The Washington herald., 1906-12-23
.LYNCHERS THANKED
Daughter of Negroes Victim
Grateful for MOb's Act.
MOTHERS RECOVERY IN DOUBT
Hrs. Reid, II Able, would Like to
shake Hands With the Men Who
Strung Up Harry DaVis-Studenfs
said to Have Been Merely specta-
tors at the Execution.
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Special 70 The Washington Herald
Annapolis, Rec Miss Lillian NJ
Reid, daughter Of Mrs. Reid. Of Iglehart
Station. has issued a statement. thank
ing the mob that lynched Harry Davis,
the negro who attacked her mother
In her statement Miss Reid says the re-
c0very of her mother IS doubtful. Al
though none Of the members of the mob
are known she extends 10 all, in be
half of her mother. grateful thanks for
putting the assailant TO death. and adds
that her mother. but for her weakened
condition. would like TO shake hands with
all of the execuioners. The statement
speaks Of the attack as bold and
dreadful thing. committed in broad day
light.
Late tonight the authorities had gained
no information tending 10 establish the
Identity Of any OF the lyuchers. and. in
fact. il is now believed that the matter
viii rest where IL is While it is urged
that the law should have been allowed
to take its course the lynching is not
seriously condemned.
A souvenir postcard photographer
focused his camera on the bullet-riddisd
body Of the negro as il lay in the sun
on the emhankment Of College Greek,
where the lynchers had left il. and to
day hundreds OF grewsome cards are GO
ing through the mails.
Part That students Played.
Annapolis to-day was again the same
quiet old town. and the lynch!ng OF the
negro Davis early yesterday morning,
while still discussed. creates no excite
ment. The work of the authorities on
the case is. of course. unknown. They are
probably working on il. but nothing will
be done before the-regular april term OF
the grand jury.
There is much speculation as TO what
part the students Of ST. Johns College
took in the lynching bee. one story is
that some of the older students had
promised their cooperation, and il was
for that reason that the mob assembled
on tire college grounds and used Senior
Hall as the headquarters. From the
statement of President Fell there We're
only about twenty boys in Senior Hail
on Thursday night, the others having
gone home on their Christmas vacation.
Ii is reasonably certain that the most of
these twenty were down in the hallway
with the lynching party, while the details
of the job were being discussed and the
faces Of the participants Diackeaed with
burnt cork. The rope with which tne
hanging was done. however. came from
the college. Two or three of the slender
ropes on which the tennis nets on the col
lege courts We're strung were twisted
together and made a line stout enough
u swing up the negro.
College Hats at LynchIng.
All Annapolis believes that the young
students were in the majority at the
hanging bee
The statement that these youths were
engaged in the lynching may be substan-
tiated by the testimony of Witnesses. The
names of some who were actual mem
bers of the crowd. though possibly not
active participants. are in the hands Of
the civil authorities. Already certain
youths are being pointed out as having
done certain parts of the nights work,
and the States attorney Will have little
trouble in developing the whole matter
il the charge made is true.
That there were college boys in the
crowd is not at all remarkable. inasmuch
one of the college rooms.
Naturally the boys concluded there was
something doing" and like boys. they
proceeded 20 follow the procession. This
explains the presence OF the college hats
No trace can be found of any mob trav-
ersins the county roads.
No College InVeEtigafion IN Prospect
win you make an investigation TO
find out what part the college boys took
in this thing?" President Fell was asked
yesterday.
why should we?7 he said. we have
no evidence to implieate them in any
way"
IF any evidence should be forthcoming.
would you take aetion?"
Certainly, if we had evidence that
students took part in the lynching But
there is no such evidence"
Some Annapolitans ,zirI- that President
Fell had some suspicion or some intima-
ton to the effect that the college boys
would take part in the lyRchiag for two
or three days before it occurred he called
them together and told them that there
was talk around town of lynching the
negro. and that under no circumstances
must they participate in such talk or
have anything 10 do with the matter.