Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1906-10-04
TWO MEN SHOT
AS MOB RAIDS JAIL
Negro Boy Was Sought For
Criminal Assault.
MOB INVITED TO SEARCH JAIL

While Seach Was In Progress Firing
5egan-Roy Hoyle Was Fatally
Shot and Alderman Lyons Slightly
Wounded.
Mobile, Ala, Oct. 4-Roy Hoyle,
a special officer Of the Mobile and
Ohio railroad, and one of the most
widely known and best liked men in
this vicinity, was fatally shot, and
Alderman Sidney Lyons, chairman of
the city council of Mobile, was slight
ly wounded in the hand Tuesday night
during a fight at the county Jail be-
tween deputy sheriffs and crowd of
men, determined to capture Dick Rob
inson, young negro. The mob is
still hunting the negro, and will lynch
him if possible.
The negro, who is only II years of
age, and was said to be wearing his
first pair of long trousers, Tuesday at
tackled Ruth, the 12-year-old daughter
OF BIount Sossaman, who lives about
three miles from here. The girl was
passing a secluded spot not far from
her home when she was attacked
Later she was found lying uncon-
scious by the roadside, and was
taken to her home. Detectives were
placed on the track of the negro, and
within three hours he was captured.
When found he had substituted his
short pants for the trousers he had
had on earlier in the day He was
taken before the Sossaman girl, who
at once identified him. Deputy Sher-
if Fatch, knowing that the life of the
negro would be taken by a mob If
he brought him into the city, caused
him to be conveyed to a station sew
eral miles UP the Mobile and Ohio
railroad. He was not taken to the
jail at all and was at least 8 miles
from the city when the mob deter
mined to have him approached the
building.
There have been several assaults
upon white women within the last few
weeks, and the news of this latest
outrage caused intense wrath and ex-
element.
AS early as o'clock in the evening
crowds of men commenced to gather
in the downtown streets and by $50
500 men had formed at the intersec.
ton of Royal and Dauphin streets.
The crowd was harrangued by sew
eral speakers, who urged them to take
the life of the negro If he could be
found, and in a short time the entire
crowd was ON the march for the Jail
Sheriff Powers met the leaders of
the mob and informed them that the
man they were seeking was not in the
jail and had never been brought
there. He offered to let anybody
whom he personally knew pass
through the corridors and some of
them returned and assured the mem
bers of the mob that the man was
not there.
While several men, including Hoyle
and Lyons, were SILL in the Jail a
portion of the crowd, led by tall,
raw-boned man, whose name is not
known, seized telephone pole, which
had been blown down in the recent
storm, and dashed 1t against the
closed part of a double door, one-haf
OF which was open. The door fell
with a crash and almost instantly
shot came from a revolver in the
hands of a man standing in the gate.
At once the members of the mob
commenced fusilade and about a
dozen revolver shots were fired. and
then came several shots from a rife
held in the hands of a man who lev
eled it above his head and worked it
vigorously while holding it in that
position. Not more than a dozen
men took part in the firing, and as
the shots rang out there was STAN
pede on the part of the crowd for
shelter.
The mob was widely scattered, and
in a few seconds Alderman Lyons.
who had been on the inside of the
Jail, came out, and holding up his
hand, from which the blood was
streaming, announced that he had
been shot, and that Roy Hoyles had
received a bullet in the left lung.
There were loud calls for a physi-
clan, and one who was in the crowd
hastened to the jail, and coming out
inside of few minutes, informed the
crowd that Hoyle could live but a
very short time.
Hoyle has been exceptionally pop
ular, and the fact that he had been
shot while looking through the Jail in
order to ascertain if the negro was
there took all the fight out of the
mob, and for the most part it dis
persed quietly.
The big man who had led the gang
with the telephone pole, however, was
anxious for further vengeance on the
negroes, and passionately urged the
crowd to follow him to the negro sec
ton of the city. He stalked away
followed by a few men, who deserted
him before he had gone three SQUARES
Negro In Birmingham Jail.
Birmingham, Ala, Oct. 3.-Two
deputy sheriffs from Mobile reached
Birmingham early Wednesday, having
in charge Cornelius Robinson, the
young negro who is alleged to have
assaulted a 12-yearold white girl near
that city Tuesday afternoon and be-
cause of which crime a mob attempt
I'd to storm the Mobile Jail Tuesday
night, two men being shot. Robin
son was placed in the Jefferson coun-
ty jail for safe keeping. He denies
, his guilt, but was identified by his
victim. The officers say that after