The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1909-04-08

The investigation by the board OF
public safety of the lynching last Mon
day morning at o'clock of Dave
Alexander, cOlOred, murderer of Po-
lice Officer r. J. Carter was concIud-
er at 6 O'Clock yesterday evening. the
board deciding that there was no
negligence on the part OF any member
OF the police department in connection
with the lynching ana also from the
evidence before them there was no
failure on the part of the officers in
charge TO do their duty, the decision
having been reached in executive ses-
sion.
Captain of Police Hall testified yes
terday that he had received orders
from Chief Sanders to remain at the
station as much as possible Sunday
night and also to make his rounds of
the different beats in as short a time
as he could.
Notwithstanding these instructions
Captain Hall said he took Turnkey
Simpson from the station with him in
his buggy on one of his rounds and
also carried him to the home of Gus
Eadiner. near st. Johns cemetery, in
oruer that Simpson might view the
remains OF Officer Carter.
During Simpsons absence from the
station Officer Nichols, who was on
duty on Palafox street from Zarra-
gossa TO the bay, was ordered by Cap
tain Hall TO scr as turnkey. This left
Onfcer Nichols's beat vacant
THIS WAS NOT UNUSUAL.
Both Captain Hall and Turnkey
Simpson testified that it was not an
unusual thing for both of them to
make the rounds in a buggy. but il is
cold chief Sanders testified Mt
the executive session yesterday even
ing that it was done without his
knowledge.
A blue jacket of the United States
navy, named McClaiD, and Chas.
Huntington. a British sailor, both OF
whom were prisoners in the city Jail
at the time Alexander was taken out.
testified positively that none OF the
men whom they saw upstairs in the
jail wore masks.
Stanford Davis. negro hackmsn,
who was seated in his hack near the
corner of Palafox and Government
streets, testified that he saw three OF
the Iynchers coming towards his hack
after the shots were fired. He was
positive that the three men were not
masked
RESOLUTION BY BOARD.
ed by the board in executive session
shortly after o'clock:
BE it resolved. That in pursuance
Of the communication of Hon. G. G.
Goodman, mayor, Of date April 5, 1909,
relative to the lynching of Dave Alex
ander On the morning of April 5. that
we have made a thorough investiga-
tiOn. having examined a great num-
Der of witnesses, with a view of ascer-
tanning whether there was any neglI-
gence on the part of any member OF
the police department of the city in
connection with said lynching, and
from the evidence before us we find
that there was no failure on the part
of the officers in charge to do their
duty.
further. That we have not under
taken to place the responsibility on
any particular individual. or indiyidu-
ais. for the lynching, for the reason
that We do not feel that we should
undertake 10 usurp the authority OF
the courts, as this would, in our opin-
ion. be beyond our province as a
board of safety"
Chairman Oliver and Messrs. An
son, Schad and Radcliffe, members OF
the board, Mayor Goodman and Scott
VI. Loftin, county solicitor, were pres
CcontInued on Page Eighty