Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1906-02-01

philadelphia, Pa, Feb. l.-Rufus John
,.r the negro who confessed that he
'-n,dered Miss Florence W. Allison at
Woorestown on January 18th, was taken
.'e.terday bv a series of rapid move
g,rts from Baltimore TO the Burlington
..nntv iail. at Mount Holly, \. J.
II was with a feeling of relief that
n,,sctiye Ellis Parker and Under Sheriff
f1ostwood. who have been responsible for
f ~ care of the prisoner over l2j miles
n road and rail, saw the doors Of the
III in murderers' row close on johnson.
sheriff Fleetwood heard early last even
inc that a mob was forming in MoOres-
.o,rn 10 march upon the jail. He swore
!, ten deputies. armed them and made
,sadv to meet the mob. Sentries paced
he rear walls Of the Jail, and about Z
O'clock saw the crowd coming.
Perhaps 100 men gathered outside the
hil Later two more bodies of men and
Sovs came from Moorestown. They talk
Al loudly of lynching, but after two OF
three bolder men who approached the Jail
door had been ordered away the crowd
left.
Johnson's journey north began a few
minutes after the extradition papers,
which Gov. Wardeld of Maryland had
signed. had been received at the South
,rn Prison in Baltimore. As he took his
,sat in the smoker of the l045 express
an the Pennsylvania railroad bound for
this city he hesitated a moment and fall
tered. addressing his guards: "Boys, /
bold you 10 your promise to protect me,
whatever happens. You'll stand by me
10 the end. I'm willing TO die, but
want to die, if possible, in the way the
law directs"
Few persons had recognized the pris-
oner, and his guards hoped that all would
20 we'll The news of his departure from
Baltimore, however, had been flashed to
this city two hours ahead Of the arrival
Of the train bearing the prisoner-time
enough to allow crowd to collect at
Broad street station.
Six policeman from the Central Station
we're on hand, and they made way
through which the prisoner and those
who had him in charge passed. johnson
tembled and appeared to be greatly
frightened. There were cries of "mur-
derer!" and "cowardi" and lynch himl9
and at that the policemen caught the
prisoner and almost carried him down the
steps Of the station and into Broad
street
Around the corner, in Filbert street,
en- automobile, obtained by Ralph Sny-
der Of Moorestown was waiting. With
The detectives dragging him on either
side, uniformed policemen bringing up
The rear and mass Of people pressing
closer and closer, johnson, his face gray
with terror, was thrown into the auto
mobile. Then the police looked for the
Chauffeur, but the latter was nowhere 10
be seen. He had gone TO the Market
street side of the station.
The detectives were helpless The cries
Of Lynch himl" were growing iercer
and more frequent.
there was sudden movement of the
eowdi the hands Of the police were on
their revolvers, when, in the supreme
moment, the chauffeur, perspiring and
beathless, forced his way through the
throng leaped 10 his seat and set the car
In motion on its way to the ferry. Parker
and fleetwood forced johnson to the
bottom Of the car, threw a blanket over
nm, and told him 10 stay there if he
valued his life. Once across the river and
IN Iamden the way was easy. Some per-
sons on the boat recognized the crouch
ing hgure-the negro threw off his
blanket after a time-and tried 10 follow
the car but they were stopped by the
closing Of the dock gates.
Then the automobile, now clear of Fed.
eial street, flew along the Camden and
Moorestown turnpike at the rate of &c
niles an hour. There was Just a minute
q worry as the party approached Moores.
'o"n. To the left of the road, standing
ssnarp and clear in the light, was the
ehrawbridge farmhouse, and at its side
tne barn in which johnson killed Miss
Allinson.
Some instinct led the murderer at thi:
moment TO peer out from beneath the
,9.ianket, with which he had again covered
llnself He gave one startled, shudder.
l2 cry as his eyes fell on the house.
FOR the Lords sake, send the cai
along" he moaned.
Like flash the auto went through IN,
nam street, and Moorestown was left
behind.
At Mt Holly the whole town, it seem
mad turned out, and was in waiting
.gng the main street and outside thl
jail. With Quick wit Fleetwood orderef