistols were thrust l in my face and Bunk Richardson was
 called for. Wanted Bunk Richardson. T told the men did not have the key, that 1t was-ln the hands of the Jailer inside. Three men took hold of
 me and when begged them to go away and let the law take It's course they told me that was an old chestnut that they wanted Bunk Richardson and int .nded to get him. They forced me out into the hall and backed me up against the wall under the stairway at the same time shooting several times l promiscuously.
 While the men held me others knock
 on the inner door to jail for admit tance. The door was opened and Dixon
 was grabbed and forced to get the cell
 keys and turn Burk Richardson over l They shot several times in the jail pro- per. There were about twenty five in
 the crowd. all msked, and very orderly
 recognize any one When they got Bunk recognize any one, when they got Burk
 the crowd left in trot up Chestnut street.
 T was not expecting any thing like l this. felt that my fife was in danger,
 I had no opportunity to defend my
 prisoner as I was in the mems hands
 before I realized what was up" w. M. Dixon. night guard was next 1 sworn," ] heard knocking on the in-
 ner door and when I unlocked the door and pushed 1t open. about dozen men
 rushed in and demanded that I give them Bunk Richardson. I replied that did not have the cell keys, they told
 me that knew where they were and to | get them.
 Two men with pistols got hold of
 me and marched me in to chandler's room and under threat of Instant death forced me to get the keys. Then they marched me back to the cell to un- | lock 1t. It was somewhat slow ana
 was told to hurry up, that was not trying to unlock the cell; at the same
 time shooting several times, I unlock- ed the door, opened it and several men
 rushed in the cell where Bunk.
 Richardson. Frank Allen and VIII
 Jackson all negroes, were confined I
 called for Bunk at the mob's demand.
 Eitnk tried 10 hide buf dnalixy cav,a