Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1919-04-25
WOODROW WILSON
Negro Makes Escape AS Police
Repel Mob.

Isaiah Fountain, colored, escaped from
custody last Monday night after an at
tempt had been made to lynch him.
Fountain was on trial at Easton. Md,
charged with feloniously assaulting a thir-
teen-year-old white girl April list. The
girl had identified him as her assailant.
Fountain was being taken to jail from
court by guard of Baltimore police through
crowd of more than 1000 persons, which
became so threatening in its attitude to-
ward the prisoner that the officers turned
into the residence Of the sheriff, adjoining
the Jail. While they were holding the
mob back the accused negro was pushed
inside the house, and seeing an open win
dow he darted throughit and disappeared
He got several hours start of his pursuers
owing to the fact that the mob refused to
believe that he had gotten away.
In an effort to prevent the lynching Of
Fountain. should he be captured. Chief
Judge Adkins announced that a reward
of $4,000 would be given to the person
court room uninjured.
Judge Adkins in opening court expressed
the hope that Fountain would be brought
back for trial. He said the escape, blame
for which he would not lay cast blot
upon the county which could not be wiped
off for many years. He urged the crowd
to remember that to try the case at once
other counties had been held up in their
judicial work. and asked the public to CO.
operate with the authorities in preventing
more serious disgrace from coming upon
Talbot county.
Fountain was showed bodily in the door
of the Jail, and once inside Mrs. Annie E..
Stitchbury, wife Of the Sheriff, crawled in
to the jail Office, because she feared that
the mob might begin shooting through the
windows. Fountain put into effect the
command of Mrs. Stitchbury to drop to
the floor and crawl" and he crossed the
Office and sprang to the window sill lead
dow was open and Fountain went through
it, crawling out on the roof Of the small
shed covering stairway into room be-
meath.
Mrs. Stitchbury grabbed at the negro as
he went through the aperture and sue
ceeded in getting hold of his leg. but was
unable to hold him because of the frenzied
strength which he put into play in his
endeavor to get away. Mrs. Stitchbury
said that If she had had her revolver she
would have emptied 1t into the body of
the negro as he went out.
The attitude Of the crowd was menacing,
and when Mrs. Stitchbury appeared on the
porch to announce that the negro had
escaped she was Kissed. and the call
You're damned liar T. was hurled at
her. From that time until midnight the
crowd stood around the jail. threatening to
batter down the doors in an effort to get
at Fountain, who was believed to be in
side still Mrs. Stitchbury went out sec
ond time and spoke to the crowd, offering
to let a committee Of five make a search
of the jail to substantiate her statement
that the negro had gone.
Five well-known men were selected and
they went through the jail. On their tour
they saw four negroes being held on minor
charges in cells and saw that none Of these
was Fountain. and. going back outside,
the chairman told the crowd that Foun-
tain was not in the Jail. This statement
was received in the same manner that
characterized Mrs. Stitchbury's remarks.
Eugene 0Dunne. counsel for Fountain,
himself put up $3.50 to start a new fund
to be used as a reward for the apprehen-
sion Of the escaped negro. this in addition
to the $4,000 offered by the State for
Fountains capture
Since the above was put in type, Fountain
has been captured and safely lodged in
the Easton jail. He was in hiding in an
old barn near Hartley, Delaware. just over
the State line. and offered no resistance to
the squad Of officers that made the arrest.
The capture was effected on Wednesday
and the trial proceeded with the next day.