The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1912-10-03
Lynclling h
BY Convicts
10 The LATEST EXPRESSION OF
MOB RULE IN TIW UNITED
=. STATES.
Prisoners Hang Negro
Confined in the Penitentiary to Pre-
vent Mob From Getting Him. AT
ter Guards are Overpowered and
Relieved OF Keys.

Rawlins, .Wyo., Oct 2.-Three
hundred ,convicts in the Wyoming
State Penitentiary at Rawlins, re-
VOTED for ten minutes early this
morning, and after lynching Ne
gro who lad been sent to the insti-
tuition TO revent mob from getting
him; returned to their lock step
and awaited the orders of the guards
although they held the keys which
would nave unlocked the coors AMI
given them their liberty.
Despite the efforts of the officials
to discover the perpetrators of the
lynching, no headway in that direc-
ton was made today.
The next man to- hang will be
the first man who tells anything"
was the cry which rang through
the corridors of the prison, after the
lynching, and no convict will ac-
knowledge to having even seen the
mob at its work ~'-
The Negro was Frank WigfaI.
Monday night he attacked Mrs. Julia
higgins, 70 years OLD. He was cap
tured yesterday out in the noun
tains, where he fled after the crime.
Outside Mob Outwitted.
Upon his arrival in Rawlins a mob
formed, but before they could get
possession of the Negro he was hur-
ried into the penitentiary for safe
keeping.
Some time during the night the
convicts discovered the presence of
the Negro in the prison, and their
2lans were probably made by whis-
pereand from cell to cell. n-... .......', -
After Breakfast the 300 prisoners,
all in stripes, were being marched
20 the broom factory when, without
4 word. half a dozen leaped upon
each guard. Hands over mouths
prevented an outcry and not word
was spoken.
The KEYS were quickly and quiet
'y slipped f fom the turnkey and
while several convicts rushed to the
office for rope, others made their
way to tie top tier of cells, where
the Negro had been located. .-..-.-.-.....
The Negro is supposed to have
thought jail delivery was under
way and made no outcry.
By the time the cell door was un-
locked tie convicts with the rope
were on hand, and not until the
moose was around his neck did he
IealfZe t1at- he was UP against the
very thing to prevent which he had
been brought to the prison.
The upper tier Of cells are fifty
feet above the floor of the cell
Negroes Neck is Broken.
One end Of the rope was tied to
;he cell door and the Negro was bod
lily thrown from the corridor. He
fell 25 :eet and his neck was brok-
en-, the head being almost torn from
the shoulders.
In falling he raised an outcry
which was heard by the Warden
and the outside guards.
These officials rushed to the walls
only to see the convicts scudding N
all directions.
Thinking revolt in progress. prs-
raraticn5 to prevent an outbreak
were quickly made, and then it was
lound that all the cohvicts we're
standing in line in the prison court.
The keys which would have un-
locked the doors for them they had
laid in tho center Of the court.
They stood at attention waiting
orders - continue their march IT,
work.
Instead Of being sent to the fac
tory the convicts were ordered to
their cells, where they went with
out trouble. Then all were locked
in.
The guards are unable to identity
the convtcts who grabbed them, the
work was done so suddenly.
Mrs. Higgins, whom the Negro as
saulted, lived near the prison and
had done many kndnesses for the
convicts.
She IS in a precarious condition
ard not expected to survive.
-------e-~eS~s-----
GILMER APPOINTED