Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1910-02-19
ONLY TEN MINUTES
TO CONVICT PRISONER
One Life is Loot and Others Wound
ed in Attempt TO Lynch Man Chars-
ed With Purse neutrality-suspicious.
Sheriff and County for Damages
Lawless Band Must Answer Charge.
(By Associated Press.,

CAIRO. ILLS. Feb. 1S.-With three
companies of militia guarding the
courthouse and Jail under direct sup
ervision OF Adjutant General FraIk
S. Dickson. Cairo settled down TO-
night to complete quiet. after siren
nous twenty -four houis. II is believ-
ed that the mob spirit is queiied.
There are many scattered grouTs OF
men about the streets, hut no crcwd
is allowed to congregate.
Threlts were made today against
Sheriff Fsed d. Nellis for the killing
OF Alexander Halliday and the wound
ing of four other men by deputies IN
beating back the mob that attacked
the jail last night in an attempt 20
lynch a negro purse-snatcher, but the
presence of soldiers prevents any
open demonstration.
John Pratt, the negro whom the
mob intended to lynch, was sentenced
today to prison for fourteen years
He will be taken to prison tomorrow
morning with twelve other convicts, in
a special train.
Lincoln Wilson, arrested as a sus-
pected companion of Pratt IN the
snatching of womel's rocket books
was released tonight. The grand jury
failed to return an indictment against
him.
Pratt's sentence was imposed ten
minutes after he entered court nmd
pIeadad guilty to the indictment re-
TIMED yesterday.
Court After Mob.
A searching grand jury jnvestlga-
ton of the attack on the Jail was or
dered by Judge Butler Immediately
after the disposal of the cases against
the two negroes. Judge Buffers m
structions to the grand jury were IN
substance a demand that the rioters
be brought TO justice and made to
stand trial for rioting. felony
This SOFT of procedure must De
stopped" he said There have been
five murders in Cairo since NovefH
Der II, when We mad previous oc-
currence of mob violence. These
murders show that mob Law is no de-
,, te.rent to crime and it is our duty to
lsee that mob law ceases to te-
Coroner James McManus has not
ordered an inquest of the killing OF
Halliday. He said that he intended
to 20 slowly in his investigation.
A stray shot fired by member Of the
mob was the direct cause of the vol
! lev from the Deputies guard ng- the
J ;ail that laid several of its members
low. according 10 Sheriff Neilis' YER
sion OF the attack
Il was standing on the frontporch
of the court house parieying with the
mob which was demanding th,t I give
up Psatt." said the sheriff. when
some one in the crowd fred a shot
Nv deputies. watching the parley from
a second story window. thought that
fired the shot. as signal, and they
fred a volley in the air
His Conscience Easy.
The mob sefused 10 retreat and
the deputies then fred into the crowd.
Nv conscience is easy over the af-
fair. The rioters were determ-ued 10
get me unless got them I did my
duty by protesting my prisoners al
any price
A dozen bsoken windows in the
corst house showed that shots we're
fired into the building by the mob.
There were six negroes among the
fourteen armed deputies that defend
I'd the Jail with Nellis. There we're
, twenty deputies in ell, but there were
not guns enough TO go aTound. Neiiis
had great difficulty in existing depu-
ties and the negroes were imposed
because the sheriff ccvld not get
coough white men TO serve.
The conflict between city anG coun-
u officers that marked The November
Iynchsng is again in evidence. Mayor
Parsons saws that he Wa not advised
Of any troublc antii two O'Clock In the
nc ming and ti.tt he then ordered ihe
police dcpsrtm, Ut TO ASST the sher'
in.
Captain Cscany. Of the Cairo miliiis
company that was ordered out AZ zen
O'Clock has; niebt ~ Governor Dc'
nccn and did aoi rcpnf until
O'Clock. sid he did not receive me