Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-01-23
lYNCH|NC IN MOBILE
City's Midnight Calm Not Dis
turbed by Execution.
SHOTS STOP NEGRO'S CRY
Victim Killed One Deputy Sheriff
and Wounded Another.
JAILERS COVERED WITH GUNS
Forced to Give Up Keys-Prisoner
Slips Gag in Street and Starts
to Scream.
JAILERs COVERED WITH GUNS

MOBILE, Ala. January $50 quietly
did they go about their work that the
usual serenity of Mobile past the midnight
hour was but slightly disturbed when, at
10 o'clock this morning a handful Of
determined men took negro from the
county jail and lynched him almost in
the heart of the citys residence district.
The victim, Douglas Robertson, mu-
latto, powerful of build, and for years
regarded as a desperate character, who
Thursday shot and killed Deputy
Sheriff Philip Fatch and wounded another
deputy, was led from his cell to the
place of the lynching so quietly that resi-
dents along the path of the mob's march
were undisturbed.
The mob had intended, 1t is thought, to
take Robertson to the scene of his crime.
On account of his cries, in spite of an
effort to gag him. his captors hanged him
to tree on the southeast corner of st.
Emanuel and Church streets, just one
block from Mobiles most prominent resi-
dence thoroughfare.
Jailers Forced to Give Him UP.
According to one authority two men
walked into the Jail and covered Deputy
Sheriffs ellis and Krous with revolvers
and commanded them to throw up their
hands. accompanying the order with a
demand that they open the door leading
to the cells. The deputies, powerless and
caught unaWares, obeyed without resist
ance
Probably twenty more in the meantime
had gone upstairs. leaving the two men
to guard the deputies.
Later two of these came back down and
demanded the keys to Robersons cell,
which were given them ellis and Krous
were then left alone and ordered not to
leave their seats or use the telephone
under penalty of death. The mob, secur-
Ing the man. started with their captive
toward the scene of his crime.
The negro was not heard to utter a
word when his captors started away with
him. However. before they had gone
more than three blocks he in some way
extricated the gag from his mouth.
Like a flash three revolver shots dis
turbed the quiet of the night. In mo-
ment large three-quarter inch rope was
thrown across a tree and the negro was
hanged
Coroner's Verdict.
At 2:15 O'Clock the coroner arrived on
the scene. Selecting jury. which adj
journed to the police station after viewing
the body, the following verdict was rem
dered.
AT an inquisition taken and held this
23d day of January upon the body of
Douglas Robertson, we. the jury. find that
he came to his death by being hanged by
parties unknown to this jury
After hanging about an hour the body
was cut down by the police and taken to
the guardhouse. There it will be turned
over to the city sexton later in the day
While trying to arrest Robertson Thurs
day on a charge of assault and battery,
Deputy Sheriff Fatch and Deputy Sheriff
William McCarron were fired upon by
the negro at close range, the first bullet
striking Fatch in the stomach. from which
he died Thursday night. McCarron was
but slightly wounded in the lett foot.
The negro was. captured after the
wounded officers had chased him for sew
eral blocks. firing as they ran. The cap
ture was made by two other deputies.
When arrested 1t was found that the ne
gro had been wounded three times by
bullets from the revolvers of Fatch and
McCarron.