The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1911-05-17
AS MEMBERS OF
L|VERMORE MOB
Alleged Participants Are
Arrested
AND CHARGED With MURDER
Eighteen True Bills Returned
by Calhoun Grand
BIG sTIR IN MCLEAN COUNTY

AS a result of the most vigorous
instructions ever given grand jury
in Western Kentucky by Circuit
Judge T. F. Birkhead, eighteen in
dIctments were returned Friday
against alleged members of the mob
that lynched viii Potter, a negro,
in the Livermore Opera House on
the night of April 81. The indict-
ments were returned at Calhoun.
The three alleged leaders of the
mob were indicted separately, and
each was charged with murder. They
are as follows:
Lawrence Mitchell, brother of
Clarence Mitchell, who was shot by
the negro who was lynched.
Clifton Schreter, proprietor of
floating studio.
Jesse Schreter, a photographer.
The names of the other men in
dicted are as follows: Ellis Thorns-
berry, w. N. Davis. Cecil Jarvis, Ira
Coghill, John Fielden, John w. Tay-
lor, Sam Colburn, William H. Cog
hill. Tom Dabner, George Gephart,
Robert Hays, Leslie Wright, Edward
Haney, Clarence Roberts, Ellis Bur-
ton.
Twelve of the men were taken
without trouble, nine being placet
in Jail in Calhoun and the Others
being held at Livermore.
The bonds of the alleged princi-
pals in the lynching were placed vt
81. 900, and $500 was the amount Of
surety demanded of the men charg-
ed with being accessories in the
blanket indictment. w. N. Davis
and Cecil Jarvis were released, hav-
ing arranged for the necessary
surety.
Practically all of the men indict-
ed are we'll known in Livermore and
Mclean county, and the news of the
action of the grand jury came like
thunderbolt from clear sky.
The Mclean county grand jury,
composed of grim, determined farm
ers, had been working on the case
all week. About fifty witnesses
were called to give testimony. They
were examined by Commonwealth S
Attorney Ben d. Ringo and County
Attorney Richard Alexander.
The scenes in Livermore when
the accused were arrested were pit
iful in the extreme. The weeping Of
wives and sisters over the arrest of
their loved ones was heartrending,
and the day will be one long to be
remembered by the residents of the
little river city.
County Attorney Alexander de-
clared that he would use all the
means within his power to erase
the blot on the fair name of Nc
Lean county.
!
the action of an armed mob that
shot William Potter TO death on the
stage of the theater at Livermore
few weeks ago. 1t is alleged that
Clarence Mitchell, a young white
man at Livermore, and the negro,
who was employed in a poolroom,
became engaged in a difficulty.
Mitchell went out on the street, and
II is stated that as he was leaving
the place, he was shot andd, at the
time, thought to be fatally wound
ed. The negro was arrested by the
town marshal. There was bitter
feeling against him, and in few
minutes an angry crowd had gath
cred. The marshal handcuffed his
prisoner. and with. two o. three
guards, hustled him TO the theater
fearing the town lookup would be
unsafe.
The doors OF the theater were
locked and all OF the lights were eY-
tinguisbed in the building. The
members OF the mob. said to he
about twenty-five or fifty in number
forced the door of the theater and
gained entrance to the building.
Before the officers had time to
rush the negro from the building. 9
volley OF shots rang out, and the
negro sank to the floor. The mem
bers of the mob, having accom-