Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-02-04
POLICEMEN SAVE
NEGRO BANDIT
FROM MOB
Gunman LootS Four Houses
and Is Threatened by Crowd
of His Own Race.

Shep Griffin. negro with Grim
inal record as long as mis- arm, includ-
ing charges Of murder, larceny and bur
elary, made few more entries on the
list today when he broke in four houses,
attacked their inmates. and sent 80
Redding. 81 Henry street, to the hos
pitaI with a cracked skull. all WITHIN
the space of a half hour,
Before Griffin was captured, foul
officers chased him several blocks after
flushing him under the house Of ms
last victim. The negro showed fght'
and the policemen fired at him seVeIa!
times, finally overpowerng him only 20
fight in his behalf against a FURIOUS
mob of negroes who wanted to lynch
him.
Arraigned before Recorder Broyles
little later. Griffin was bound over I'M
der the sum of $4,000 on three charges
az burglary and one charge Of assaul'
with intent to murder, and was sent -
the Tower in default OF bail
should Get go Years, Says Court.
"You should get So years on this
the recorder said "and then maybe
you'll feel that it's best to be soou.
Last year Griffin came up on three
charges. OF theft, burglary. and muir
der. respectively. but escaped prosecu-
ton on each,
Early this morning he broke into Inc
house of John Weems, a negro at 80
Culver street and then looting the
MACE openly. Weems awo<e, and Grif-
INN n him Hurled
AT close range. the lamp barely missed
Weems' head. and was shattered
aoainst the door Just beyond him GrIf-
I'm coollv continued his ransacking oil
the house, and then went next door
Notwithstanding the fact that Weems
had given the alarm, Griffin entered the
house of Mark Kirk negro woman "
Culver street The woman was awake
hut Griffin kept her quiet by the threat
~ shooting her. and she watched nm
rim rapidlv through her belongings.
Neoroes Threaten to Lynch Him.
The alarm had been given TO the po-
lice but before they came. the des-
perado entered two other houses OF the
neighborhood. Going into the home OF
Ed Redding, a negro, 81 Henry street
he began to loot. Redding attacked
him. and again Griffin resorted to the
use OF a lamp. He struck Redding in
the head with the vessel, knocking him
unconscious and infiicting wound that
sent his victim to the Grady hospital
in danger of death From Readings
house he obtained revolver
Armed. he broke into the house Of
Salhe Wilson. at IS Henry street. The
woman screamed. but he siienced her
with the menace Of the pistol, and took
several small articles.
About this time, the neighborhood
aroused. and Griffin took alarm. He
ran outside and sought to hide beneath
the house But four officers who had
responded to the Call-Captain Poole
and Patrolmen Watson, Anderson and
McWilliams-wer informed of his hid
ing place They chased him out and
followed him several blocks, shooting
as they ran. The negro finally was
cought and brought back to the neigh
borhood of his depredatlons
More than a hundred half clad ne
groes had formed a mob, threatening
Griffin. Some one shouted Lynch him, -
and the negroes became violent, at
tempting TO take Griffin from the Off
GERS. 1t was necessary to hustle him
through a fighting mob to the patrol
and 10 rush him to safety.