Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1906-01-27
MOB ATTACKS JAIL
AT CHATTANOOGA
Laaderless Mob Foiled In At
tempt to Lynch.
GUARDS PROTECTED PRISONERS

TWO Men Were Wounded in the Fu.
rious Attack Made by the People In
tent on Wreaking Vengeance on AS
saiIant of Girl. q
Chattanooga, Tenn, Jan. 26.-After
vain effort of a leaderless mob, rang
ing at times from 500 to several thou
sand persons, to get possession Of the
negro who brutally assaulted Miss Ne
vada Taylor, ON Tuesday night, at the
entrance to Forest Hills cemetery, in
St. Elmo, a suburb of this city, it
finally became convinced through two
committees of the truth of the coun-
ty authorities statement that the ne
gro had been taken to Knoxville, and
at 1890 o'clock had practically dis
persed
Troop B, of the state guard, now sur
rounds the Jail to prevent further as
saults. Before this, however, the mob
entered the jail, and being driven out
by policemen, battered in the doors
and shattered the windows, discharg-
ling firearms into the air, every few
seconds.
Wood Parker was shot in the eye,
and Will Gentry in the leg, as the re-
suit of this promiscuous firing Both
we're bystanders. Neither was seri-
ously injured
At no time did the mob have a lead
er or organization, and no one ap-
peared to take charge.
1t is difficult to estimate the mum
Der Of persons actually in the mob.
Story of the Attack.
At midnight Thursday a mob Of be-
tween one and two thousand men sur
rounded the county jail. demanding
the negro who crinlinally assaulted
Miss Nevada Taylor, highly respect
able young lady, of st. Elmo, a sub
urb of this city, on Tuesday night
The county authorities admit having
arrested the guilty negro, but they
claimed that he was taken to Knox
vile by way of Hartman. However,
the mob refused to believe the state
ment, and were persistent in it's de-
mand, though the situation quieted
down in the next hour or So
The crowd began to form as early
as o'clock, and shortly after s, head
ed by an immense man, carrying a
double barreled shotgun, marched into
the jail and demanded the negro. The
mob was told the negro was not there
and the authorities offered to allow
committee OF ten to inspect the pris-
oners to bear out this statement. The
mob seemed to have no leader, and
this committee was named
With the aid of the police reserves
the crowd was then driven from the
Jail offices. Promptly it began bat
tering down the doors, and succeeded
in effecting an entrance. The ringing
of the riot bell served to add to the
crowd, but nothing further was done
by the men, a large number of whom
were heavily armed, except to remain
about the Jail.
All Of the windows of the Jail were
smashed in by rocks, but deputies
armed guarded the doorway leading
to the cells and would not allow the
mob to pass, and they were assisted
by the police reserves.
The members of the mob came from
all ports of the county, but beyond
firing Of pistols and breaking In the
doors leading to the Offices of the Jail,
nothing was done
Negroes in Jail.
There is one negro in the jail who
is charged with attempting rape, an
other with the murder of white man,
and several others for whose safety
fears were entertained should the mob
have succeeded in effecting an en-
trance to the jail proper
During the earlier part of the even
ing the firing of guns drew several
thousand people to the scene, a large
portion of whom cheered the active
members of the mob on to redoubled
efforts
Within the past few weeks Chatta-
nooga and suburbs has been the scene
Of several attempted criminal assaults
and murders by negroes, and feeling
everywhere is at a high pitch. The
successful fiendish attack took place
on Tuesday night.
Miss Taylor is an employe at the
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