Evening journal., 1919-04-24
TROOPS in EASTON
PROTECT FOUNTAIN
Continued from FlrsL -age.

! Continued from Flrsl axe.
TONED inside and outside the court
house and around the jail ready for
any emergency.
Aside from keeping spectators back
| ihey were not called upon 10 do much.
as no effort was made by the crowd to
attack Fountain.
: Governor Harrington, ii was said to-
day, ordered the militia 10 Easton
/ after he had been told that mob was
forming In Delaware 10 swoop down
upon Easion and lynch Fountain.
This rumor later was discovered 20
be unfounded, but the Governor did
not recall the soldiers and they and the
special policemen and deputy sherifs
twill remain on duty until the excite
ment subsidies.
Fountains trial Is expected 10 be fn-
ished sometime this afternoon. This
hmorning was devoted 10 going over the
Fcvidence presented on Tuesday. before
Fountain escaped from the custody Of
Sheriff Stichberry. and 10 hearing ad-
ditional evidence tending 20 show THAT
he had assaulted the little Simpson girl
/ near Easton.
Special policemen and guards took
charge OF all roads leading into Easton
last night and turned back all auto
mobiles whose passengers could not
give a good reason for visiting the
town. This precaution was taken 20
prevent a surprise attack on the Jail,
because OF the lynching rumors. II
was estimated that nearly 1000 auto
mobiles, mostly with persons curious
70 learn whether any attempt would
be made 20 lynch Fountain, were
turned back BY the highway police
men.
Four men claim the 5000 reward Of
fered for Fountains arrest. A farmer
asserts he captured the Negro at the
point OF his rifle in his own barn. A
station agent declares he recognized
Fountain and caught him. A police
man and a detective also claim the re-
ward.
Another Negro, Fred Lawrence. is in
the lookup. charged with having
driven the wagon, in which Fountain
escaped.
EAsTON. Md, April 2i.-After a man
hunt Of forty-eight hours, Isaiah Foun-
tain, colored, who escaped from the
county jail here Monday night. where
he was awaiting trial for alleged assault
on Bertha Simpson. a -year-old
white child, was caught at Hartley. Del,
yesterday afternoon.
Although thousands had engaged in
pursuit OF the man, actuated by a de-
sire TO lynch him when caught. 70 re-
mained for a farmer L. L. Montague, oil
Hartley, 10 eventually secure Fountain
and qualify for rewards reaching 5000. /
All business and the usual farming
occupation Of the community has been
suspended since Fountain escaped, the /
county being searched far and wide by |
angry crowds Of men on foot, horse, ]
or in automobiles.
Secure from the slsht OF passers-by, |
the car. with its trembling captive. was /
driven at forty-fve miles an hour 20 |
the Easton Jail. and the prisoner deliv- /
cred 20 the sheriff. News Of the cap
ture quickly spread, and hundreds OF /
armed farmers began 10 gather.
The crowd was swayed from their
purpose Of lynching by addresses from
W. Mason Sheehan, Mayor Francis G..
Of Easton; Judge William
II. Adkins and Eugene 0Dunne, Of Bal
timore. counsel for the Negro. His trial
was resumed today and IL convicted will
be hanged. Martial law
has been declared and Governor Har-
rington has sent the State militia here
10 keep Fountain from being taken
from Jail and lynched
DOVER, Del, April 2i.-lsaish Foun-
lain, colored, who escaped from the
Talbot county Jail, at Easton, Md, on
Monday. where he was held for assault
ng ii-year-Old Bertha Simpson, Of
Trappe, Md, was arrested yesterday
afternoon on the farm Of colored man
lamed Ford near Hartley.
Fountain arrived at the Ford home
md asked for work. shortly after
wards some OF the people OF Hartley |
heard that a strange Negro had been
seen in the neighborhood and a posse
consisting Of z. l.. Montague, William
Montague. Fred Willing. George B. Stot-
en and Lyman p. Stotten was organ
zed. They went 10 the Ford farm and
after some questioning were told that no
strange Negro was in that vicinity. In
he meantime Baltimore and Easton de-
ectives arrived on the scene and Ford
old them the same story.
One Of the stottens and William Mon
ague were not satisfied with the story
old by Ford and made a search OF the
,arn. Fountain was found hiding un-
Ter some hay. He was pulled out and
urned over 10 the Maryland authori-
les. They took the prisoner back TO
yaston without even the formality OF
skiing for requisition papers.
Richard Dixson lcolored), who was
Irrested on suspicion Of being con-
,erned in Fountains escape, Still is
icing held In Jail. DiXson was out in
IN automobile virtually all OF Monday
light. He returned between and 2
!. m. with bearings burned out OF his
Machine. which had been driven so
lard that the engine was still hot at
a. m. Dixson said that he had taken
wo women TO Centerville and will
make no other explanation OF why his
machine was driven so hard during the