The Columbus dispatch. (Columbus, Miss.) 19??-1922, 1919-06-29
NLEVHLE NEGRO
LYNCHED BY MOB
CAPTURED AFTER WEEKS
HUNT-NEGROES HELP
HIS CAPTURE.
HANGED THURSDAY
MOnstrOus Treatment of White
Woman Enrages Southern
Section of State.

South Mississippi counties by posses
which included several hundred men,
bers of his own race, John fairfield,
negro, confessed assailant of an Ell
lisville young woman, was captured
desperately wounded near Collins at
daybreak this morning, rushed by au-
tomobile to the scene of his crime,
hanged to a gum tree and then burned
to ashes. His victim witnessed the
lynching.
While negroes took no part in the
actual lynching of fairfield, posse
leaders freely admitted they rendered
valuable assistance during the chase
knowing when they enlisted that it
was intended to lynch the fugitive
when he was captured. Many of them
witnessed the execution.
The lynching was conducted in a
manner which the authorities charac-
terized as orderly"
Guarded by a committee of citizens
Of Ellisville, fairfield was taken first
to the office of DIR. A. j. Carter, who,
after examination of gunshot wounds
received when the fugitive made his
fight against capture, declared the
negro could not live more than "a
hours. In the meantime group of
silent men were piling cross-ties and
brush in depression in the ground
near the railroad trestle. There was
no shouting Arrangements apparent
" had been made days ago.
"You Have the Right Man.
Tbe victim 81 HarHeId's crime was
escorted into the physician's office
fts be wounds had been exasnned.
She positively identified him as her
assailant. When she left the negro
said to the committee: "You have the
right man."
Then there were quiet conferences.
Members of the committee circulated
in the crowd. Reports that there
would be a burning" at 5 O'Clock
gave way to statements that there
would be hanging" at the big gum
tree. Hartfield was told what the
crowd intended doing with him but
only repeated: "You have the right
man" Later he said he knew he was
going to die and declared he wished
to warn "all men, white and colored,
to think before doing wrong"
fairfield was not taken to jail,
although earlier reports were that he
had been lodged there. From the
doctors office he was taken to the
street and faced the crowd. you
have the right man." he reiterated.
Then a moose found its way around
his neck and the trip to the big gum
tree was started, the crowd still on-
inously silent.
Under the big gum tree Hartfeld
f0rcibly detained his victim all of the
night of Sunday, June Is. 1t was
under limb of the same gum tree
that fairfield was hanged as soon
as the rope could be pulled up by
hundreds of hands. Then occurred
the first demonstration. While the
body was in its death struggles, pis-
tolls were produced by men in the
crowd and fired point blank at the
swinging form. Before the rope had
been cut by bullets, burning fagots
we're thrown under the body and an
hour later there was only a pile of
ashes.
BilbO POwerless.
The victim with her aged mother
witnessed the execution. When she
reached her home, two hundred yards
away, she was informed that more
than $1,000 had been subscribed for
her use by persons in the crowd.
No arrests were made after the
lynching and tonight the little town
was quiet. Most of the visitors from
the surrounding country left for their
hemes
Petitions to Gov. Bilbo to prevent
the threatened lynching brought
reply from that executive to the ef-
feet that he was utterly powerless,'
as the state had no troops. Eur
Lhermore." the governor was quoted
Is saying, excitement is at such
high pitch through South Mississippi
) hat any armed attempt to interfere
with the mob would doubtless result
n the deaths of hundreds of persons. /
The negro has confessed, says he is
ready TO die and nobody can keep the
Inevitable from happening"