The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1916-01-25
five HUNG ON ONE
LIMB IN STARKSVILLE
MOB STORMED JAIL AND TOOK
NEGROES IMPLICATED IN MUIR
DER OF SHERIFF MORELAND.
Continued from page one.

me and demanded the keys.
Il refused to tell them where the
keys were or to give them any as
sistance. They searched my pockets
and took a Smith & Wesson pistol, a
pocket knife, $3.50 in money and a
bunch of keys. When they found
would not help them in any way they
began to search for the Jail keys,
which were kept locked in a steel
vault. The key to this vault was
among those taken from my pocket,
and after some time spent in search
they finally unlocked the vault and
found them.
LAS soon as they got possession of
the keys they went through the Jail,
took out the five negroes and left.
suppose the crowd numbered as many
as seventy-five, and they were in be-
tween ten and fifteen automobiles.
None of the cars came in sight and
none of the crowd was seen until the
three men had secured me-"
They carried me to small bath
room in the Jail building, and two
men htpI llS IhSI0 WAIIS IliG S1OW u
was searching for the keys and going
through the Jail. They tied my hands
but when they were through united
my left hand and ran off. By this
time the alarm had been given and
as soon as the mob left a number of
citizens came up and assisted me.
Il had twenty-three prisoners in
the jail, but none were molested or
harmed except the five taken away.
They searched for Jim Keith and ask
ed about him, but he was not in the
jail at all. The crowd was orderly
and the men I saw were not masked.
There was no evidence that any of
the crowd WAS drinking, and the only
three that got close to me were GER
tainly not. These three were all
strangers to me. None of the others
came close enough to be recognized.
The men did not give me back
my pistol, knife nor money"
The Tragedy.
Sheriff Moreland was shot and
mortally wounded when he with his
two brothers, Barlow and Simpson
Moreland, and Jim Dozier went to
the Lake home at Doles to arrest Jim
Keith, who had prior to that time
been li"'ing in Lee county, but on that
day had left, moving to Worth coun-
ty near Doles, taking with him mule
on which it is understood that Jim
| DoZier, a white planter of Lee cOun-
| ty, held a mortgage. Upon learning
of the negro's plans to move and take
! the mule with him Mr.. DOzier called
on the sheriff to assist him in detain-
ing the negro.
The sheriff deputized his brother
| to accompany Mr.. Dozier, and the
| two men followed Keith with view
| to obtaining possession of the mule.
Keith, on a buggy with his wife, was
Overtaken about o'clock in the af-
ternoon near Doles, and when they
made their business known the ne
gro resented, it is reported, drawing
pistol from the foot of the buggy
and attempting to fire upon the two
white men his pistol swapping. At
| this juncture Mr.. Moreland and Mr..
Dozier are reported to have fired,
one ball taking effect, inficting the
! Slight wound in the negro's thigh,
and another is reported to have
slightly injured his wife. Keith ran
and made his getaway through the
woods.
Sheriff Moreland, at Leesburg, was
| then communicated with, his brother
requesting him to come to the scene
and to bring his dogs. The sheriff
and the other brother, Simpson More
land, hurried to the scene; the track
was Immediately taken up by the
dogs and followed about a mile to a
house occupied by the Lakes The
four men went to the house and hail
ing, three men are reported to have
come out and a little later two more;
they were held by the authorities
and upon them protesting that Jim
! Keith was not in the house Sheriff
Moreland started in to see for him
self and about this time the negro
who did the shooting made his APP
pearance in the hall and fired with
out warning. Seriff Moreland fell
prostate, and when the other three
men went to his assistance the ne
groes, a half dozen or more in num-
Der, are reported to have run, clear
ing the house almost instantly.
They were later apprehended by
the Worth county authorities and in
carcerated in the jail at Sylvester.