Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1919-04-25
FOUNTAIN BREAKS
OUT OF JAIL

escaped from the home OF Sheriff
James stitchberry Just after he had
been led from the Courthouse follow
ing the closing Of the first day Of his
trial for an alleged assault on 13-year-
old Bertha Simpson, and at late hour
he was being pursued by the Sheriff.
contingent OF Baltimore police and a
mob Of 1000 enraged persons.
The State closed its case at 10
o'clock and everything went against
the negro. The girl bad Identified him
and witnesses had testified that they
had seen him in the neighborhood on
the afternoon OF the alleged crime.
Talk Of lynching had followed the
Identification, but the crowd that filled
the Courthouse during the day and
night and stood about the building
made no threats until after the ad-
journment Of court.
1t was estimated that 1000 persons
were packed in the Courthouse yard
following the clearing Of the court
room and IT was through this mass OF
enraged humanity that the Sheriff and
the Baltimore police led the negro
on the way to the Jail, which is rs
yards in the rear OF the Courthouse
The negro was not handcuffed. a pre-
caution that many thought the Sheriff
and police should have taken.
A path was opened through the
crowd from the Courthouse to the en-
trance to the sheriff's home. When
the negro got almost to the steps Of
the sheriff's home the crowd closed in.
shouting: Get him" One man was
seen to have several yards Of rope and
another got near enough to put his
hands on the negro.
The 10 police from Baltimore held
back the mob and the sheriff hustled
the negro up the steps. Mrs. Stitch
berry, wife of the sheriff. opened the
door and the officer rushed the negro
inside. The move OF the sheriff was to
take Fountain to the jail. the entrance
to which is through the sheriff's home,
but the negro saw an open window,
jumped through II and darted down a
road to the southwest, past what IS
known as the gas house. and along the
road to Trappe.
The Baltimore police were still
standing guard with drawn pistols at
the entrance to the sheriff's home and
the crowd being in front OF the house
did not see the negro leave. Sheriff
Stitchberry fred one shot from his
pistol at the fleeing negro then quickly
opened the door and told the police to
follow him.
Sheriff Stitchberry and the police
got good start as the mob hesitated
to believe that the negro had escaped,
but thought that the sheriff was trying
ruse on them. In the meantime Mrs.
Stitchberry came to the door and told
the crowd that it was true that the
negro had escaped.
The 1000 persons then left in the di-
rection the negro was seen running
and man-hunt started in full swing
with the sheriff and the police trying
to outdo the crowd. which was bent on
lynehing. Later the crowd became
dissatisfied with the chase and. beliey-
ing that the negro was still in jail,
returned and stoned the jail They
started to break down the door when
Mrs. Stitchberry appeared and invited
committee OF five to search the
sheriff's house and the jail.
After looking in every nook and
corner the committee returned to the
crowd and with the word that the
negro was not there. Not satisfied, the
crowd demanded that second com
mittee make an investigation and Mrs.
Stitchberry consented. In the mean
time Sheriff Stitchberry had lost trail
of the negro and returned to the jail.
Many persons questioned the escape
and Stitchberry replied Il have never
tied to you in my life. VIII you help
me to run down the negro?"
The crowd informed him that it
would help if the sheriff would turn
the negro over TO them when he was
caught. Sheriff stitchberry said: "No.
will protect the negro with my life"
He said the last seen OF Fountain was
when he was running BY the school
house. which is three blocks from the
jail.
In spite, however, Of the Sheriff's
refusal to deliver up the negro. the
crowds blood lust prevailed and in a
short time officers and posses Of men
took up the trail again. Every nook
and corner is being secured and it will
be a miracle il the fugitive is not
caught.
Miss Simpson. who had been serious
" Ill since last Friday and was
brought into the courtroom by her
physicians. Drs. Joseph A. Ross and
G. F. Davidson. on an invalid's chair