Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1910-02-26
A BRAVE SHERIFF.

centre OF lawlessness FOR many
months On November II. 1909.
Henry Salzner. white. charged with
killing his wife With an axe and VIII
James, oolored. charged with killing
Annie Pelley. white were lynched by
mob OF white men. When Hon. f.
ID. Green. colored. was in the legis-
lature OF Illinois, he succeeded in
having passed a bill providing that
any sheriff who permitted a prisoner
70 be lynched should lose his Office.
AS result Sheriff Frank E. Da-
Wis, Republican was removed from
Office. He made an appeal 20 Coy.
Deneen and Mrs. Ida Wells Bar
nett figured in the affair Strong
pressure was brought TO bear by
political friends upon the ground
that If sheriff Davis was removed. a
Democrat would receive the Office. |
Gov. Deneen refused TO interfere and
as a result Sheriff Frank r. Davis |
continued to be an ex-sher!a.
But there is a sequel 10 all Of this |
Two colored men were charged with |
.snatching a purse from a white VIC
man, but # was afterwards ascer.
tanned that John Pratt was the
guilty party. II was evident that the
change from Sheriff Frank K. Davis.
Republican 10 Sheriff Fred d. Rel
lis. Democrat was for the better and
that he meant business. The report
sent out IS as follows.
Cairo. H.. February Il (mid
night "A pitched battle is now in
progress between twenty deputy
sherins guarding the Jail and a mob
Of 200 persons. Who are trying 20
break into the Jail 20 get a negro
charged with purse snatching.
Two members OF the mob have
been shot. and the mob is now firing
on the jail The local militia company
has been ordered out.
Sheriff Neliis sent out word 90 the /
mob that he would fight 90 a finish. |
and two men fen in the first rush. /
t. rs not known how severely they I
were injured.
John Pratt. the negro the mob is /
after. was arrested today and idcn (
titled by two women as the man who \
snatchCd their purses. He confessed /
and was indicted an hour later
Springfield, Iu, February IT,
Governor Doneen tonight ordered /
the Cairo company Of the State mlli.I
tia TO DE ready 90 assist Sheriff Scl- /
lis 90 preserve order in Cairo.
sheriff Ncllis. I'm asking Governor /
Deneeu for troops. said that two \
young negroes had been snatching /
purses ou the streets OF Cairo.
Is it not plain 90 the lay mind \
that political conditions have changed /
that a Democrat may be a Justice /
lovine proposition and q Republican /
may Dee "a Nerro hater2 When the |
lynehiug occurred in Cairo In so /
vember. The grand jury reported that T.
The victims met ,heir death at che I
hands OF parties unknown 90 the I
jury They Will not have Co ron1er /
any such a nndiug In this case. for F.
Alexander Halliday was instantly T.
killed when Che deputies opened fire /
com the mob and his body laid am /
night ia front of che jail
The kuug of this man and the I
wouudiue OF two others demonstrated .
the fact that 10 is not altogether the .
hoodum elements that lead these .
mobs Alexander Halliday o. the son |
OF former Mayor Thomas w. Halu-'
day There was some tala OF suing
sheriff Nelus To would be an anus. f.
ing proceeding The dead man cam
not prove an alibi His relatives can /
not swear that ne was not IN the
mob for the undertaken carried him .
away from the scene of trouble. IL.
is alleged that Sherin NelNs swore
I'm colored men as deputies II he did.
he could not have done a wister thing
Tor they know how 10 obey orders
IL is evident that the mob did not
believe that the deputy-sherins would
shoot % Kill They believe IL now.
however. We cannot fail 90 impress
upon AN that Sheriff Nenis was up
AhAAAAN hAt law ul lAllal AAg anu NAF
defense of the prisoner was a sec 3
ondary consideration. When mobs
learn that they take their lives IN
their own hands when they attempt
TO lynch prisoners this form OF law
lessness will cease.
The idea OF hanging d man for
snatching a purse is absurd We
wish this class of colored folks were +.
in heaven, but they are here with us /
and the only thing to do Is TO put I
them in the jails where they belong. /
They are not entitled TO their freedom ?
and they should not have g. Sheriff F.
Nellis is a hero and he is now being \
praised from one section Of this (
country 10 the other. The funeral of /
that lyncher in Cairo will certainly |
be an object lesson to the lawless, !
and do much TO make a repetition 4