The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1908-05-15
NEGRO LYNGHED
IN GILES COUNTY
DOORS OF PULASKI JAIL BAT
TERED DOWN AND ELMO HOW
ARD is SECURED.
HUNG FROM BRIDGE OVER CREEK
Was Charged With One Crime For
Which There is No
clemeney.

II PULASKI, Tenn. May S.-The ne
gro, Elmo Howard, charged with as
sault upon Miss Claudia Allen daugh-
ter of L. P Allen was taken from
4 Jail this afternoon about 2:30 o'clock
and hanged from the bridge across
Richland Creek in the south end OF
town.
Quite a crowd had assembled in
town today, and talk of lynching was
freely INDUCED in, but it was believed
and conservative men urged, since the
grand Jury was in session and would
doubtless return a bill today and ev-
cry assurance had been given that
the accused should have a speedy trial,
that no such action would be taken.
In fact, the grand jury did return
bill this afternoon, and counsel had
been appointed and the case set for
Monday morning at o'clock.
Judge Holding had hardly entered
the minutes of the setting upon his
dockets when shouts were heard
around the southeast corner Of the
SQUARE. and almost Immediately the
mob appeared upon the Square with
the negro. Marching around the south
side they turned south upon Second
Main street. and marched to the
!. bridge
At the bridge he was given an oppor-
tunity to pray, and on his knees he Is
reported to have said: Lord, forgive
me for this, but when Immediately
asked if he was guilty, he again de-
MED it, as he had done from the be-
ginning.
His neck was not broken by the fall,
and death resulted shortly from stran-
gulation. The crowd then quietly dis
persed.
When asked if he desired to make
any statement Sheriff John W. Holt
said he did not desire to call any
names at present, but said that he
earnestly protested against the as
sault upon the Jail, and refused to de-
liver the keys. Members of the mob
told him they would hammer down the
doors which they did Jailer Roy
Pittard had hidden the duplicate keys
and locked himself up on the inside
with the other keys and refused to
deliver them. There is a solid iron
. door leading into the lower story OF
! the iail. and after breaking through
: the front door of that part OF the jail
building occupied as residence by
the Sheriff and his family, the leaders
battered the iron door until the lock
gave way. Once inside, it was an
\ easv matter to get to the cage on the
, second floor.
Taller Pittard had locked all the
prisoners in, leaving the negro boy II
a cell to himself on the north side OF
the cage. The entrance to this cage
is by means of large barred dool
protected by a heavy bolt, locked into
place with large paddock and also by
another lock operated by means OF
combination. and this combination If
in a steel box which is also KEEP
locked. The paddock was Instantly
broken and the plunger of the combl
nation lock. working on the outside
:, was driven back by means of the heavy
sledge. When this was done nothine
prevented them from Selling the ne
GRO rope was at once placed
around his neck and he was carried
to the place of execution.
= The bill returned by the grand jur!
: against the negro, was for assaul
and not for the specific offense. HOW
! ever. the young lady had not been abl'
to be brought before the grand jury.
It is said that their knowledge tina
the law did not impose a death penalty
@ for the assault is one reason the lead
' ers refused to await trial. On thu
!. other hand, it is asserted that thu
=. specific offence had been committed
$ The attending physician was before
y. the grand jury. and despite this they
,. only returned a bill for assault.
. The body was cut down about
4 o'clock and was turned over to thu
!. negro's mother who was in town. anC
q is said to have witnessed the execu
ton. The excitement has about sub
o sided. No one was disguised
r It is though there will be vigorous
special charge to the grand jury in
the morning