The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-12-22
H .LYNCHING
 IN ANNAPOLIS - Negro Rapist Strung
 Up. LITTLE RESISTANCE TO MOB Henry Davis Pays for Assault on
 Mrs. Reid, The Black Confessed His Guilt and Am nOuncea He wOuId Repeat Crime Body Was RiadIsd by
 Bullets.

the door of the Annapolis jail early to- day and 1ynched Henry Davis, the ne- gro who criminally assaulted Mrs. John Reid near Iglehart's Station Friday
 Davis, who was known by the name of Chambers, confessed his guilt before being put to death. Little or no re- sistence was offered to the mob by the officers of the jail.
 The negro was dragged to vacant lot on College Creek, a quarter of a mile distant. where he was strung up to a limb of a tree and half a dozen bullets were fired into him. He is thought to have died instantly. As the body was being let down some one cried out. Another white woman Isl avenged. . His body was left lying under the tree which had served as the gaiIows. It was viewed by hundreds of persons dur Ses the day.
 and returned a verdict of death at the hands of persons unknown to the jury. The prison from which Davis was taken is a hundred years old. It is situated in Calvert Street and Is only about 500 yards from the State House and the executive mansion. The lynch Ing party used senior hall of st. Johns College for it's assembling place.
 This fact is taken to indicate that most of the men connected with the
 
 come from Iglehart's Station. where Mrs. Reid lives As early as Il o'clock the mob began to collect on St. Johns campus.
 Some time after 12 the crowd entered the lower floor of Senior Hall. There it's members commenced to blacken their faces and some of them donned masks. They were quiet in their movements. but some of the students were awak- ened. These later came down and watched the proceedings but did not in- terfere or give any alarm.
 The college authorities strongly de- nied today that any of the students were implicated in the lynching. Most of them are at their homes fvr tho hoi- 5, FstAAs On Ito way to ti4e e lail the mob stopped at the Annapolis gas plant and tried to enter, but failed to gain ad- nifttance. It is presumed that the tH- sention was to cut off the town lights. The jail is situated in Calvert Street In the western section of the city and Ia quite isolated. The mob had no diff aculty in securing the prisoner. Tak- Ing him from his cell they carried him along the road leading to the scene of his crime
 The plans of the lynchers were kept auietJ as no one except those who par ticipated in 1t knew anything about what was to take place. Their moves ments were carefully guarded.
 Jailer Saw Through. Ruse. a was taken from the jail, Deputy Sherim Reuben l. Smallwood said that about o'clock a man appeared outside of the iail and rang. He said that he had a prisoner. Deputy Smallwood saw that he had no prisoner and refused to admit him. whereupon he left. Soon afterward a mob of about sixty men appeared before the jail with whip ping post and endeavored to batter down the door.
 Unsuccessful with that means, they procured a sledge and pick and man aged to break hole in the door, through which one of the men crawled and unlocked the door. Then i've or six men entered the building and pro- ceeded to the warden room, where they encountered Warden George Taylor, Deputies Smailwood and James c. Grouse and Night Watchman Marcellus At the point of pistol, the warden surrendered the keys. In few mo ments more Davis was secured and car ried out bodily. He made no resist ance. His appearance outside the jail was greeted with yells He was Kicked ana beaten by members of the lynch ing party and in a few minutes was taken to Brickyard Hill, on the An napolis, Baltimore and Washington Railroad.
 Here Davis was closely questioned, and again admitted that he had assaulted his victim, and repeated that he would have done it living or dead
 As he made this assertion those who heard him raised cry, and a rope was quickly kpotted and the moose slipped over his head.
 By this time Davis was nearly uncon- scious from fright and the blows which
 
 this condition he was hoisted up to thf limb of a tree. Almost before his fee: had left the ground, a revolver cracked and a bullet cut a gash through his scalp. It was the signal for general firing.
 After a few minutes the body was cut down and pieces of the rope and clothing were taken by many as souve- nirs The mob then dispersed
 The personnel of the mob is not known. but reliable witnesses to the occurrence state that all of those that composed 1t were young in appearance. They all wore masks, had their faces bIackened and each one was armed with a revolver.
 The negro was carried through the negro section of the city, but no one Interfered When people appeared at the windows they were warned to re- main indoors if they did not want harm to come to them. The police permit ted the mob to have it's way, none of inc officers apparently interfering.
 Deputy sherin Smallwood when the noh broke in pleaded with the intrud- ers to let the law take Its course He was told, he said, to "get up those stairs."
 we want that nigger. and we'll get him. or kill every man in the jail"
 At point of pistol the warden fssorre Taylor, surrendered the keys. The lynchers, it was learned today assembled on the campus of St. Johns College, about midnight and made their nreparations for the descent upon the jail in senior hall of the college. This fact is taken to indicate that most or the men connected with the lynching were Annapolis men and did not come