Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-11-12
PIECES OF BLOODY ROPE SOUVENIRS
Then Further Vent Fury by Killing White Man Held
in Jail tor Murder Of Wife, and Try to Reach
Another Black but Without Success.

the confession OF the iynched negro
James, was safely lodged in Jail this
morning by officers who had him hid
den and by putting a policeman's uni
form on him helped him escape detec-
ton. The mob learned he was In jail,
but decided to let the matter rest for
the present and dispersed.
Soldiers Throng City.
Two companies of soldiers are on
duty and FIVE more are en- route. The
city is cain and quiet this morning
and no signs can be detected of the
mob's work last night by casual OBJ
server
Governor Loses Sleep.
Chicago, Nov. 12.-Governor Deneen
retired at O'Clock this morning at his
apartment in the Union League club
after directing Acting AdJutant Gen
eral Dickson at Springfield to arrange
for rushing another regiment to Cairo
early today in case of a violent out
burst following the night of terror IN
which two men were lynched. Just
before he went to bed the governor
conversed over a long distance tele-
phone with Deputy Sheriff Wood ward.
at Cairo.
Feared Rnce Riot.
Woodward told him the mob at that
time was still restless and that 1900
men had searched freight cars in the
yards looking for Alexander, implt
Gated by James in killing Miss Pelley.
Woodward said what was feared most
was a possible race war. He was as
sured by the governor the state would
furnish all needed assistance. The
governor also suggested all saloons be
kept closed until the danger had
passed.
Lynched I'm Public Square.
Cairo, ILL.,, Nov. 14.-Will James. the
self-confessed negro murderer of Miss
Annie Pel1ey, was lynched in the pub
lie square by a mob of 10000 persons
last night.
The rope around the negro's neck
broke as he was lifted into the air by
a number of women, who begged for
the chance to execute the murderer
His body was riddled by hundreds Of
bullets almost before it touched the
ground.
The body was dragged along by the
fragment of rope to the spot where
Miss Pelley's body was found Tuesday
morning, in the mouth of an alley.
Placed on Fire.
A huge bonfire was built. and while
the thousands Of men, women and
children danced about it ghoulishly,
firing shots into the blaze, the body
was thrown into the flames and
burned
James, in a confession made as the
rope was about to be drawn, impli-
Gated Arthur Alexander and several
other negroes. AS soon as his body
was consumed in the flames a mob Of
several thousand persons started for
the negro portion Of the city.
A race war is feared, and Sheriff
Davis appealed to the governor for
troops. A message received Just be-
fore midnight ordered the Cairo COM
pany Of the Illinois National Guard to
be in readiness for action.
Taken After Long Chase.
Sheris Davis and the deputy, who
spirited James away from the mob
which surrounded the jail wednesday
night, were surrounded with their
prisoner late yesterday afternoon be-
tween Karnak and Belknap, where
they had fed after leaving the train
at Dongola Wednesday night to es-
cape a mob which had formed at
Anna.
Weak from hunger and exposure,
the sheriff saw that resistance was use
less and turned the negro over to the
mob He was brought back here oy
the men who had seized a freight
train on the Big Four and hurried to
Karnak as soon as the sheriff's posses
whereabouts was reported.
James was lynched in the public
square and hanged to the arch at
Eighth street and Commercial avenue.
Women present were the first 70
pull the rope. When 1t broke the
frenzy of the mob was uncontroilable.
and they fired volley after volley into
his body. shooting him to pieces. The
mob then dragged the body over the
streets for more than a mile to Twea-
ty-sixth and Elm streets in an alley