Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1919-09-03
KNOXVILLE JAIL sTCissinD.
Sheriff Saved His Prisoner, by Re-
mOval to Chattanooga.

had Deen removed to Chattanooga
and inspections Of the Jail by three
separate committees OF citizens, a 4
mob tonight stormed the Knox
; county Jail in search Of Maurice f.
| Mayes, negro who had been ar
rested as suspect in connection
with the murder of Mrs. BERTHE Lind
sey early this morning.
! In a series Of fights between
| deputy sheriffs, police officers and
militiamen and members of the mob
IN the jail corridors and outside the
building, several men were wounded.
In the confusion all were taken away
~" ore their identity could be
learne>, excepting National Guards
men, wl.o were beaten, but not seri-
ously .iurt, aud were able to remain
on 1dty. One man was carried away
by friends unconscious and suffering
from what appeared to be serious
wound on the head
| Most of the window glass in the
jail was shot out; one front window
and the main door were battered in
and all other exposed windows
broken during the disorder.
Mrs. Lindsey was shot to death in
her home at 2.3O o'clock Saturday
morning as she was preparing to
leap from a window to escape
negro. Her neice, who was sleeping
with her, was threatened by the
same negro. The two women were
alone in the house.
The negro Mayes, who had been
arrested Nen days ago for proWling
about a house occupied by another
white family, was taken into GUS
tody in connection with the murder
an hour after the crime was,s com
mitted. He had been at home only
a short time. Mayes denied his
guilt. %sE.t.iN.
Fearing possible violence, Sheriff
Cate took Mayes to Chattanooga byt
a roundabout way this afternoons
Jail Delivery and Robbery. 93
Knoxville, Tenn, Aug. S1.---As q.
result Of the rioting here last night,
and early tod dayf there iB not Ea = firea,
arm Of any description to be found
in store in the. city. Plate glass
windows were crashed in, locks
forced and in some cases doors
knocked from their hinges in an
effort to secure weapons.
Deputy Sheriff Hall, day jailer at
the county Jail, declared that all
prisoners who escaped had been re-
leased by the mob and that none
"ele tuIlleu OUT ny tHe OiHCefS lnem-
selves
The mob which broke it's way into
the Jail and the residence Of Sheriff
Cate, adjoining, was not satisfied
with damaging property, but every
thing Of value, including money,
guns, whislley, clothing, books. were
taken. Part of the Jail records were
destroyed
For little while the mob con-
tented itself with shouting and
shooting into the air. Soon they
began pounding on the heavy iron
bars Of one Of the front windows,
began swarming into the Jail and
the jailer and deputies were over
powered. Heavy timbers we're
brought up through the mob, passed
from hand to hand over the heads
OF the men. Using these as bat
tering ram. they attempted to force
the doors to the white cells.
Failing with the battering rams,
guns were brought into play, and in
this way the locks were broken and
all white men confined on the upper
floors were released
One Of the federal prisoners told
the men that he did not want to
escape. 81 only have eighteen more
days to serve and | don I want to
get into trouble" he said = rough
voice replied:
Get out Of here. or we will kill
J you."
While this mob was releasing pris-
oncrs another was looting the Jail.
Every revolver, all the prisoners
money, almost all the food on hand,
Il trunk Of clothes belonging to the
jailcr. and even bed covering and
medicine was stolen.
Then aftcr they had looted tho iail
they went through the sherif's
house. which adjoins. There they
took cvom ;thc children's dresses,
besides breaking windows and de-
stroying such property as could not
be taken with them.
Soldiers Badly Beaten.
The first soldiers who arrived on
the scene, oixtecn men and one OFF,
Ger, were ovcrpowcred. some of them
disarmed and eight badly beaten.
An hour later $50 soldiers rein
forced the early squads.
After the doors Of the county iail
had been battered down q number
Of prisoners escaped through the
crowd.
AmonG them were several con-
victed OF first degree murder and one
under sentence to be electrocuted.
sam Huffmaker, an alleged murder
er from Sewer county, was among
the prisoners who refused to leave
the Jail.
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