Mount Vernon signal., 1917-01-19
"HANG GOVERNOR
FIRST" Is DEFY
GOVERNOR STANLEY BUSHES TO
MURRAY ON SPECIAL TRAIN
TO PRESERVE ORDER.
PROTECT JUDGE AND PRISONER
Mo Guardsmen in State-Special Com
pany May Be Formed-Execu-
tive Threatened.

Western Newspaper Union News Service.
Murray, Ky-In line with his an
nounced intention to give the mob "a
chance to lynch the governor of Ken
lucky first" Governor A. o. Stanley ar
rived here and took charge of the sit
uation growing out of the threats
made by a mob against the lives of
Circuit Judge Charles Bush and Com
monwealth Attorney Denny Smith.
Governor Stanley was accompanied by
H. B. Hines, chairman of the state
prison commission, and Warden ]. B.
Chiffon of the Eddyville penitentiary.
The special train on which Govern
or Stanley arrived was left standing
with steam up, ready to take them
from Murray if further demonstrations
were made against their lives. Open
threats were made on the streets that
any attempt to remove Judge Bush
from Murray or to prevent the trial of
Lube Martin would place the govern
or's own life in danger.
Judge Bush, in conference with Gov
ernor Stanley, said ne ordered the ne
gro returned from Hopkinsville to save
his own life. Mob leaders assured the
governor that the negro would not be
harmed when returned for trial. Gov
ernor Stanley urged the mob to let the
law take its course and warned them
Of his determination to see that the
state was not disgraced by another
lynching He was listened to respect
fully.
While in Louisville, Governor Stan
ley telephoned to Hopkinsville advis-
ing that citizens there refrain from or
ganizing posse to go to the aid of
Judge Bush. He feared there would
be clash in Murray. Kentucky has
no militia except that on the border.
Judge Bush and Attorney Smith spent
several hours in hotel here guarded
by deputy sheriffs. The line of watch
ers extended almost to the judges bed
| room door.
The situation is a sequel to scenes
of disorder in the circuit court, after
| Judge Bush announced that the case
of Lube Martin, negro, charged with
killing Guthrie Duiguid, a white man,
would not be tried until next month.
The men in the courtroom became an
enraged mob. They surged almost
| against the judges desk, bowling that
the negro be tried at once, or that the
| Judge surrender himself in the negro's
| place. The judge remained cool and,
rising from his seat, attempted to ad-
dress the men, but his voice could not
be heard.
Threats to lynch both the Judge and
| the commonwealth attorney were
shouted. Others in the mob yelled
| that the hotel of the two men would
| be dynamited IL an order were not
made for the return of Martin. After
consultation between counsel and
Judge Bush, it was agreed to return
the prisoner for trial. The feeling
| against Martin has been intense in
| Galloway county since Duiguid was
shot to death several weeks ago. The
negro has been kept in jail at Hop
kinsville, for to have held him in Muir
ray would have been to invite the
moved to Murray under heavy guard
and would have been tried but for the
petition OF j. T. Holt, attorney ap-
pointed to defend him, that continu-
ance might be granted so that the evi-
dence might be fully developed. 1t
was felt that when announcement
would be made of a continuance mob
violence against the negro would be
attempted, so he was spirited away.