The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1916-01-11

to the last. BE sensible, men! II /
bring your prisoner out to you"
you can have five minutes, then, ;"
retorted the leader, taking out his
watch.
In his cell the wretched negro, hear
ing the clamor and knowing what 1t
portended, covered in terror. He
heard the cries cease and begin again.
Then he heard footsteps, the doo~ Of
his cell snapped open, and Artemus a2-
peared.
Save mel" pleaded he wretched
man.
Come with me-" answered the
sheriff.
He rushed him along the passage
and through his house into the little
garage where his car was waiting. He
pushed the negro inside.
Crouch down, and not a soundl" he
whispered.
He went back into the house, where
his little girl was still playing.
IT'S time for you to go to bed,
Dorothy he said.
The little girl began to put her
dolls together.
Never mind. I'll do that tonight"
he said.
Outside the crowd was waiting.
Their leader, watch in hand, counted
the half-minutes The time seemed to-
pass with incredible slowness. At last
the five minutes were up. The mob
advanced.
Come along, sheriff" shouted their
leader again.
There was no answer. He ham
mered upon the door. Times up!"
he yelled.
And, as no reply came, he began bat
tering at the panels. The mob, sus-
picious of trickery, brought forward
the plank with which they had
smashed down the outer doors.
Watch the back!" yelled their lead
er, as the sudden sound of cranking
engine reached their ears.
A concerted rush to the back doors
was made But before the mob
reached them they swung wide open.
There was moments pause-and out
sped the sheriff's machine, in it the
sheriff and the grotesque form Of the
panic-stricken negro.
So sudden was this maneuver that
the mob was taken aback. The rush
of the automobile scattered them.
shots were fired, but in the darkness
they went wide. The machine, gath
ering momentum, sped down the road.
For a moment or two Sheriff Arte-
mus breathed freely as he sped down
the road. Then the cries. which had
grown faint, began to become louder
again. Casting hurried look back
he saw the headlights of distant cars
pursuing him So the mob had come
in automobiles Everything seemed to
have been foreseen.
He let out his machine to the full.
He believed that he could outdistance
his pursuers. He heard family the
crack of revolvers behind him. but the
bullets did not reach him He was
distancing them. At the bend Of the
road, five miles from the prison, he
saw only tiny, distant flashes of light,
indicating the presence of the pursu-
ing machines.
He slowed down until he saw their
lights swiftly approaching, and, with
roar and rattle of his engine, started
again.
Yells of triumph pursued him. The
bullets Glove the air about him. He
put on speed. The distance remained
about the same. Then slowly he be-
gan to draw ahead of them.
He led them a dance that night that
was never forgotten. Mile after mile
was reeled of, until the gasoline be-
gan to fail. Three counties were
crossed. Still the sherin sped on, and
the pursuers, trailing of, began to lose
hope. Then the sheriff would slow
down and wait for them.
They caught him at dawn. Only
one car had followed him. but in 1t
were the leader Of the lynching party