The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1910-07-04

Charleston, Mo-, was the scene OF
double lynching yesterday after
noon between and o'clock. Al
most the entire populaee was out, us
were farmers for miles around, to wit
ness the affair. the victims were
two negroes who had held up, robbed
and murdered William Fox promi-
ncnt farmer OF Mississippi county,
the deed was committed Saturday
night.
William Fox lived about five miles
from Charleston. lie was in the
town transactlng business during Sat
lurday afternoon and evening, and
about II alalock gnig into his wagon
to return home, when two negroes
asked him the privilege OF ride out
as far as the place they said they
were employed, about three miles
from town He consented and they
got into the wagon At a point about
half a mile out Of town they held
a pistol to his head and demanded
his money which he refused TO give
up. He grabbed one of the negroes
land had tussel with him, the other
negro then fred a shot into his body
and he fell to the bed of the wagon
mortally wounded the shot having
gone through his body. The negroes,
after rfling his pockets obtaining
about $i5 left him. Not being able
to drive. Fox started the horses
going toward home and at the first
farm house called for help. From
this house Sheriff Culp of Charleston,
was notified by telephone. lie im-
medately get out his two blood
hounds and in short time had the
two negroes in the city jail They
were found in the barn near the
house whore Fox lay dying Fox died
about o'clock yesterday morning.
The news of the tragedy spread
/ rapidly and groups Of men In angry
mood began 10 form as early as sun.
, rise, Telephones were busy at all
the farm houses for miles around
! Charleston, and It was not long be,
fore hundreds of teams were pouring
into the town loaded with angry men,
bent upon avcnsing the deed
number of business men went to
/ the sheriff and made a demand for
the prisoners. The officer informed
them they could not get them. The
sheriff summoned posse and pre-.
pared to resist the mob which began
to form by hundreds, then by thous-
ands. About o'clock In the after
noon members of the mob, procuring
a heavy piece of timber, began the
work Of battenng in the first door of
the jail The sheriff and his posse
made an attempt to stay the pro
ceedings by firing several shots in
the air; but the mob surrounded them
and deprived them of their weapons
While the battering down OF the
first door was going on States Attor-
ney Moore Hall ordered the men to
stop and caught hold of the ram near
its business" end and being jostled
by the angry workers he narrowly
escaped being rammed against the
iron door and crushed to death He
realized his narrow escape and re-
/ tired from the scene II was but a
short time before the mob reached
/ the inner cell door
In the meantime members OF the
/ mob had been talking with the fright.
encd negroes each of whom con
fessed. but each said the other had
fired the fatal shot.
When the door of the cell contalr.
ing the murderers was battered down
they We're taken out into the yard
Of the court house which is opposite
the city Jail and one OF them was
hung from The limb of a tree While
this was being done several members
of the mob took the other negro In a