Evening star., 1919-09-29

city was quiet today under patrol of
federal troops from Fort Crook and
Fort Omaha.
The mayor is at hospital as a
by the mob to hang him to trolley
pole, because he advised against the
1ynching of William Brown. negro,
who was in the county Jail. charged
with attacking a white girl on the
outskirts of the city early last week.
The condition Of Mayor Smith was re-
ported by his physicians to be sligtly
improved today. The mayor, who suf-
fered from cuts and fractured bones,
recovered consciousness at noon.
Mayors First Question.
When Mayor Smith regained con-
sciousness his first question of hos
pital attendants was. What did they
do with the colored MANI"
He was tsld.
The mayor was unable to give a CO.
herent story of the mob's attack on
him. He had been on the roof Of the
courthouse and had just come down
to ask the mob to obey the law when
he was seized. During the attack he
lost his watch. but he is to receive
another tomorrow. his birthday ami
versary. as a gift from his wife and
daughter.
During all the time the mob was
at work yesterday a twelve-year-old
Boy Scout stationed himself at a
.Tected traffic. He stayed on the job
all night and well into the morning.
The mob. reports show, was COM
posed for the most part of young
men and boys. but the police were
powerless to check them Criticism
lack Of leadership In the organfxa-
tion Of the forces combating the mob.
Mayor Smith was sefzed by the
mob on 18th. street. near the court
house. about 10 o'clock. He was hus-
tied to .Harney street and stopped at
cross-arm of which was coil of
rope.
Demand Key to jail.
-Give US; the key to the jail.'' III
We can't. get the negro we'll lynch
you!' Hes no better than the mig
ger!' Hes a negro lover" were
shouts heard among the mob.
1t was pulled down by loose end.
but was not long enough to reach. A
man climbed the pole. and with a
knife cut the rope. 1t was brought
down ard placed around the neck Of
the mayor.
Throw it up over. the pole and
string the mayor up! yelled dozen
voices. The mayor was the center OF
q crush SO great that 1t almost over
threw an automobile standing near.
The rope was placed around the
bflity of numbering the city's chief
executive. protests began to be heard.
I'VE won't stand for hanging the
mayorr THAT won't get us the mig
ger" Let i'm go!' Tell i'm to get
out of here.' Then two officers cut
q q ms n Al n.
tomobile and rushed him to a hos
pital.
The mayors law firm is at present
defending two negroes charged with
assaults on white women. The police
assert that that fact had much to do
with some of the remarks that were
made by members of the mob who
had hand in the attempt against his
life.
Courthouse a Mass Of Ruins.
The fire that was started in Ae
courthouse left that structure a mass
OF runs. The property was valued at
. million and a half dollars.
For several hours the lives OF more
than 100 t,rlsoi.ers in the county Jail
were endangered by the flames in the
lower noora of the building. 1t was
finally necessaryeto send them all to
the roof. Sheriff Clark stood OF the
prisoners themselves to take action.
They at first decided among them
selves to throw the negro from the
roof to the pavement below and leave
him to the destruction of the mob. 1t
was at this moment that the mob
that had gaiped entrance to the burn
ing building pushed past Sheriff Clark
and ms deputies and forced their way
into the cell corridor. Here it was
that the negro was turned over to
them.
Throwing a rope around his neck,
these men. numbering about fifty.
dragged him to the ground f1oor,
down sitting stairways and through
binding smoke to the street. When
they appeared at the Harney street
entrance to the courthouse they were
greeted by a bowling mob of thou
sands.
Brown was practically dead before
his form was ever strung to the light
pole. Two bullets we're fired into bis
body as he was dragged through The
crowd. He was never heard to utter
a word and he was not given an op-
portunity to speak before being
stretched full length before the gaze
OF thousands.
Negro's Body Riddled.
Browns body was mutilated beyond
bullets. it was first placed over a fire
of tarreo Iagots. 1t was not permit
ted to remain there long, however,
and was soon being dragged through
the streets at the end of a rope pulled
by fifty members of the mob This
! spectacle did not end pntil late in the
morning hours. when what remained
of the torso was hung to a trolley
pole at one of the most important
downtown intersections. The arrival
Of the federal troops caused a dis
persal of the mob.
Sheriff Michael L. Clark today told
the story of how Brown finally came
into the possession Of the mob.
''The deputy sherins had orders ia
hold Brown and they did all in their
power to do so." said Clark. when
the flames and smoke crowded US of
the fourth floor, Commissioner Rim
ger. Chief Eberstein. Mayor Smith
and some police officers started for
the freight elevator. The last men
into the elevator were Mayor Smith,
frnrf;n,nI1 ~, Eiuth Dc~~ 4 -----7