New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-11-16
JERSEY LYNCHERS FO|LED|
Authorities Spirit Away Negro in
Night, Avoiding Armed Men.
GUARD ROAD TO FREEHOLD
Williams, Suspected of Killing
Girl at Asbury Park, Rushed to
Jail by Circuitous Route.
by Telegraph to The Tribune. ]

Asbury Park, n. J.. Nov. 15.-Prompt ac-
ton on the part of the county officials in
removing Thomas Williams, the negro sus-
pected Of killing little Marie Smith, from
the lookup in Asbury Park to the county
jail at Freehold probably saved him from
being 1ynched by friends of the schoolgirls
father. The prisoner was transferred TO the
county seat early this morning, after Chief
Of Police Smith and the entire police force
had labored for five hours to dispense the
mob which gathered around the city prison.
The would-be lynchers were armed with
sledge hammers. crowbars and axes. Early
in the evening they made rush toward the
door Of the lookup, and several Of the lead
ers succeeded in getting through this en-
trance before the policemen could head
them off. The ringleaders were then dis
armed. and the crowd dispersed.
About l o'clock the negro was hustled into
an automobile, hurried to Freehold and
placed behind the bars in the county Jail
He was guarded by County Detective Ell
wood Ntzhugh, and Coroner Robert M
Purdy.
Bearing the same attitude OF bravado he
has maintained since he was arrested on
the novelty of an automobile ride. That
the machine was not stopped and the negro
taken out and lynched was probably due
to the vigilance of the authorities who
took a circuitous route to the county seat
Determined men, earlier in the evening,
armed with axes and revolvers. were sta
toned along the road leading to Freehold.
with the avowed intention OF avenging the
murder of the girl. Fence rails and logs
were dragged across the road at different
points, while men lay in wait in the woods
to attack the party as soon the car
stopped. 1t had been arranged to telephone
word from here as soon as any move was
made to take Williams away.
So complete were the plans of the AS
bury Park officers that the fact that Will
Jams had been taken from the lookup did
not become known until the automobile
was we'll on its way to Freehold. The pris-
oner reached Freehold Jail at 20 a.
Williams maintained his silence even at
ter he had been taken into the jail. When
confronted with discrepancies in the story
of his recent movements he shouted:
"You can't prove It; you've got nothing
on me-
Coroner Purdy is still uncertain about
the date of the inquest. The police &C
knowledge that direct evidence which would
fasten the murder on Williams is lacking
Thev say that the circumstantial evidence
in their possession is strong and that they
expect a confession from Williams if his
nerve can be broken.
The instrument with which the child was
murdered has not yet been found Physi-
clans who examined the wound in the head
declare It was inflicted with an axe or some
other sharp instrument Deal Lake. few
wards distant from the spot where the
girls body was found, has been drained
and searchers with rakes went through the
mud to-day, the belief being that the muir
derer threw the weapon into the water af-
ter the crime was committed. Williams has
been held without bail by Police Judge
John A. Borden