Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1906-12-22
HAPPENED NEAR STATE CAPITAL
Henry Davis Committed an Assault
on White Woman and Pays the
Extreme Penalty for lt-Had Been
Convicted of Similar Crime Once
Before.
(By Associated Press

mob numbering % or 80 men broke
down the door OF the Annapolis iaiI
at i'm early hour today and took out
Henry Davis, the negro who on las;
Friday criminaly assaulted Mrs.
John Reid (whi,e). near Iglehurt's
station and lynched him. Davis, WHO
also was known by the name or
Chambers. had confessed his guilt.
Little or no resistance was offered
the mob by the officers at the Jail
ana none whatever by the prisoner
He was dragged to vacant lot
on College Creek, quarter of
mile distant. where he was .rung
up to limb of tree and half n
dozen bullets fired into him.
As the body was being let down
one OF the lynchers exclaimed:
Another white woman is avenged"
On the way to the place of execution
members of the lynchlng party kick.
cl and cuffed Davis at every step.
His body was left lying under the
tree which had served as the gal.
lows and II was viewed by hun lreus
OF persons during the day.
Later Il coroners jury was EN-.
panclCd and after hearing testi.
mony returned a verdict of death
mt the hands of parties unknown.
IN ,.Drison from which Davis was
taken is hundred years old IT.
Is situated in Calvert street and is
only about 500 yards from the State
house and the executive mansion.
Inc lynching party used Senior
hall of st. John college for its
assembling place. This fact is talk.
Ell to indicate that most of The men
nnt n1 trtt
napnlitians and did not come from
isleharts station, where Mrs. Reid
lives. AS early as eleven O'Clock. H.
appears. the mob began to collect
on st. Johns campus and some time
after twelve the crowd forced the
lower door of Senior hall. There
its members proceeded to blackcn
their faces and some of them Gonned
masks. They were quiet in their
movements but some of the students
were awakened
Students Didn't Interfere.
These later came down and
watched the proceedings but did no,
interfere or give an alarm. me
college authorities strongly denied
today that any of the students were
Implicated in the lynching. Most
of them are at their homes for 4
holidays. On The way to the jaiI
the mob stopped ut the Annapolis
gas plant and tried to enter. bu,
failed. 1t is presumed that the
intention was to cut off the town
lights, Deputy Sheriff Smallwoon
pleaded with the mob to let the law
take its course. He was told, he
says, to get mp those stairs. We want
that Niger and Well get him or
XIII every man in the jail" AT
inc point CT II pistol the warden,
George Taylor. surrendered the keys.
Sheriff's Explanation.
Sheriff i.inthicum in explanation
OF The apparent lack of prepared,
ness for an attack on the Jail said
he did not expect the talk of lynch
Ing to amount to anything There
had been talk OF mob violence Sun.
day and Monday. and on these two
nights the sheriff said he remained
all night in the jail.
Davis was arrested on Sunday.
the 18th. on suspicion. At FIRST
he protested his innocence of any
connection with the crime but the
next day after being confronted by
his victim who identified him As her
assailant, he confessed
He Was Bad Negro.
Davis had already served term
In the penitcntiary for a crime
similar to the one for which he was
lynched
In 1900 he was convicted for ap
assault upon colorcd woman ana
served two years in the pcniten.
tiary.