The central record., 1920-02-12
TROOPS
FIRE ON MOB
Killing Five and Woun-
ding Seventeen.
SEEK WILLIAM LockETT WHO
is CONVICTED OF THE MUIR.
DER OF GENEVA HARD.
MAN.
Lexington Under Marshal Law.

litia. who were sent to Lexington to
guard William Lockett. self-confess-
ed murderer Of Geneva Hardman, n
ten year old girl in Jessamine county.
As the mob rushed the main entrance
TO the court house. the jury was re-
turning a verdict Of first degree mur-
der. sentencing Lockett to die in the
electric chair March llth.
A crowd estimated at more than
four thousand persons. stood outside
the court house during the trial and
when the result was made known,
there were wild mutterings. On the
steps Of the court house was a ma
chine gun. which had been sent from
Camp Zachary Taylor, manned by
four soldiers.
As the crowd surged forward Ad-
iutant General Deweese appeared
and ordered the crowd to fall back
His command was ignored and the
crowd pushed forward crying Lynch
him" While the authorities were
holding off the mob, the negro was
being heavily guarded in the tempor-
airy cell on the second floor Of the
court house.
The mob being temporarily repul-
sed. began raiding pawn shops and
hardware stores seeking fire arms
and ammunition. determining at all
hazards TO secure Lockett. On the
heels Of these reports came an ap-
peal to the federal authorities for
troops from Governor Morrow. Ar
rangements were Immediately made
for two battalions of 100 men each
fully equipped proceed by special
train. These federal troops were
commanded by General +. c. Mar
shall
Lockett was brought to Lexington
early Monday morning from Frank
fort. The streets were crowded
with onlookers and hundreds of
farmers from adjoining counties had
gathered to witness the trial. Long
before the hour for trial the court
house was filled and no one was ad-
mitted until searched for weapons.
The cry of Let's get him" from a
brawny farmer in the crowd which
was unable to get in the court house
started the unsuccessful lynching
party. Several times the cry was
heard among the members Of the
mob and with il the crowd started
forward.
Soldiers and police quickly stepped
into closer formation and trained
their guns on the mob. A final warn
ing shouted by Gen. DeWeese was
unheeded by the mob and he fred his
revolver into the air
This was the signal for general fir
ing. The soldiers and police laid a
hot barrage into the mob and when
the mob retreated il was found that
10 had fallen. four Of whom were
dead, and a fifth dying later from the
effect Of his wounds.
IL was belived that blank car
tridges also were used. for. with the
rapid firing Of machine guns and the
hail Of bullets from the police and
soldiers with rifles il seems only
plausible that many more would have
been killed or wounded.
Loekett's Terrible Crime.
Little Geneva Hardman, l0-year-
old daughter OF Mrs. Emma Hard
man. a widow. South Elkhorn section,
Fayette County, was trudging along
the road to school last Wednesday
morning, when the negro. viii Loe-
kett. met her in the road. dragged
her TO a corn field, almost in sound
Of her mothers home. and there muir
dered her by crushing her skull with
a rock, after her struggles had pre-
vented his attempt to assault her.
A neighbor. driving along the road.
found her empty school satchel and
hood lying at the roadside. Think
ing the child might have dropped
them. he carried them to the school
house. The teacher sent several
children to the IIardman home TO
make inquiries. Then the search be-
gan and tracks Of man and a child
leading into the corn field were fol-
lowed
Body Fosnd Among Shocks
Among fodder shocks they found
the girls body. the head crushed.
The news spread and soon a posse
Of citizens. Deputy sherifs and po-
lice. with Captain Mulliken and
bloodhonnds. were securing the eoun-
try for the murderer. Suspicion
was directed at Loekett, a former