The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-11-12


the line to the scattered mob to board the
Big Four train and meet the party with
the prisoner at Belknap, which was done.
The negro was taken off at Tenth street
and marched through the principal streets
of the city to the arch at Eighth and
Commercial streets. While In custody of
the mob at Belknap, and coming down on
the train, the negro would not tell about
the crime, but when he stood under the
arch he weakened and said Arthur Alex
ander was implicated In the crime.
The body was burned at the spot where
the crime was committed while crowd of
10000 looked on and danced in glee. The
mob came very near getting off the
train before it reached the city and lynch
ing James, but it was finally decided to
bring the negro into Cairo and give the
people here a chance to help with the
work. The mob was so large here that
the resistance of the officers was fruit
less.
Negroes Confession.
The negro James has been in Cairo off
and on for several days. He came here
from the south. He said before being
lynched that an assault had been COM
mitted on the girl before she was MUIR
dered and that Arthur Alexander helped
him with the crime.
Mayor Parsons has sent to Springfield
dered girl helped with the lynching and
they were backed up by a big crowd of
women.
Miss Policy was an orphan girl % years
old. Her home was formerly at Anna,
Ill For two years she had made her
home with her sister, Mrs John Coffman,
of Cairo. She was employed as sales
girl.
On Monday evening she left the store at
Ua kad will bar oh
Ella Dollan, as far as Miss Dollan's home,
1903 Commercial street. She took Hol-
brook car at Fourteenth and Washington
streets. 1t was raining and to avoid a
muddy stretch of sidewalk she left the
car at Twenty-eighth and Elm streets in
stead of Sycamore street as was her GUS
tom.
The finding Of the handle of her UNI
brella in the front yard of the residence
of Harry Llpe, 424 Twenty-sixth street.
three doors from the Coffman home, in
dicates that this was where she was first
attacked
1t is supposed that when she was con-
fronted she struck the man with her UNI
brella and the handle flew into the yard.
1t is believed that the man thrust gag
into her mouth and carried her back to
Elm street and half block to the alley.
Stranged to Death.
was dragged 70 feet to the spot where she
was strangled to death
Her fearfully bruised and lacerated
throat and face show that she fought des-
perately.
The alley is very narrow, barely wide
enough for a wagon TO pass through,
and is little used. It was after o'clock
the next morning before the body was
found.
Katherine Boreen, years old, daughter
of w. Boreen, crossing the alley to visit
her grandmother came upon the body
Tuesday morning and rank back to call
her father.
Miss Peley's clothing was almost COM
pletey torn from her body. The deep
prints of the fingers that had throttled
her were on her throat.
Beside the body were her hat and her
broken umbrella
Not far away was found her book of
street car tickets. Some post cards she
had been carrying in her hand were torn
in two. Her handbag and a dress pattern
she had purchased were gone.
Negro Saved Once.
That the Frog" as James was known,
did not hang from the Hustlers' arch, at
Eighth and Commercial streets last night
was due to the cleverness Of Chief of
Police Egan and Sheriff Davis in getting
him out of the city. The departure of
northbound Illinois Central train at 7:15
was well-timed to the carrying out of
their plans.
At that hour scarcely a score of men
were about the station. He was hustled
into the patrol wagon and the wagon was
dashing up Twelfth street before the
watchers realized what had happened.
They started on run after it.
Sheriff Davis and Deputy Fuller had ar
rQd IN ba az
Fourteenth street The wagon and the
train reached Fourteenth street at the
same time. The sheriff and his deputy
and the trainmen were on the steps ready
to assist Chief Egan and his men, but the
wagon had distanced the pursuers.
James was hurried on board and the
train pulled out as the first of the pur-
suers arrived.
Before the rear lights of the train were
out of sight dozen men were hurrying
up to the telephones on the second floor
of the freight house neaby, and were
calling Mounds and Anna. One of the
men called a friend at Mounds and urged
him to notify the people at Anna that
the negro was on the train.
When connection with Anna was OBJ
tanned man there was told to organize
a mob to take James from the train.
Sending Word to Country.
Chief Egsn and his men LETT the train
at Cairo Junction The destination of
Sheriff Davis and his prisoner was sup
posed to be Murphreesboro or Carbon
dale, but a telegram Informed him that
a mob was gathering at Anna and he
left the train at Dongola. and drove In the
direction of Mill creek on the Mobile
and Ohio railroad.
A crowd of several hundred was at
the depot at Anna, the former home Of
Miss Policy, when the train reached
there, but no attempt was made to search
the train for the negro. The mob in front
of the Cairo police station refused to
believe that the negro was not there.
Two mon were selected to look through
the station cells.
They were told they could not do SO
until Chief Egan returned. When Chief
| Egan returned demand was made. j.
| o. Policy, brother of the murdered
| girl, made his way to the chief and said:
Chief, I am brother Of the girl.
| want to look through the cells."
| Policy and another man we're permitted
| to go through. While they were search
| ing, the mob outside made rush into
men made a stand at the door of the cell
and stopped the rush there.
A mob of 200 men late this afternoon
seized a freight train on the Big Four
railroad here and started for Frank,
| 81 miles away, near which place Sheriff
| Davis, Deputy Fuller and the negro.
| VIII James, were in hiding in the woods.
The sheriff was seen at Karnak by
Philip Pretorious, q Cairo 1umberman.
Sheriff Is Located.