The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1919-09-30
Mob Overpowers
Officers, Seizes Two Ne
grOes Charged With AS
sault on White Women.
and Shoots Them to Death
by WIN. l.. GoRMLEY.

w AthiH d StCiEG knEOW Oh inc
state convict farm where negro
prisoners were being worked
by guards, Retious Phifer and
Robert Crosby, negro ex-sol.
der, were taken from three
deputies by a small band of
masked men and lynched at a
o'clock Monday afternoon
about four miles from Mont
gomery. Crosby lived about
fifteen times and severely
bruised by clubbing while held
by the mob members.
He was treated at an infirm-
airy, but died at the county Jail,
to which place he was removed
when a report was circulated
the mob was headed for the
hospital tonight.
Phifer was dressed in the
regulation uniform of the
United States army.
Thirty minutes after the mob dis
banded Crosby was taken to hos
pital for treatment. but the name OF
the hospital was kept secret as the
report was circulated the mob would
take him from the operating room ts
complete the job.
The 1ynching and sa0Oting wns the
elimination of n series of attacks ne
Eroes have made white women IN
Montgomery the past. month. Phifer
assaulted white giN about a month
ago, according to "a confession he made
from the witness chair In the Mont
gomery circuit court on Monday, when
he was arrnigned after being brought
from the county jail mt Mobile mt \
o'clock In the morning.
MAKES CONFESSION
Crosby. whose body was riddIed with
bullets and whose skull was fractured
by the mob. also In said to have con-
fessed to attacking an aged white wo-
man month ago.
Montgomery never before has >.its
Messed such sensational happenings d.
those of the past week, when "a teIe-
ph0ne operator was attacked ms she
went to her work. The negro who A.
alleged to have attacked her In now
snfd to be 10 the penitentfary for snfe
keeping. Street corner INDIGNATION
meetings were held during the week
and the newspapers received many
cnlls from persons claiming to know
that "there would be q lynchinE or
two during the night"
Phffcr and Crosky were arralgneA
In court Monday. Twenty special
deputies guarded the courtroom while
the trial was I'm progress. At 3:3e
negroes would be held for action by
the grand jury, Governor klIby was
asked over the telephone what should
be done with them.
DEPUTIES HEAR SHOTS
He Is said to have advised that they
he taken to the penitentiary, about II
miles from Montgomery. DeputIes
were carrying out the instructions of
the chief executive when the masked
band. at the point OF pistols and shot.
gums, demanded the negroes. While
the deputies were covered with the
guns other members of the masked
vine about 100 feet AWAY. The dcp-
uties could hear the pistol shots and
the disorder as the mob dubbed the
negroes with pieces of wood.
The negroes were In charge OF
Heating, Frixxle and Tucker
In an automobile. Deputy Tucker hnu
been protecting the DISCHARGED SOL
diers for n week. having spirited them
away from Montgomery to the Mobile
jail, returning with them at 5 o'clock
Monday morning.
Phifer was dressed In the full mil
form of the army. He Ii said to hive
served overseas. Crosby recently was
released from service. having been In
n training camp in the north.
REPORTS that n mob would stop the
deputies came to the Newspaper Of
fices ~ minutes after the nutomoblle
with the prisoners left the COURT
house The newspaper men reached
The scene shortly nfter the mob had
disbanded.
SCORES VISIT SCENE
Within 80 minutes the report was
circulated over the city and scores Of
nutomobfles were soon ON the road
leading to the scene. only q few miles
from the city.
Crosky wns taken in an automobile
to MontgOmery hospital for treat
ment.. He was shot through the chest
several times. through the head and
other parts Of the body. He regained
consciousness long enough to ask that
his shoes be taken off, saying he ala
not wish to die with them ON.
before the body of Phffer had been
taken from the ravine where the lynch-
Ing occurred, eoroner's jury. hurriedIy
organized I'm Montgomery. found he had
rome to his death by being shot and
dubbed By persons unidentified.
among the persons to view the boAy
u the dend negro was Judge Lloyd
Tate supernumerary judge of the state.
Frightened negroes living ON the
road leading to the penltentiaPy
stopped their work in the corn fields,
barrfcaded the doors - their homes,
and during the early hours OF the night
hey went to their homes. fearing other
trouble would break ont.
During the past month four white
women In Montgomery have been att
lacked. and In one case. 1t IN alleged.
! negro ex-sOldier was the guilty PER-
son.