Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-07-29
TRAGEDY IN CRISFIELD
POLICEMAN SHOT; ASSAILANT
KICKED TO DEATH BY MOB.

CRISFIELD, Nd, July 29.-Night Police
man John II. Dougherty of this town was
shot and instantly killed Saturday night by
James Reed. half negro and half Indian,
while conveying a negro prisoner to the
lookup. Reed escaped, but was captured In
Tangier sound yesterday. He was brought
here and as soon he was put ashore he
was attacked by an Infatuated mob, which
kicked him to death. His body was sus-
pended from telephone pole, where 1t
remained for some time in full gaze OF all
passersby The coroners jury met yester-
day after the body had been cut down. The
verdict implicated no one,
Policeman Dougherty met his death about
0 o'clock after he had taken into custody
Hilleary Jones. colored against whom sew
eral writs had been issued Jones was
friend and partner Of Reed, and when the
latter saw him in the officers charge he
borrowed pistol Of Lemuel Shovel, also
a negro, and creeping up behind the 0ncer
shot him in the back OF the head. Deatn
was instantaneous.
AS soon as Dougherty fell his prisoner
escaped and has not since been heard OF:
If captured and brought here. 1t is feared
he will share the fate of Reed.
When the shots were heard crowd
collected and a physician was summoned,
but Dougherty was dead.
Escaped on a Bicycle.
When he saw his victim fall, Reed leaped
upon a bicycle and started northward at
terrific pace. All the nearby villages were
informed of the tragedy and were requested
to keep sharp lookout for the fleeing muir
derer. At Marion he was seen by Deputy
Sheriff Harding Tull, who shot at him. but
the bullet went astray. The negro then
abandoned his bicycle and took across the
fields. On Conebourne creek he found a
skiff hoisted sail and headed for Tangier
sound, intending to make his escape to Vir-
ginia.
After reaching the sound the wind died
out and Reed found himself yesterday
morning becalmed, some distance from the
shore. His movements were followed, ana
every gasoline launch In Crlsheld was
pressed into service tn search Tor MN.
Capt Shelton and party Of armed men in
the launch Earcif sighted Reed IN the
skiff in the sound in a dead calm. when
they approached Reed jumped overheard TO
swim ashore. He was overtaken and
line thrown to him. He grasped it and was
hauled aboard.
When accused of killing the policem
Reed denied it, but latter acknowledged the
crime. He said he was not drunk when ne
fired the fatal shot He also said he had
not intended to kill the officer when he
shot. He said he fired only to brighten him.
He was tied and handcured.
Capt. Shelton wrote out Reed state
ment of the shooting, which he acknowl-
edged.
Life Pounded Out Of Him..
A crowd awaited the arrival of the
launch, which made fast at the Tangier
Packing Company's wharf. AS soon as
the negro was taken inshore some one in
the crowd shouted:
II am from Virginia, and down there we
would kill him
The man then struck the negro, knock
ing him senseless That was the signal for
others to attack him. He was kicked in the
face and stomach. The life was literally
pounded out of him. His skull was crushed.
The crowd got a rope and dragged the
body to the scene of the shooting of the
policeman and it was suspended from
telephone pole. Hundreds gathered to view
the body. People came in all kinds of We
hicles to see the gruesome sight Not
word in condemnation of the lynchlng was
heard
Justice Tilghman summoned jury OF In
quest The body cut down and viewed
by the jurymen, whose foreman was John
Riggin. None Of the lynchers was 1mpli-
Gated in the verdict.
Reed is the sixth negro to be 1ynched in
Somerset county in recent years. He came
to Crisfield as a waiter on the geodetlc
survey steamer Endeavor. He hailed orig
inally from Oklahoma and was half Indian
and half negro He was twenty-five years
old quite tall, straight with straight hair