The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1911-08-17
BURNING AROUSES
ANGRY SENTIMENT
IN PENNSYLVANIA
Lawless Tragedy in Quaker
City Will Be Pun
ished.

CoatsviIle, Pa, Aug. 15.-Every
person who is found to have been
directly or indirectly connected
with the lynching last night Of tho
negro, Ezekiel Walker for the MUIR
der Of Policeman Edgar Rioe, on
and proseeutsd to the fuIi ssssnt
OF the law. This was decided on
today at q conference of county
and city officers.
Coatesville. Pa, Aug. 15.-The fear
tul work Of frenzied mob here last
night when it dragged a wounded
negro from hospital and burned him
TO death for the killing of Edgar Rice,
policeman, Saturday night, has
aroused the greatest indignation in this
community and everything possible
ring leaders of the mob. That such an
affair could occur in a Quaker COM
munity like that in Chester county
was not believed possible.
thousands OF persons journeyed out
to the scene of the burning today.
Even before dawn people began to
gather at the spot. Every sort of
vehicle was brought into use and prices
TO take people to the place quickly
Newland farm. where the lynching &C.
CURED. Is not far and a steady stream
OF curious people kept moving out to
the scene.
Only Ashes Remain.
Nothing is left of Ezekiel Walker,
the victim. but his ashes, all unburned
portions of the hospital cot that formed
part of his pyre had been gathered up
by souvenir hunters.
Among the angriest people in the
community are some Of those who cap
tured Walker yesterday afternoon in
tree In the woods near here. He had
two revolvers with him and when he
was surrounded by the posse he
threatened them. Several of the man
hunters fired at him and wounded him
slightly.
Evidently believing that he was
about to be shot to death, Walker
tried suicide, sending a bullet into his
head. He fell to the ground and was
quickly captured by the crowd. With
no thought Of lynching, but with the
determination of having him tried
quickly for the murder Of Rice, the
posse laid him across three shotguns
and carried him to a waiting automo-
bile which brought him to the Coates
Vile hospital.
When he reached the hospital, Walker
confessed his crime to Chief Of Police
Umstedt and United States Attorney
Gawthrop.
Confession Of Victim.
Walker said:
"Td been out drinking gin and was
feeling pretty good. I go out there
near the Worth mills, among the hun
kies, and just to let on that I was a
bold man and might hold 'em UP, I
fired three shots from my gun. OF
course they yelled and Rice, who
heard the shots, came rushing up and
grabbed me. They had yelled muir
der and / guess he thought that was
about 1t.
q had too much gin and did not
calculate to go along. So / held back
and asked Rice what he wanted me
for.
For carrying concealed weapons,
deadly weapons he said.
Then l won't CO. says I, trying to
pull away. He drew his club and
reached for his revolver, and 1t must
have been then that / shot him."
News of the murder of Rice, who
was very popular among the people
here, spread rapidly. There had been
other crimes committed in this neigh
borhood that had been blamed on ne
groes, and talk of lynching fell on
willing ears. AS the crowd Increased
the talk Of lynching spread and
finally a masked man mounted the
steps Of the hospital and shouted:
Men Of Coatesville, will you let a