The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1912-02-23
DETAILS OF MOB AT
SHELBYvILLE WHEN
NEGROES WERE shot
CINE KILLED, ONE FATALLY
WOUNDED, OTHER SLIGHT
LY INJURED.
TAKES PLACE in COURT HOUSE

lAhLI TLKUL LIN UUUAl nUUOL
Gov. Hooper Offers Big Reward for
Capture and Conviction of Mem
Bers--None Of the Officers Are
Hurt In the Melee.
SHELBYVILLE, Feb 19.-Watt
Greer, the negro first shot by the
mob, lies dead at the undertaking o.
adjustment of Jackson & Son, where
the body was taken Immediately fol.
lowing the coroner's inquest held In
the sheriff's office at p. m. Dave
Neal lies in the county jail lowering
between life and death, with leaden
bullet half penetrating the brain of
the negro. Charles Dane Bomar Is
in the same jail in cell opposite the
negro, not seriously injured, but raw
ing from fright an number Of Sc
| we're wounds Or his head and body.
| nr. + A. Reader, the county physi-
clan, who dressed his wounds, stated
tonight that Neal had an equal
clanoe to recover from his wounds,
The particulars of the partly success
full attempt at triple lynching are
already familiar to every citizen Of
Shelbyville and surrounding neigh
borhoods, and statements of scores of
Shelbyville people .corroborate in ev-
cry detail the history of the incident
as given by the officials who partici-
pated in the battle, and of spectators
who were present when the lynching
occurred.
The prisoners, Watt Greer, Dave
Neal and Charles Bomar, were taken
TO the county Jail at 1915 p. m. Mon
lay, and under heavy guard Sheriff
j Big Jim Williams took them to the
circuit court room of the court house.
The room was crowded, about 1000
people being present The prelimi-
nary hearing before Justice OF the
Jeace John P. Brantley was an order
ly one, no disturbance of any kind
marring the proceedings.
At 2 o'clock the trial was conclud-
ed and the prisoners were bound over
to the court without bail There was
a rush for the stairway leading from
the court room down to the first floor
Of the court house and before Sheriff
Williams and his force of twenty dep
uties could reach the head of the
wide stairs, the stairs were already
filled with members of the mob bent
On lynching the negroes. Just be-
fore the prisoners, who were mana
cled together, started down the stairs
d member OF the mob, made an effort
to reach tho negro Bomar. Sheriff
Williams Immediately attacked the
negroes assailant and threw him thir-
t. feet back into the crowd. The in
cident caused great commotion and
was Immediately followed by trouble
staring on the first landing of the
stairway.
Several men made an effort to hold
Williams at the head of the stairs,
bat they were unsuccessful and he
reached the scene an instant after
V att Greer had been shot to death
by one or more members of the mob
AS the sheriff reached the landing
one OF the lynchers pressed a pistol
to the head of Charles Bomar and
was in the act of pressing the trig-
ger when the sheriff kicked it away
ss he came down the steps. The
man then turned the gun on the sher-
iff anG. it is claimed had it not been
for the prompt action of "Wahatchie"
Bill FRYE in wrestling the gun from
the man the sheriff's life would have
been taken. A hand to hand fight en-
sued between the officers and the
members of the mob, many severe
wounds being received by the prison
ers, the sheriff and his deputies from
the clubs and guns of the mobbers.
After Greer had been shot Deputy
Bob Spencer end Henry Davis unlock
ed the handouts and the body OF
Greer fell to the floor below. Bomar
and Neal were dragged to the first
floor by the deputies. followed by the
mob and another fight ensued, the
prisoners being knocked and tramp
led into insensibility. The hour was
now 2:05 p. M
Al 8 D. m. several of the deputies
thinking the danger over, left the Of.
nce In charge Of Sheriff Williams,
Deputies McAdams, Davis, Watkins
and Vaughan, and at 1920 p. m. Sher-
liz Williams and one of those deputies
LEI AZ