The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-04-08
BALDWIN MEN
 ARE AROUSED Posses Are Pursuing Walter Clayton. BLACK WHO ESCAPED MOB Bloodhounds and Men Securing the
 County. Nesro Has Been seen and is Making His Way to pensacoia--con-
 vsct Assaulted wo-

Mobile. April 7.--(Special.) )--1nstead of lifeless corpse from some limb. as was supposed to be the case. Wal ter Clayton. the negro convict who criminaIly assaulted Mrs. Joseph White near Loxiey, Saturday afternoon, was later arrested by Sheriff Boothe. soon afterwards taken from the officers of the law under the very walls of the Baldwin county jail, by an infuriated mob is still at large and is now mak- ing his way towards Pensacola. close ly pursued by Sheriff Boothe and heavily 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 afternoon shortly before 6 o'clock when he was seen twenty miles south of Bay Min cite by MT. Loveless, to whom Clay ton said he was in a hurry to get to Pensacola. Mir. Loveless says ho has seen Clayton number of times since he has been serving his sentence at the lumber camp of the Hand Lumber Company at Doiive, and cannot be mis- taken 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 determined that the lynching shall take really place when he is caught again.
 Wears New Clothes.
 The first intimation that Clayton had nof been iynched by the mob of al- most 100 men which took the negro from the Baldwin county officers with in a stones throw of the county jail Saturday night, was received by Sher- iW Boothe yesterday afternoon when M. Nockhart. residing near Bay Min cite, reported to the sherin that he had seen Clayton, still in his conviet's rarb. less than two miles south of that town.
 Thip report was made to the sheriff yesterday afternoon and search was immediately begun in the vicinity in which Clayton was seen.
 This morning, shortly after o'clock another message was received at Sher- iff Boothe's to the effect that Mr. Loveless, living about eighteen miles south of Bay Minette. yesterday aft ernoou met Clayton about two miles from tsaith wood on the eastern shore. I,oveless states that Clayton, at this time, had gotten rid of his convict at tire and was dressed in new suit of clothes, a new hat and new shoes. He stopped in the road and talked to MT. Loveless for several minutes ask ing him questions about the country and especially about the distance to certain points. He inquired if the road 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.
 IoveIess says there is no mistake about this being Clayton. He says that he has seen Clayton quite a number of times since he began serv- ing his sentence at the lumber camps of the Hand Lumber Company.
 Sheriff in Pursuit.
 This report of Loveless was received at Sheriff Booths office .n Bay Minette shortly before 10 o'clock this morning. The sheriff was at the time searching Tor the negro in the vicinity where he was reported to have been seen yester- Hay morning, but was notified. and he Immediately made hurried preparations 10 wo to Gath wood. He left within a short time after having received the message from Loveless. With him went d heavily armed posse of perhaps 12y men and several blood hounds, the latter secured from the camp of the Hand Lumber Company.
 The crowd which accompanied the sheriff declares that 1t will not return to Bay Mtnette until Clayton is caught.
 Reports are coming in th.s morning to the offlce of Sheriff Booths from all parts of Baldwin County, to the effect that armed parties are out search ing for Clayton. and in many places, open threats are made that the negro will not escape again if captured. but will be hanged to the nearest tree.
 report from Bay Minette this morn- ang confirmed the rumor that Governor Conner has offered a reward of $10O for the negro's capture. and the citizens of Bay Minette have increased this amount by private subscription to $150.
 How Negro Escaped.
 The failure of the Baldwin County sheriff's department to learn of Clay toms escape is attributed to the fact that none of the men in the posses which took the negro from the officers cared to report the matter as this
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