The Prescott daily news., 1919-09-29
OMAHA MOB LYNCHES NEGRO;
 KILLS MAYOR
Mob Fires Court House and Forces Sheriff to Give up Prisoner Hangs Mayor Up Twice, and He Later Dies.

Omaha, Neb., Sept. 2S.-A lynch ling, which developed many character istics of a race riot, held this city ter. rorized for nine hours today.
 l The riot centered about the mag nificent new court house building, which was set on fire in the efforts to reach William Brown, a negro charged with criminally attacking Agnes Loberck, white girl, few days ago.
 With the flames mounting steadily from floor to floor, Sheriff Mike Clark and his deputies fought bat tie of hours to save Brown, but at II o'clock with the cries of the 100 or more prisoners on the top floor the jail floor ringing in his ears, he was compelled to surrender the prisoner. l The latter was hurried to an cleo tric light pole and hanged.
 l Bremen were on the ground, but members of the mob upon whom they had turned streams of water had cut the hose and it was useless. Other fire companies brought more hose but lit was similarly rendered useless. l Meanwhile the progress of the l flames could, to an extent, be judged lby the smoke curling from windows; 1 Every available policeman was on the scene by seven o'clock but they were impotent in the hands of the thousands arrayed against them, and troops at Fort Omaha and Fort Crook were appealed for. It was II o'clock, however, the lynching was over, and the crowd beginning to dis perse before the soldiers entrained for the city.
 l For hours it was not known wheth- CT Sheriff Clark and the prisoners were alive or dead. There was no way to get word in or out of the building.
 Some faces, supposed to be those of
 deputies, could occasionally be dis cerned at the windows and from time to time the cries of the jail prisoners, Inow imprisoned as we'll by flame and
 smoke, could be heard above the
 shouts and cries of the mob.
 Sheriff Clark is believed to have
 surrendered Brown only when the |threat of death to his deputies and 1.-the other prisoners became too mem Iacing.
 | With the dispersal of the mob after the lynching, firemen were. able to Iget water on the flames which, it was Ireported, were checked at the fourth floor, one story below the jail. 1 Omaha, Neb, Monday, Sept 29.--
 Mayor Edward P. Smith, victim of 1.-two attempts at lynching Sunday af-s
 ternoon, died at 1:3O o'clock this
 morning as result of injuries re- ceived.
 Omaha, Neb., Monday, Sept. 29.
 The attempt to lynch Mayor Edward P. Smith was made during the after noon by the mob which later hanged William Brown, negro, to a light pole. A rope was thrown around his neck land he was pulled off the ground Itwice before two police officers suc- lceeded in cutting the rope and getting l him into an automobile and away Ifrom the mob.
 The mayor had gone to the court house and held consultation with Sheriff Clark. Emerging from the lcourt house, he met the mob and be- gan to make an appeal for law and| order. Somebody shouted lynch Ihim" and member of the mob threw Ia rope around his neck
 Half a dozen men dragged the mayor half a, block and threw the| loose end of the rope over a trolleyI| pole. Twice they drew the mayor's body from the ground Each time two police officers cut the rope. Fol-l lowing the second effort these officers| succeeded in getting the mayor into q police motor car and rushed him to surgeons office nearby The mayor was bleeding from his mouth and nose, and after brief exssnaina- ton by physicians, was taken to al