New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-08-16
FIVE LYNCHERS CONFESS
Imp|icate Thirty Others in Burn
ing of Negro.
POLICEMAN ALSO INVOLVED
Race War in Coatesville, Penn,
Threatened in Anonymous
Letters to Chief.
rBy Telegraph to The Tribune. ]

10y Telegraph to The Tribune
Gainesville. Penn, Aug. 1.-THE Dlstric'
Attorney, Richard S. Gawthrop. this AFTER
noon obtained confessions from hve men
who had been under third degree eN-
animation since yesterday, that they had
participated in the lynching OF Ezekie'
Walker on Saturday night. The men,
whose names are withheld for the present
assert that thirty business men and pom
ticians we're the ringleaders in the Hoo
attack on the hospital and subsequent XIII
ing of the negro.
The first arrest i'm connection with the
Iynching was made tonight. when Ken
nedy Boyd, a lineman employed ny the
Chester Valley Electric Company, was
taken into custody. Boyd, who IL thirty
years old. came here from West chester
about two months ago.
He was sent for by the police and taken
10 headquarters I'm an automobile TO DE
questioned. as were many other persons
during the day Under the severe cross
examination, it is alleged, he admitted
enough to warrant HIS arrest 1t is said he
gave the names Of others, who will also be
taken into custody.
The District Attorney admits he has the
names Of the instigators OF the outbreak
| but declines to make them public at this
time. He says that publication of their
Identity might lead them TO leave town.
He says the men are under surveillance
Partial confirmation of the rumors pre-
dieting an organized uprising OF the negro
population to avenge the torture and burn
ing Of Walker, the negro who killed Rice,
was received in Police Headquarters here
to-day. when Chief Of Police Umstead re-
ceived two anonymous postal cards bearing
the following message
Beware, The negroes will rise and will
wipe out the whites. They are four thou
sand strong"
Seek to Trace Notes.
Although members Of the police force at
tach small importance 10 the notes, Chief
u-mstead and District Attorney Gawthrop,
in their efforts to ascertain every fact con
nected with the trouble here, have asked
the postal authorities 10 make an invest-
CATION and learn, if possible, the Identity OF
the sender.
The same Jury. with the Chief of Police
as foreman. which sat in the case of Pc
liceman Edgar Rice tonight. held an in
quest over the body OF Walker In the
Offices Of Coroner George G. Myers The
verdict was purely perfunctory. declaring
Walker came 10 his death at the hands OF
mob. composed Of unknown individuals. In
anticipation Of trouble. a detail OF state
police attended the inquest.
John c Bell Attorney General Of Penn
sylvania was in communication with Dis
trict Attorney Gawthrop by long distance
telephone to-day.
How are you progressing? he asked.
"Splenddly." was the District Attorneys
reply. IF we do as well to-day as we did
Yesterday we shall shortly have dozen
men behind the bars"
Five warrants have already been sworn
out Investigation into the motives and
makeup Of the mob this morning estab-
lished the fact that a member OF the bor-
ough police force. with a record Of many
years OF exemplary service, had been one
of the most active of the ringleaders. The
fact Of the poceman's participation and
encoura cement of the lynching was ad-
mitted last night by District Attorney CAV
throp. II was not until Gawthrop. with
Sheriff Colder and other local officers. had
spent the whole OF yesterday behind closed
doors in the offices Of the jail questioning
witness after witness that the information
was confirmed.
II Is understood that a special grand jury
will be selected in the event Of arrests. and
this possibly was the reason the coroners
fury asked for no witnesses tonight.