The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1913-09-03
SICK Man LYNCHED
CHARLOTTE mob TAKES NEGRO
FROM HOSPITAL
Shoot HIM TO Death

Sto-med Good Samaritan Hospital
and Drag Victim to the Streets
Where His Body is Riddled With
Bullets.
The first lynching in the history OF
Mecklenburg county occurred at 2:15
O'Clock Tuesday morning, when a
mob of about thirty-fve men storm
ed the Good Samaritan hospital at
Charlotte, n. C., and took therefrom
the negro, Joe McNeely, who last
week shot Policeman L. L. Wilson
according to special to The Green
vile Daily Piedmont. The crowd
{ threw the negro in the street in front
Of the door and riddled him with
bullets, and thereupon dispersed up
on the instant.
The coup against law and order
vas planned and carried through
with a minimum of outward disturb
ance. 1t was whispered about the
streets in the hours just before mid
night that something unusual had
been planned but nobody knew ex-
actly what it was to be and most of
those who heard the rumors believed
that nothing would materialize, that
too large a percentage would recede
from their intentions when the criti-
cal moment came.
The probable success-if such a
word is permissible--of this under
taking was due to the secrecy in the
belief of the community's absolute
safety from such an uprising, the
authorities had permitted the negro
to remain in the hospital, instead OF
removing him to the county Jail, or
erom the county. There had been
considerable talk, it is said, but it
waa not Of the housetop variety and
seemingly nobody took it with suffi-
eient seriousness to take steps which
are ordinarily taken, such as calling
out the militia or placing squadrous
Of police.
The negro, who had been chained
to prevent the possibility Of his es-
cape, was in an upstairs room guard
ed by two policemen, Officers Earle
ton and Everett Earnhardt. About
one O'Clock it was noted that groups
Of men were standing about on back
streets, but the first real intimation
given the police was the detonation
Of fifteen or twenty pistols, as they
hurled their leaden missiles into the
prostrate form of Joe McNeely.
Only a few seconds, If at all, be-
fore the arrival of the mob, it seems,
did the authorities at the hospital
suspect anything uptoward. When
the crowd arrived, having pursued
their way thru the darkened streets
OF the negro settlement, they found
the hospital door shut and locked.
One man advanced to the door,
banged on it and called for Police
man Earnhardt.
you'll not get in this house to-
night" replied one Of the colored
women nurses sharply. For answer
the man hurled his weight against
the door which yielded and the crowd
thronged in and up the stairs Those
on the outside say they heard them
demand, (Which is the right one?"
"Show US the right one" The wo-
man shrieked in terror Never in the
history of Charlotte had just such a
scene been enacted.
The two policemen on guard lev
eled their reyolvers at the crowd and
ordered them to stand back, but the
vengeance seekers leaped upon them
and tore the pistols from their grasp.
"Then," said a spectator on the out
side, narrating his experience after
ward, eve heard the clinking OF the
chains as they brought him down the
stairs" The rest must have happened
in a very few seconds. A score of pIs-
tol flashed in the faint gas light and
from the helpless form on the ground
came not even moan.
The swiftness with which the mob
dispersed, according to those who
saw the occurrence, indicate their
confidence that their aim had been
deadly and that the object of their
feray had been accomplished. But
when the police station was notified
the patrol sent down and the negro's
body examined it was found that life
was not extinct. He was taken TO po-
lice headquarters.
y The greatest excitement naturally
prevailed in the hospital while the
unexpected visitors were acnleVlns
their gruesome mission. When the
mob demanded to know which was
the right one, Joe McNeely. whom
they sought, pointed to another ne
gro lying on bed On the other SIDE
Of the room. "That's the man, ne
cried. "He's the one you want"
'For the Lords sake, no." shouted
the other. "I'm not the one TIE
intruders forced one of the officers,
It is said to say which one was Nc
Seely. in order that a totally lnno-
cent man might not be the victim.
In the pistol duel last Friday IN
vt}eh Policeman Wilson was virtual
" shot from ambush as he rode on
his motorcycle to arrest McNeely' the
negro received two bullet wounds
neither of which proved to be serious
but they had necessitated hospital
treatment. McNeely, evidently under
the influence Of cocaine. was running
amuck on extreme South Tyron street
firing lis pistol at whomeVer ap-
preached. ,,r
effort to uncloak the identit! 81 tne
mob. At a special session the ooaFH