The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-04-09
No LYNCH|NG
IN BAL OWN Cd,
NEGRO ESCAPED
LATEST REPORT HAS 1T THAT
BLACK SAID TO HAVE BEEN
HUNG LAST SUNDAY NEAR BAY
MINETTE is MAKING HIS WAY
TOWARD PENSACOLA WITH 100
MEN AND BLOODHOUNDS ON
HIS TRAIL
SpeciaI TO The Journal,

SpeClaI 10 me journal.
Mobile, April S.-Instedd of a life
less corpse from some>linb, as was
supposed TO be the case, Walter Clay
ton, the negro convict who criminalIy
assaulted Mrs. Joseph White near
LoXley, Saturday afternoon, Was later
arrested by Sheriff Boothe, soon after
wards taken from the officers of the
law under the very walls of the Bald
win county Jail, by an Infatuated mob,
is still at large and Is now making
his way towards Pensacola, closely
pursued by Sheriff Boothe and a heav-
lily armed party numbering fully 100
men.
Clayton escaped from the mob
which intended to lynch him Saturday
night and has been seen twice since.
The last time was yesterday after
noon shortly before 6 o'clock when he
was seen twenty miles south of Bay
Minette by a Mr.. LoveleSS, to whom
Clayton said he was in a hurry to set
to Pensacola. Mr. Loveless says he
has seen Clayton a number of times
since he has been serving his sen
tence at the lumber camp of the Hand
Lumber company at Dolive, and can
not be mistaken as to the identity of
the negro he met.
All of Baldwin county is aroused and
armed posses are securing the county
in all directions, determined TO find
the negro, and apparently as deter
mined that the lynching shall take
place really when he is caught again.
This morning, shortly after 9 o'clock
another message was received at Sher-
if Boobies to the effect that a Mr..
LOyeless, living about Is miles south
OF Bay Minette, yesterday afternoon
met Clayton about two miles from
GaithwoOd on the eastern shore. Love
less states that Clayton at this time
had gotten rid of his convict attire
| and was dressed IN a new suit OF
| clothes, a new hat and new shoes. He
stopped in the road and talked to Mr..
LoVeless for several minutes. asking
him questions about the country and
especially about the distance to Ger
tain points. He inquired if the read
he was then travelling led to Pensa-
cola and when told that it did, he
wanted to know how far it was to the
Florida line, how far to Pensacola
finally starting off at rapid pace,
Stating that he was in a great hurry
to reach Pensacola.
DOveleSs says there is no mistake
about this being Clayton. He says
that he has seen Clayton quite a num-
her of times since he began serving
his sentence at the lumber camps
of the Hand Lumber company.
Sheriff in Pursuit.
This report of LoveleSS was received
at Sheriff BOCtheSS office in Bay Min.
cite shortly befcse 10 o'clock this
morning. The sheriff was at the time
searching for the negro in the vicin-
ity where he was reported to have
been seen yesterday morning, but was
notified, and he immediately made
hurried preparations to go to Gath
wood. He left within a short time
after having received the MESA &c
from LoveleSs. With him went a heav-
fly-aTmed posse of perhaps 125 men
and several hloodhounds, the latter
secured from the camp of the Hand
Lumber company
The crowd which accompanied the
sheriff declares that it will not return
TO Bay Minette until Clayton is
caught.