The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-11-10

here IL needed 10 testify. VIM have the
Governor furnish every protection. The
people of Trenton and the community
are indignant over the preparation OF
this crime against any stranger that
comes within its gates
McMann says he will indeed go back
if protection is guaranteed and his ex-
penses are paid. He says that the Char
lie Hall mentioned in the Magistrates
letter is a brother-in-law of Miss
Powell. and that he. McMann, recog
nized Hall as the leader of the masked
band
According to McMann. he was warned
twice before October Is that his life
was in danger il he remained in the
South. and he says he was arrested
once ON a trumped up charge designed
to scare him into departing. When this
charge fell fiat he decided TO come
North, anyway and on the evening of
October IS went from Edgefeld to
Trenton, s.. c., intending to go TO CO.
lumbia and board through train. Miss
Powell was with him.
"3ut while we ware waiting at the
station in Trenton" McMann says, "a
man in overalls, who / now know was
a policeman in disguise, took my arm
and said: You're wanted over there.
He took me along the track forty or
fifty yards and then across the track to
place where forty or fifty young men
were standing around two automobiles.
Tried to Hang Him.
Eight of the men-I counted them
later-were masked. They were not
hooded, Ku KluX style, but had white
cloth. with eye holes cut in 1t, tied over
the upper part of their faces. One of
them, without saying anything. grabbed
me and showed me into the front of the
car with our travelling bags-Miss
Powells and mine. She had followed
me from the station. When the auto
mobile started off she jumped on the
running board and tried to climb in.
but they pushed her off. That's the last
l saw of her until I got back to New
York.
"Trenton-Senator Ben Tillman lived
there's a small place and dark at
night There were people around. They
seemed to know what was up. but l
couldn't tell who any Of them were. The
two automobiles started off like mad
and drove that fashion for about twenty
miles.
"Where are you taking me?' ! said.
One of the men answered, To jail
They stopped at a place where the road
had a kind of siding. They seemed
to know the spot. A rope was noosed
around my neck and / was yanlSed out
of the car as if ! had been dog. One
of the men threw the other end Of the
rope over the branch of a tree. but by
some godsend it didn't catch, or wasn't
lcrS5 enough. 1t came tumbling down
again.
II began to thresh around. trying to
get loose Then the leader said, Bring
him up here They dragged me up to
the trunk of tree. about so big
around'-McCann embrace indicated a
tree two feet in diameter There the
leader said to me, viii you make affi-
davit that Miss Powell is not capable
of taking care of her fathers property?
''I will not I said. I thought / WIS
done for. l said. Since you are going
to kill me. let me say that the lady you
mention is capable and honest and pure
and as kind a daughter as a father ever
had.
AT that the leader said, Pull mis- coat
Off l got the coat off myself. but the
men yanked and tore my vest and shirt
until l was naked to the waist. There