Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1911-08-14
|SUHOAY LyNCH|NG
| At C0ATEsV|LLE
This Was Not in the South,
but in Quaker State of
Pennsylvania
BEST CITIZENS TAKE 4 PART
But Authorities Threaten to Ar.
rest All Directly or Indirec-
tly Implicated.

(By Special Leased Wire to New Mexican)
Coatesville, Pa, Aug. Livery
person who is found directly or indi-
rectly connected with the lynching
last night of the negro Ezekiel Walk
er, for the murder of Policeman Ed
gar Rice on Saturday night. will be
arrested and prosecuted to the full
extent of the law.
This was decided today at confer
ence between Sheriff David NJ. Colder
Of Chester county, District Attorney
Robert S. Gathropp,. Burgess Shall
cross and Chief of Police Umstead of
Coatesville, and Chief of Police Entire
kin of West Chester, at which it was
decided to make full investigation
Not One Arrest.
It Is said that the authorities have
not the name of one person directly
connected with the burning of the
negro, although many men are sus
pected An investigation Independent
of that being prosecuted by the Ches.
ter county authorities leads to the
belief that men prominent in the com.
munity and who are numbered among
the best citizens in Coatesville are
implicated.
The number of persons who claim
to have been out of town last night or
in bed early is astonishing to the au-
thorities.
The sheriff and district attorney
believe, however, that because of the
large number who participated in the
| lynching. they will surely get someone
who will tell them enough on which to
| base warrants.
Burned to Ashes on Cot.
Thousansd of persons journeyed out
to the scene Of the burning today.
, Nothing is left of Ezekiel Walker, the
victim, but his ashes. All unburned
! portions of the hospital cot that form
ed part of his pyre had been gathered
up by souvenir hunters.
Negro Tried Suicide.
When surrounded yesterday, Walker
tried suicide, sending 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 shot guns
and carried him to an awaiting auto
mobile which brought him to the
Coatesville hospital.
Walker Confessed.
When he reached the hospital,
/ Walker confessed his crime to Chief
! of Police Umstead and District At
torney Gathrop.
Negro Was Drunk.
Coatesville, Pa, Aug. 14.-Last
night, the talk of lynching spread, and
! finally masked man mounted the
steps of the hospital and shouted:
"Men of Coatesville, will you let a
drunken niger do up such white
man as Rice?"
Hospital Attacked.
| The throng was instantly transform.
ed into riotous mob. The attack on
the hospital was then made. There
were only the superintendent, four
nurses, and policeman in the institu'
! ton at the time and defense of the
negro was impossible. Still lying on
the cot, he was carried through the
streets, and out of the city to the New
land Farm.
Negro Writhed on Bed.
| He mad been tied to the bed with
ropes and as the crowd tore fence
rails and gathered wood and other in
fiammables, Walker writhed on his
cot and tugged at his bonds but could
not free himself.
| The mob did its work quickly and
after piling up the rubbish, placed the
cot with its shuddering victim on it,
over the pile. A dozen matches, 1t
seemed, were simultaneously applied
to the pyre and in an instant the ne
gro was enveloped in flames.
4 Dragged Back Into. Fire.
| The fire burned the ropes that held
/ him and he made dash for liberty
Walker reached fence and was about
to climb it when stalwart hands seisr
ed him and dragged him back and
hurled him to the fire as the frenziet
mob yelled in satisfaction. Shortly
afterwards the members Of the mob
/ left the scene.
/