Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1906-12-21

The crowd quietly dispersed and
went to their homes. The opening of
the affair took place when the sup
posed officer and prisoner VISITED the
Jail at Just l.50. 1t was ?. IS, accord
ing TO the statement of one of the
party who hade been asked the time
by companion just rs the affair was
over.
Sheriff Linthicum was reached at
his home by telephone and arrived at
the Jail about fifteen minutes after
the affair was over. With his depu-
ties. members of the Annapolis police
force and some citizens, he went TO
the scene of the execution. The body
was found with great difficulty, as
the precise location was not known
and the night was dark and cloudy.
Finally. at about 4 clock, the body
was located by Mr.. w. Hurst Basil
at the place where it had fallen and
il remained there until after the in
quest was held this morning.
Persons along the line which had
been taken by the crowd were, of
course, aware in a general way of what
had taken place and the news became
generally known as day broke. soon
a stream OF persons, white and black
large and small, began TO flow to-
wards the point where the body lay.
On the whole there were more colored
than white visitors and many colored
women, and children of both races
were in the crowd.
No one expressed any open sorrow
or Indignation at the affair and many
respectable colored persons said that
Davis had received what he deserved.
Davis committed similar crime upon
a colored woman i'm 1900 and served
two wears in the PenitentiaTy for it
and this tended 10 destroy any sympa-
thy from members of his own race.
Sincere regret has been expressed by
many c,lored men and women that the
crime took place and it must be said
in Justice 10 them that there is little
tendency towards such crimes among
those of that race in this section.
A jury of inquest was hastily sum
moned, with Thomas Basil as fore
man, and met on the scene of the
affair at 9 o'clock. They remained in
session well over an hour. States
Attorney Green was present and rigoT
ously examined all the officers at the
iail and others. The officers all swore
that they were unable to give any clue
as to the identity of any of the lynch
ers. Under thesa circumstances the
verdict of the jury was that Davis
or Chambers came TO his death by
hanging and shooting at the hands of
persons unknown to the members of
The jury"
States Attorney Green said this
morning that he would make every
reasonable effort to discover those
who had been connected with the
affair and would prosecute them with
all vigor. 'It is not the point, he
said, ''that substantial justice was
undoubtedly rendered in this case,
nor will / consult my own feelings in
the matter. Such defiance of law
must be prosecuted. The danger of
lynch law is that one case encourages
its employment in others and it may
be used where the guilt was not so
clear as in the present case. / believe
that the laws are at fault i'm two par
ticulars. First, that provision should
be made for n more speedy trial in
such cases, and second, that the death
penalty should be inflicted within the
discretion of the court, for attempted
rape, as well as for the completed
offense. ! believe that there would
have been no lynching had il been
possible to have tried Davis speedily
and convicted him of capital oflense.
The fact that this was doubtful was
what led to the action of last night,
think.
Chief Judge Jones, of the circuit Court,
said that he did not believe that the
grand Jury would be assembled in
special session for the purpose of tak-
in up the matter of the lynching, but
that it would certainly be laid before
them at the opening of the April term.
Sheriff Linthicum feels that the case
should have been brought TO trial
more speedily. He does not think that
under the circumstances either him
self or his officers could be blamed
for the failure to prevent the lynch
| ing. He has done everything he could
to bring about an early trial of
Davis. However, the States Attorney
was unwilling to go to trial with
the possibility of Mrs. Reid being un-
able TO testify and in tlris view he has
much general support.
Deputies SmaIlwood and Grouse are
both men of tried courage and discre-
ton. They did all they could to dis
suade the mob but state frankly that
they were not willing either to shoot
| white men who they knew TO be actu-
ated by a desire TO protect their own
women, or lose their own lives for the
sake of brute who had confessed to
| the most outrageous crime in the his
| tory of the county. 1t is generally
conceded they had a hard choice and
there is little criticism of their action.
History Of the Crime.
Davis had confessed TO assaultinp