Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1911-08-19
ACCEPT WOOL BILL. LEADERS CONFESS
Five Admit Part in Burnin0
Negro at COdteSyilIe.
THEY IMPIlCATE OTHERS
Warrants Sworn Out Already But
No Arrests Will be Made I'm
I'll After Funeral Of Walk
er's Victim.

Coatesviiie, IA, Aug. ~. $500 COMES
sions were obtained from five of the
| men who participated in the lynching
on Sunday night, when lack Walker.
the negro who murdered Edgar Rice,
1 a Waterman, was burned to death.
/ Furthermore, the confessions impli-
cate other leaders In the mob, and the
can bring incontroyeTtible proof as to
the identity OF many people who took
active part in the brutal crime. Men
! prominent in business and politics In
! the town are among those named by
! them.
Though warrants already have been
sworn out for the arrest of the ring
leaders of the lynehers, Robert s.
! Gawthrop, district attorney of Chester
! county, says that no person will be
| taken into custody until after Rices
| funeral.
/ Many of the leading citizens of
! Coatesville," said Mr. Gawthrop. have
! begged that no hasty action be taken,
as with the present infamed condition
! serious uprising might easily follow.
| we have examined twelve wit
nesses and have had unexpected sue
| cess. The men who confessed said
they were sorry for what they had
done, and asked to be treated as lem
iently as possible. They declared that
they had no idea when the mob of
which they were members marched
to the hospital that anything serious
would result"
The officials, including the district
attorney and the county detective, r.
o. Jeffries, left police headquarters in
a motor car. They were preceded by
Captain Wilhelm. of Troop c. state
constabulary.
They headed towards the Newlin
farm, a mile out of town, where Walk
er was burned to death after being
dragged FROM the Coatesville hospital,
where he was being treated for piss
toll wound in the mouth, received when
he attempted suicide on his capture
! for the murder OF Rice.
Town Is Excited.
| The news spread that the officials
were beginning their campaign to
bring to book the perpetrators OF what
all Coatesville now realizes was an
outrage against law and order and an
act certain to put blot on the good
name of the town People focked
from stores and dwellings looking GU
riously after the speeding motor car,
and the idle and curious rushed in the
! direction the police had taken.
| 1t was then known that a message
| had been received at the Coatesviile
| police station from the office OF John
| C. Bell, the attorney general. District
Attorney Gawthrop called up the office
of Mr. Bell on the long distance tele-
phone and spoke personally with him.
| Mr.. Bell asked Mr. Gawthrop how
| things were going and the the district
| attorney replied that five warrants
| had already been obtained for the ar
rest of the men who burned Walker
at the stake.
Then Mr.. Gawthrop went into con-
ference with Captain Wilhelm, whose
troop, Troop C, of Pottsville, arrived
IN AOdleSNillt, anu Win NhACA Vi 4 "
lice Umstead, of Coatescille; Sheriff
Colder, Chief of Police Jeffries. of
West Chester, and other officials who
are trying to obtain the names Of the
| riot leaders.
II IL was after this conference that
i Captain Wilhelm and private started
toward the scene of the crime. The
/, I foII hU fha motor
: car, containing all of the officials, with
the exception of Sheriff Colder, who
! remained at the police station to carry
] out the plans that had been mapped
out for him.
Guard Rolling Mills.
At this time several OF the mounted
! policemen were patrolling that section
of Coatesville where the iron mills are
located. 1t is believed that some OF the
men who instigated the lynching OF
Walker are employed in the mills and
that the police are keeping them I'M
= der surveillance.
+ When the arrests are made the
prisoners will not be taken to the
Coatesville Jail Threats have been
; made openly TO remove any white man
! from the lookup who is arrested fol-
z having participated in the lynching
: The men will be whisked to the coun
ty prison In West Chester in motoi
E cars as soon as they are taken into
custody.
member Of the Coatesville police
force is declared to have been one o
the leaders OF the mob which burned
. Walker
The information discriminating the
Y policeman leaked out from polic'
headquarters. whore the Chester coun
, " authorities held a conference, put
; ting several men through the "thir'
. degree" to obtain what evidence the!
had concerning the identity Of the mol
d leaders
The information against the police
man, whose name has so far beel
withheld, was given. 1t is said, by
2 nurse at the Coatesvlle hospital. VIII