The Mena weekly star. (Mena, Ark.) 1904-1977, 1912-03-28
NEGRO VICTIM OF
FORT SMITH MOB
Black Hanged on Main Street After
Shooting Deputy Constable
Frank Carr - C0unty's
First Lynching.

Fl Smith. March 23.--Ihe first
lynching in the history of Sebas-
sian county occurred at midnight
tonight, when Sanford Lewis a ne
gro, was hanged by mob of more
than 500 white men on a street
trolley pole ON Garrison avenue in
front of a prominent hotel.
The lynching followed the shoot
ing Of Deputy Constable Andy Carr,
who is believed TO be fatally
wounded. Ollicer Carr was shot
above the eye.
Carr was shot down at the Pony
Express Company's stables at
Tenth and A streets about two
hours before the lynching. Before
the shooting Detectives Pitcock
and Jarnigan arrested q negro and
negress for disturbing the peace at
Tenth street and Garrison avenue.
The negro ierked away from Pit
cock and started 10 run away. John
Williams, local horsetrader, who
was with Carr at the time, started
in pursuit of the negro with Pit
cock. AT Ninth and A streets. Will
liams stated, PitcOck, after firing
wildly at the negro several times,
gave Williams his gun. Williams
pursued the negro to the Pony Ex-
press Office, where he says he
knocked the fugitive down with his
revolver. The negro jumped up
and started in an opposite direc-
ton, according to Williams. Be-
fore Williams could turn around
and take up the chase again he
says he heard shot. Turning
around he saw Carr reel and fall.
Williams says he beat the negro
until Officer Lacy arrived. He
turned the prisoner over to tn
officer and took Carr to the hos
pital.
Lacey and another officer took
the negro to Jail, followed by a big
crowd.
Mob Begins Forming.
Immediately the mob began
forming. Jailer Stansbury hardly
had time to lock the Jail door when
the mob broke down the frame
barricade about the place and
started for the prison. Using al
telephone pole as a battering ram,
the crowd attacked the jail door.
Momentarily the mob grew in
numbers until a thousand persons
had gathered within a short time.
While some jeered the police,
handful of officers who stood
quietly by, others cheered the mob
battering at the steel door leading
into the holdoVer where the negro
was confined. For an hour and a
half the mob tried to batter down
the door.
Becoming discouraged with their
efforts to break down the door.
the mob began prying off the bars
of the window. In few minutes
the bars yielded from the window
frames and a half dozen struggling
men jumped through the opening
into the hold-over. The negro had
extinguished the gas fire in his cell
and sought refuge in a dark cor
ner. Striking a match the mob
found him on his knees pleading
for mercy. He was thrust through
the window, where he was show
cred with blows. A rope was
brought forth and the crowd, with
shouts Of triumphs, started across
the courthouse lawn and up
through Hotel Main court to Gar
rison avenue. When the street car
trolley pole was reached the negro
was a bleeding mass. Men jumped
on him and kicked him. Half dead, |
but yet pleading for mercy, he was
strung to a cross arm while the
frenzied mob cheered.
Their work done, the mob dis
persed, leaving the negro hanging.
Physicians Say Carr VIII Die.
A bulletin issued at the hospital |
late tonight by Carr's physicians
said he cannot survive.
Circuit Judge Hon announced |
that he did not know what action
would be taken to apprenend the
members OF the mob, but said he |
would Immediately begin investi-
cation. He also declared that, if
necessary, he would convene a spe-
cial term of the court in an effort |
TO prosecute the lynchers.
Quiet was restored Immediately |
after the lynching and at a late |
hour tonight nothing was left to
indicate a lynching other than
knots of men collected on the cor
ners discussing the affair.