The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-09-03
EIGHT GOVERNORS OF ALABAMA
184-19O1
No. 54-Riotous Times and Faithful Soldiers
Edward A. ON eal Governor
1874-t9O1

onel returned with the main body to
Montgomery.
Birmingham had now increased to 1000
or 5000 population A large proportion
Of the population consisted of day Ia
borers at the furnaces, new openings and
improving new strets and building new
houses They were men of little educa-
tien mostly hastily gathered from distant
counties and adjoining States Bar rooms
flourished.
white child, female of tender years.
had been cruelty assaulted by some man
and desperately injured. mob of sew
eral hundred men singled out hurley
ignorant negro, named Wesley Posey,
as the guilty man. Pending this excite
ment Posey was indicted by the grand
jury. The Indictment was probably rem
dered to relieve the man from the peril
Of the mob. A few days before this
negro named Houston had been taken out
of iail by mob and hung until dead.
Pssey, after Indictment, was put in Jail
and there remained.
T. A Anderson was sheriff. The dep
uty, r. II. Haygood, however, had parac-
tical control. December T. 1888, Haygood
telegraphed to the governor asking for an
addition of three companies of the state
guard to that part of the force domiciled
there. The local state guard was one
company of infantry. the Birmingham
company OF artillery with only one or
two pieces under Capt. Robert j.. Lowe.
AT the same time the presiding Judge
of the circuit court, then in session at
Birmingham, S. II. Sprott, sent the fol-
lowing telegram
Birmingham, Ala. December 4. 1888.
Gov. f. A. O'Nea; Mob threatens to
hang negro charged with rape. He has
been indicted and there is no reason why
he cannot be tried at this time. He is
now concealed; but the crowd is violent
and threatening to take the law in their
own hands. Court is suspended and un-
adjourned. She sheriff says he has not
adjourned. She sheriff says he has not
sufficient force to quell the mob
IS. II. SPROTT."
The governor Immediately sent for Col
onel Jones. BY order of the commander
in-chief Adjt. Gen j. n. Gilmer instructed
him to proceed at once to Birmingham.
In five hours the colonel left the train
at Fourteenth street at the head of two
companies, the "Grays'' and the True
Blues from Montgomery. The first
named under Capt. e. A. Graham and the
latter under Capt. A. b. Garland Jr.
These troops were marched to the city
hall, two blocks from the courthouse and
Jail. There they found Maj. W. j. Cam
eron awaiting with Captain Thompson's
Rifles. now under Lieut.. F. NJ. irwin. and
dark, the city being unlighted as yet.
There was no lights on the streets ex-
cept that which escaped from private
residences or stores.
Colonel Jones marched to the court
house and jail, where ne found abundant
signs of the spirit of the mob With
fixed bayonets he cleared the yard and
sidewalks of the men that thronged
them, posted guards and telegraphed for
more troops. Many lawless men hung
around making demonstrations of riot,
throwing stones and cursing what they
denounced as 'the foreign troops" come
to settle the local affair.
The street was densely packed. The
colonel was convinced his men would
be run over in minutes time. He
gave the order to Captain Thompson to
resist. The captain was then a victim
of the lung disease that soon cost him
his young, hopeful life. The night air
proved too much for him. He said,
colonel, have lost my voice. Colonel
Jones then gave the order, Ready"
Every gun flew to the shoulder. AL
most escaped his lips, fire. But some
thing did appear. The colonefs eye
caught the figure of a young man NOV
ing through the riotous crowd, as if
he were not of 1t. The spectacle de-
layed the fatal word. Mayor Lane had
pushed his way to the front of the dense
thronS. quickly signs OF dropping out
from its mass showed themselves. The
mayors words had inspired second
thought and the riot was over. Re
cover. arms" ans the dull thud of
the muskets striking as one on the wet
ground was the signal of restored or
der
The reinforcements ordered arrived
early the next morning. Lieutenant
Colonel Amerine brought up the
Greenville Light Guards, Capt. r. G..
Porter, and the Lee Light Infantry,
Lieut. j. Q. Burton, and some of the
Montgomery True Blues under Lieut.. r.
H. Davis. Altogether about 700 men
were under arms
Deputy Sheriff Haygood had adroit-
ly slipped Wesley Posey out of Jail
to place of concealment on Village
creek Some of the troops under Lieu
tenant Colonel Amerine were detached
TO return him to Jail
There was a formal triak The mob
spirit had not been quenched only de.