The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-01-24
MOBILE SURPRISED
LYNCHING OF ROBERTSON WAS
 STARTLING NEWS.
Rnmors Prevailing Friaay Night Thas Lynehang Would Occur Were Given Little Crcdence--Body
 Turned Over to Rel-
 affyem,

Mobile Jan. 2s.-(Special,) )--Nevef were the citizens of Mobile more greatly surprised than this morning when they awakened to find that Rich- ard Roberson, the negro who sho' Phillip Patch to death Thursday, hae been iynched by a party of mask ed men, being swung to a tree at the southeast corner of St. Emanuel and Church streets. diagonally across the street from Christ Episcopal Church.
 While 1t was rumored on the streets all during the early evening that the lynching would. take place, little cred ence was placed in the report and those who remained down town to be witnesses to the lynching, took the last car to their homes, confident that the rumor was unfeunded However, after the street cars had stopped run ming and pedestrians on the streets were few, the orderly lynching party made their appearance at the jail and covering the two night deputies on duty in the Jail offlce commanded the keys, which were delivered to them. They then forced one of the deputies to accompany them to the condemned cell where the negro was confined and unlock the cell. Their hands once on their prisoner they never released him. The first operation was binding and gazing him and the march began, with the negro offering little resist ance. The party went down through the basement of the jail and out the back way to St. Emanuel street, an alley coming from the rear of the. jail entering St. Emanuel street betWeerI Church and Government From all ir- dications it was the purpose of the party to take the negro back to the scene of his crime, on Lawrence street. the negro in some manner knocked the gag from his mouth and began cry ing for help. Seeing that he was creating a disturbance and awaken ing people from their sleep the party brought the rope into play and set- ting it about the negro's neck, the other thrown over a tree limb and with a strong pull the negro was jerked into eternity, but not until three shots had been fired into, his body.
 While the newspapers were on the streets within a short time after the lynching with news of the afTair, the information that the negro had been lynched did not seem to become gen. orally known until early this morn ing when people were arising. The news spread fast and this morning on every street corner the topic of conversation Is the lynching, and It's feature, the orderly and quiet man. ner in which the avengers of Phillip Patch worked this being most re- markable, people residing in the same block where the negro was hung, not knowing of the lynching until they awoke this morning.
 The body was cut down by the cor oner and taken to police station where coroners' jury returned a verdict that the negro came to his death by hanging at the hands of parties un- known. The body was then taken to the city sexton's office and prepared for burial and today turned over to relatives The negro had six wounds. three he received in the fight with the deputies. three he received last night and in addition his neck was broken.
 Chief of Police Rondeau and Sherin Cazalas, when interviewed today. ex- pressed themselves as being greatly surprised when they were informed of the lynching. Sheriff Cazalas said that neither he nor any of his deputies were aware that a lynching was probable.