Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1909-01-24
Mobile Mob Went About Their
Work Very Quietly.
he MURDERED A DEPUTY SHERIFF
Man Hanged by Mob hao Been Long
Known az Desperate Character
Two Men Covered Jail Guardian
With Pistols.
(By Associated PreSs.l

MOBILE, ALA, Jan. $50 quiet
ly did they go about their work that
the usual serenity OF the Mobile past
midnight hour was but slightly dis
turbed, when at lis this morning
handful of determined men took
a negro from the county Jail and
lynched him almost in the heart OF
the City's residence district. The
of powerful build and for years re-
garded as d desperate character, who
on Thursday shot and killed Deputy
Sheriff Philip Fatch and wounded an
other officer, was led from his cell
to the place of the lynching so quietly
that the residents along the path OF
the mob's march were undisturbed
The mob had intended, it is thought,
taking Robertson to the scene CT hts
crime, but on account Of his cries,
in spite of an effort to gag him, his
captors hanged him to tree on the
southeast corner OF St. Emmanue! and
Church streets, just one block from
Mobiles most prominent residence
thoroughfares.
Two Men Led.
According to one authority. two
men walked into the Jail and covered
Deputy sheriff ellis and Krous with
revolvers and comma lded them to
throw up their hands, accompanying
the order with a demand that they
open the door leading to the cells.
The deputies. powerless and caught
unawares. obeyed without resistance.
Probably twenty more in the mean
time had gone upstairs. leaving the
two men to guard the deputies. Later
two of these came back down and
demanded the keys Of Roberson's cell
which were given them.
ellis and Krouse were then LEFT
alone and ordered not to leave their
seats or use the phone under penalty
of death. The mob. securing the man,
started with their captive toward the
scene of his crime. The negro was
net heard to utter word when his
captors started away with him. How
ever, before they had gone more than
three blocks he in some way extri-
Gated the gag from his mouth. Like
a flash three revolver s..cts disturbed
the quiet of the night, and in mo-
ment a large three-quarter-inch rope
was tnTOWH dCiOsS d llSc oHo hhS
negro was hanged.
At 2:45 o'clock the coroner arrived
on the scene Selecting jury which
adjourned to the police station after
reviewing the body the following YER
dict was rendered:
Parties Unknown.
AT an inquisition taken and held
the 23rd day Of January upon the
body of Douglas Robertson, we. the
jury, find that he came to his death
by being hanged by parties unknown
to this jury
After hanging about an hour the
lody was cut down by the police
and taken to the guard house, where
il will be turned over to the city
sexton later in the day.
While trying to arrest Robertson
Thursday on a charge Of assault and
battery. Deputy Sheriff Fatch and
Deputy Sheriff William McCarren
were fired upon the negro at close
fange. the first bullet striking Fatch
in the stomach from which he died
Thursday night. McCarren was but
slightly wounded in the left foot. The
negro was captured after the wound
ed officer had chased him for sew
eral blocks, firing as they ran.
The capture was made by two
other officers and when arrested it
was found that the negro had been
wounded three times by bullets from
the revoivers of both F'atch and Nc
Carron