The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-02-12
Can Find No Clue to Members of
 the Mob.
Believed that Exasperation over the cemmutation of the sentence of VIII Johnson by Governor seiks Is Responsible for
 the Crime.

Gadsden, Feb. f1.--tSpecial.) )--Bunk Richardson. one of the four negroes charged with the murder of Mrs. Sara Jane Smith. a white woman. In this city the night of July 18th, last, was fofcibly taken from the county jail this morning at I:l5 and hanged by q mob of twenty-five masked and heav7 ily-armed men.
 The execution took place on the Lou isvilIe and Nashville Railroad bridge. across the Coosa River, three blocks distance 6 rom the jail One end of q long rope was fastened around the ne- gro's neck and the other to the wooden railing of the middle span, and Rich- ardson was picked up and tossed over the railing into space. The drop was about 20 feet, but the negro died from strangulation.
 A number of shots were fired and the mob then completely disappeared with cut the slightest clue as to who conn posed 1t. The movements of the men were entirely orderly and quiet, except at the jail, and the work there was so quickly accomplished as not to raise an alarm in the neighborhood.
 sherif Chandler and the night jailer were the only officials in the prison and were easily overpowered. Resistance was out of the question. and there was &NHQluLSIY liceman. attracted by shots at the Jail did catch up with the mob near the bridge, but a demonstration of arms by the mob and the assertion by its members that the policemans life would be taken if he. attempted inter- ference, turned him back. This WAS 2, zssrltr1sss1a sam a'I1aanors sysio- went on duty at midnight He did not know what was up and did not know that lynching was on until informed or it
 None of Mob Known.
 when the mob was formed and who eaFnposed 1t is an absolute mystery. The sheriff estimates the number at twenty-five. He was sleeping in the east room on the first floor of the resi- dence of the prison, and says that shortly after o'clock somebody Knocked on his door. He immediately arose from bed and opened the door, Several men grabbed him, thrust pis- toIs in his face and told him that they wanted Bunk Richardson and were go- sng to have him at all costs. At the aaTne time shots were fired in the nall way.
 The Sheriff told the mob that he did uot have the keys; that they were in 4he hands of Jailor w. M. Dixon, who was locked up inside the jail proper. The mob hauled the Sherif out In the Railway and damned him roughly againsf the wall underneath the stair wav near the big iron door that opens into fine iaiI The jailor was sum- noned to open the door and says he did go. thinking that deputies were coming ir with prisoners from their usual Saturday nights raids, or that John Alien Croft, murderer of Bob Meeks, had been captured. and officers were trying to save the negro from violence.
 when he opened the door, he, too was seized and roughly asked to give up the cell keys. In the meantime the moo rushed into the Jail lobby and be- gan again to fire their pistols.
 Dixon told the mob that he did not have the keys. that they were in the room where the sheriff slept. At the Doint of guns he was forced to get the keys and lead the way to Bunk Rich ardson's cell, which was on the first lower tier. When the cell was opened Dixon was ordered to call the negro out. He did so and Bunk crouched dow. in the corner with another ter rifed negro, Frank Allen, under sent enee of death. At the second call, how ever, the negro got up and was quickly dragged out in his night clothes. Not a word came from the negro wretch up to the time he got out of hearing distance. The determined mob rushed him in trot east one block up Chest mt Street to First Street, two blocks to the bridge. From the jail to the bridge there were no noisy demonstra- tions. In fact the whole affair was conducted in an orderly and determined manner The work was quickly ae- complisheed.
 Authorities Taken by Surprise.
 The county and city authorities were completely taken by surprise There was not the least sign of lynching Saturday afternoon 'or night and the cIty was unusually quiet. What hap nened at the bridge Is unknown except as Is shown by the results.
 sunday morning the form of Bunk 7Ichardson was seen dangling from the bridge in the middle of the river. It aresented a ghastly specte' " h. H' tongue and eyes protruding and the fsatures hideously distorted Ger cher Guy Godliff. with some assistance hauled the body upon the bridge ard cut the rope in the presence of several hundred spectators. who had been att tracted to the scene by news of the awful tragedy shorty after eight o'clock the body was sent to local Undertaking parlods and the cor oner set about ito hold an 'n- Cnest It is known that Richardson Jid not speak at jail nor "'
 to the bridge up to the mopent he got out of hearing distance from the jatl IT he mace d COiitS9SlNai VI any statement whatever concerning the crime with which he was charged. only ,aenobers of the mob know and they most likely will keep 1t secret.
 The unlawful hanging of Bunk Rich ardson was directly due to exaspera- lion over the act of the Governor in oonmuting to life sentence the negro TYiU Johnson who was under sentence of death for complicity in the murder of Mrs. Smith, along with Richardson, Vance Garner and Jack Hunter. The latter two were hanged December 2sth.