Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-06-23
MORE SUSPECTS
HELD IN DUBLIN
FOR SLAYINGS
Aged Couple Shot Down at Home
Robbery Motive Believed.
Lynching Averted.

DUBLIN, June 23.-Three more ne
groes-six in all-were arrested Sun
day afternoon suspected Of being con-
nected with the shocking murder of
Mr.. and Mrs. J. T. Howell, an aged
couple, in front Of their home here
early Sunday morning
SO infiamed is the feeling in the
community over the crime that Sher-
If J J. Flanders and his deputies
made the arrests with the utmost
secrecy, in order that a lynching, like
that which threatened for several
hours yesterday afternoon, may not
take place.
The three negroes are in the city
Jail but their presence was not gen
orally known by the townspeople to-
day. A large force Of officers is
guarding the Jail. The first three ne
groes arrested were spirited away,
presumably to Macon.
Evidence Against Harris.
Late developments in the brutal
shooting Of Sunday morning have
established quite oonclusively the
connection of Smith Harris, one of
the negroes arrested yesterday morn
ing. with the revolving double murder.
suitcase known to have been the
property of Howell and his wife was
found in the home of Harris when a
search was made by the officers
Robbery plainly was the motive, and
theory fg q
planned by whites and carried out by
the negroes
The crime was one of the most cold
blooded and dastardly in the annals
of Laurens County Hewell was
called from his bed in the early hours
of Sunday morning and deliberately
shot down, One side Of his face was
partly shot away by the charge from
the gun, and yet he lived for several
hours, a blood trail showing where he
made his way to a stream nearby,
and a returning trail marking his
way back to the house and almost to
the very spotw here he stood when
shot.
Woman Shot Down.
Mrs Howell, 1t is supposed heard
this shots and came to her husbands
assistance. She was threatened, and
turned to go back in the house As
she did so she was shot in the thigh
by one of the negroes and she drop
ped when another negro shot her full
in the back, killing her instantly.
A pack of bloodhounds picked up
the trail of the murderers as soon as
the news OF the crime came to Sheriff
Flanders. They followed the scent
almost directly to the home Of Smith,
or Frank, Harris. He was placed I'M
der arrest, along with Joe May, who
was found at his house Harris shoes
are said TO At perfectly into the i'm
prints about the Hewell home.
Sheriff AVerts lynehing.
The bloodhounds were then put on
another scent, where barefoot tracks
met those of Harris near the Hewell
home. The hounds went to the home
of Henry Kitchens A single barrelsd
shotgun, evidently recently fired was
found in one of the rooms.
Hundreds of residents, inflamed by
the news of the crime, gathered about
the Jail. The officers put up a firm
resistance, and the mob, without a
leader, surged back and left a few Of
their number on guard. They pro-
posed to return at nightfall.
Taking advantage of the respite
given by the mob, Sheriff Flanders
and other county officers spirited the
three negroes out of the Jail by rear
exit and hurried them toward Macon
on the Eastman Road. The mob re-
turned later to find their quarry gone.