The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1909-11-13
FIE.ND LYNCHED
By a Fierce Mob al Cairo, Illinois for the
Horrible Crime Of
ASSAULT AND MURDER

ASSAUA1 .AlVU MAUNVLM
a lFiendish, British Negro. After
Confessing TO the Grimes Of As
saulting and Numbering Miss
zPelEey. Whose Body Was Found
In an Alley, Iynched and Burned.
Will James. the negro suspected
Of being the murderer Of Miss an
ME Pelley. was iynched at Cairo
Illinois. Thursday night by a mob:
He was strung up to the public arch'
the rope broke and at least 500
shots were poured into his body.
James made a confession, in1plicat-
ing another negro, Arthur Alexan
der. The lynching took place in the
most prominent part. of the CT ~ and
was witnessed by ten thousand peo-
pie. -,
Women present were the first TO
pull the rope. When it broke, the
frenzy OF the mob was uncontrollable,
and they fired volley after volley
into James. body, shooting him to
pieces. The mob then dragged the
body over the streets for more than
a mile to Twenty-siXth and Elm
streets. in an alley, and burned 1t
where the murder was committed.
James was found with Sheriff Da-
Wis between Karnak, H., and Belk-
nap, by the Cairo crowd, who went
up Thursday afternoon. The crowd
overpowered the officers and took
the negro from them, and after a
conference It was decided to bring
their prisoner back to Cairo and
lynch him.
Sheriff Davis had been fleeing
from the mob for twenty-four hours
with the prisoner. Driven from town
to town by menacing crowds the
sheriff had taken to the woods With
James, but the persistent search OF
the summary avengers proved enec-
tive at last.
Fully thousand persons went out
to find the negro, and when the pur-
suers arrived in Cairo with their
quarry, they were met by bowling
mob of 5000 others bent on Staying
the negro.
They marched the negro direct to
the public arch, sweeping the streets
like a flock of sheep might tread
{. narrow lane. Many women were
in the crowd and anxious to help do
the work.
Sheriff Davis having been foiled
in his attempt to hide the negro
pleaded for the life of the prisoner,
but without avail. When Cairo was
reached, Sheriff Davis was taken IN
charge by a party of the mob, which
rushed the negro rapidly to his
funeral pyre.
The mob that chased the sheriff
and the negro was so large that 1t
secured the entire country from
Karnak to Vienna, ILL.,, distance
of about sixteen miles.
When found by the mob the ne
gro was handcuffed between two Of
fcers, and all three were lying on
the bank of creek. All three were
so weak from hunger, exposure and
the futile attempt to elude the mob
that they were not able to make
much resistance.
While in custody Of the mob COM
ing to Cairo the negro would not
talk about the crime, but when ne
stood under the arch he weakened,
and confessed that he slew Miss
Pelley. He said that Arthur Alex
ander was implicated in the crime.
The attempt at hanging followed
quickly. The growing of the mob
the grinding of the rope and the
struggles Of the negro were stopped
a moment only by the swapping ol
the rope. The 10000 persons Who
had locked on and danced in s'He
shot forth armed men almost :nas.c'
ally. and they filled the nesr" wi;h
bullets.
Then, not satisfied with vengeance
the mob dragged the body to the
place where Miss Pelley's body
bound, gagged and bruised, had been
found. A roaring fire was built and
the body was incinerated.
James, who came from the South
said Miss Pelley had been assault
ed and murdered after a terrln'
fight. 1t is reported that Alexander
the negro implicated by James IL
the murder of Miss Pelley, has been
found by the mob. and that theS
are bringing him into town TO lynch
him.
Governor Deneen appealed to at
O'Clock by Sheriff Davis. who declar'
ed the mob was storming the Jai
and volunteers would not assist hin
ordered ten troops of militia to pro-
ceed at once to Cairo to restore
order.