The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-06-07
MASKED MEN
 LYNCH NEGRO Hung to Tree In the
 Jail Yard. vOLLEY FIRED INTO BODY The Iailor Was 0verpowefed and
 Locked in Cell. The Citisens of Florida,s Capital City Are nnragea Over Affair saa
 Searching Investigation wiu Follow.
voLLEY FIRED INTO BODY

Tallahassee, Fla. June e.-(SpeciaL) After having been convicted. sem fenced to die. the day of execution set and q newly erected saliows await Ing. Maik Morris. a negro, murderer of William Langston. late sheriff of Leon county, was early this morning taken from the county jail here and lynched by frenzied mob of fifteen masked men.
 Although the coronsr's inquest gave no light as to the apprehension of the guilty parties. the citizens are enrsged over the dastarjly deed and every ef- fort will be made to bring the per- petrators to justice. No thoughts Of probable lynching entered the minds of officers, as the day of execu- ton had been set for next Friday and the negro remained In jail for nearly month since sentence was passed. A lynching was highly probable at the time of his trial, however. and was only narrowly averted by shrewdness of James P. Houston, the newly ap- pointed sheriff. who was out of the city this morning having left several Jays ago on buisness pertaining to his office. Mir. Houston Is expected back tonight and vii begin at once to search for evidence.
 The jailer stated that all the men were masked and numbered about ff- teen. covering him with their pistols as he opened the door, They demand ed Morris. Dragging the prisoner from his cell, they locked the jailer behind the bars, then proceeding to the yard. swung the negro from a limb of tree. emptied one volley into hts dangling form and disappeared
 Ever since the death warrant was read to Morhis. he has acted insane. gradually growing worse, at times raving like wild beast. refusing to eat anything and covering his head when any one viewed him. Ie is be- lievsd that the lynchers knowing this. feared that at the last moment he would be judged insane and thereby cheat the gallows.
 Langston was killed by Morris last March while attempting to arrest him. Norris making good his escape and remaining at large for ahout two weeks, being finally caught near
 On being interviswsd, the jaiiet stated that about o'clock this morn ing. some one called to him from the gate. Thinking 1t 8 deputy with a prisoner, he came down. Opening the gate. he looked squarely into the bar rel of a shotgun and before he could mOVes was COFcTou Uy i've pAeLOAb. 6c- Ing alone. he was absolutely helpless. with nothing to do except obey or- ders. N
 The Jailer said there were only fif- teen in the party, all masked, and they talked only when absolutely necessary, then speaking in high pitched tones to disguBe their voices.
 Sheriff Hou ston returned tonight He says he will use all means possi' ble to ascertain the guilty parties.
 Governor Albert W. Gilchrist was informed of the lynching immediately after breakfast this mofning at the mansion. It was impossible for him to hear the one volley fired into the negro's body. as the Governors yEfnan- sion is on the oppisite side of the city from the jail. He said he had no statement to give out today.
 The jail is three blocks from the State Capitol The Eallows on which Mor- ris was to have been hanged Friday, will be taken down.