The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-04-27
NEWS OF LYNCHING SHOCKS BESSEMER Coroner's Jury Will Make h. yestigatiOn Tomorrow NEGRO'S BODY IN CREEK Nearly $500 Imposed in Fines in Res- semer Mayors Court Yesterday.
 Personal and General News
 of Bessemer.
NEGROES BODY IN CREEK

Bessemer, April 26-(Special.) )-The news in The Age-Herald of this morning that a lynching had taken place near the corporate limits of Bessemer was start ling to the people of this city as few knew of any crime having been com- mitted in this part of the county.
 At an early hour this morning Coroner W. L. Brasher, accompanied by deputy sheriffs. undertakers, newspaper men and others, left for the scene of the lynching, and while no one knew just where tho negro had been taken from the deputized officer, Andrew Roy. they had an idea that 1t was on the Hardwood road. After considerable searching for lifeless body hanging to q tree, a newspaper man saw a piece of white cloth on a twig, way down in the woods and a moment later the body of the negro was found in a small branch, the water running over it.
 Lying fiat on his back, with hands tied in front he had been shot to death, and not hanged as first reported The body was riddled with bullets. head, limbs and body being shot to pieces, while scattered In every direction were the empty shells that told how John Thomas had met his death. After viewing the body the coroner ordered 1t placed in wagon and taken to Bessemer, where 1t was viewed by hundreds of those curious to see how he met his death.
 Thomas seemed to be a negro of about % or g years of age, with a mean, vicious countenance and roughly clad.
 Later in the day Andrew Roy, who had the negro when he was met by the mob, was seen and he gave a detailed account of the crime, the confession of the negro, the start to Bessemer, the stopping at Roy's home to get supper. the Journey re- sumed and the dark road, to the place where 50 men, masked and stern, with out sign demanded that Roy surrender the negro. The horrible details were re- volting in the extreme. and a wave of horror and sympathy ran through the veins when the brutal act was told.
 The negro's confession that he com mitted the crime, that he was a convict for years for the same offense, that he had killed his man and shot at others, and the glee with which he told of his crimes all went to enrage the men who witnessed and heard what had been done.
 After a short trial, the issuance of the
 
 with the negro so worked upon the minds of the men about the camp that 1t was but little step to the point where the populace decided to take the law Into their own hands, though they had a long, hard road to travel with the prospects that they would fail in overtaking the single man, who was taking the negro to jail, where the law should take its course.
 The general feeling here is that the report that the lynching took place at Bessemer is not fair to the good name of the city, for the original crime was committed P miles from Bessemer, and the shooting of the negro took place sev- eral miles from the city, not citizen of the city knowing anything of the oc- curfence until hours after it was com mitted. The men were largely Shelby county men for the place where the crime was committed was just on the line.
 The coroner's jury will be impaneled on Wednesday morning and an effort be made to locate those who shot the negro to death although there is little hope of this being done.