Republican farmer., 1919-10-03
MAYOR IS NEARLY
 LYNCKED BY MOB
Rope Placed to Hang Him But Wiser Counsels
 Prevail.

Omaha, Sept. 29-After a night of mob rule during which a negro was Iynched, an attempt to hang the may or of Omaha, Edward P Smith, the county courthouse was burned, one
 man shot and killed, and perhaps for ty others injured, the city was quiet today under patrol of federal troops from Fort Crook and Fort Omaha The mayor is at a hospital and was still unconscious early today as a re- suit of the attempt made by the mob to hang him to a trolley pole, be- cause he advised against the lynching of William Brown, a negro, who was in the county jail charged with at- acking a white girl on the outskirts of the city early last week.
 Mayor Smith was seized by the mob on 17th Street, near the court house, about ten o'clock and was threatened with 1ynching. He was hustled to Harney street and stopped at the foot of a trolley pole on the cross-arm of which was a coil of rope.
 Give us the key to the jail.'' eff we can't get the nigger we'll lynch you.' Hes no better than the nigger.' He's negro lover'' were shouts heard among the mob.
 Get that rope,' shouted some one. It was pulled down by a loose end but was not long enough to reach. A man climbed the pole and cut the rope. It was brought down and placed around the neck of the mayor.
 Throw it up over the pole and string the mayor up," yelled a dozen voices. But then protests began to be heard.
 We won't stand for hanging the mayor" several men shouted.
 Then two officers cut the rope, car riad the mayor to an automobile and rushed him to a hospital.
 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 dc with some of the remarks made by m enbers of the mob.
 The fire that was started in the court house left that structure a mass of ruins. The property was valued at a million and a half dollars. The damage to the records could not De estimated early today but it is be- ieved many have been destroyed be- yond reclamation. Statistics vital to county affairs since the county was organized are believed to be badly damaged.
 For several hours the lives of more than 100 prisoners in the county jail were endangered by the flames on the lower floors of the building. It was : finally necessary to take them all to the roof. Sheriff Clark stood off the angry mob until the flames caused 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. At this moment the mob had gained en- , trance to the burning building, pushed past Sheriff Clark and his deputies and forced their way into the cell corridor and there the negro was turned over over to them.
 Throwing a rope around his neck these men. numbering about fifty, dragged him to the ground floor. down stihing stairways and through the blinding smoke to the street. When they appeared at the Harvey street entrance to the court house they were greeted by a shouting mob of thou sands.
 Brown was practically dead before he was hanged. Two bullets were fired into his body as he was drag ged through the crowd.
 Browns body was mutilated be- | yond recognition. Riddled by a thou
 sand bullets it was at first placed 1 over a fire of tarred fagots. II was 1 not permitted to remain there long,
 however. and was soon being drag ged through streets at the end Of a
 rope pulled by members of the mob Late in the morning, what remained | of the torso was hung to a trolley i pole at one of the most important l downtown intersections
 ] Omaha, Sept. 29-Mayor Smith was still in a critical condition this
 morning, reports from the hospital | indicated. It was stated that he had
 recovered consciousness, but that it was too early to make any definite statement as to his condition. Mayor Smith is 59 years old and is Democrat in politics. He is a lawyer
 and practiced his profession until
 chosen mayor a year ago last May, 1 to succeed James c. Dahlman, who had held that office for 12 years Sheriff Michael L. Clark today told