Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1920-02-18
TROOPS STOP MOB
IN LEXINGTON, KY.
County Placed Under Martial
Law After Five Are Killed.
FOURTEEN OTHERS WOUNDED
Soldiers Fire on Crowd to Save Negro
AssaIIant of White GirI-Prisoner
Confesses and Is Sentenced
to Death.

Lexington, Ky, Feb. 1O.-Martial
eral and state troops are patrolling
the streets to prevent further rioting,
which exacted a toll of five dead
and fourteen wounded. Five hundred
additional United States troops are
en- route from Camp Taylor, Ky.
Lexington and all of Fayette coun-
ty was placed under martial law by
Brig. Gen. F. G. Marshall upon his ar
rival from Camp Taylor with 300
troops of the First division.
Martial Law Proclamation.
General MarshalI's proclamation fol-
lows:
Whereas, a state of lawlessness ex-
lists in the county Of Fayette, state Of
Kentucky, with which the state au-
thOrities are unable to cope, and,
Whereas, The governor of said
state of Kentucky has asked for the
aid of the United States in restoring
and maintaining order in the said
county Of Fayette;
Now, therefore, I, Brig. Gen. Fran
els G. Marshall, United States army,
commanding the United States troops
ia the said county, do hereby declare
state Of martial law in the said
county, and do assume all functions,
both civil and military, in said county.
IAN citizens are warned to respect
and obey my orders and those of my
subOrdinates. f. G. MARSHALL,
"Brigadier General y. S. Army"
RiOting began when mob bent on
lynching William Lockett, negro,
who confessed to the murder last
week Of ten-year-old Geneva Hard
man, was fired upon with rifles and
machine guns by state militiamen as
the mob was storming the Fayette
county courthouse to get the negro
during his trial.
The attempt to lynch LOckett was
made just after he had confessed to
the murder and as the jury found him
guilty of murder in the first degree.
He was sentenced to die in the cleo
trio chair March II.
Troops Fire into Crowd.
The cry, Lets get him. from a
farmer on the outskirts of the crowd,
turned the crowd into a mob which
began surging toward the entrance to
dropped back in close formation and
trained their guns on the mob, which
never heSitated.
Adjutant General Deweese, in COM
mand of the militia men, shouted a
final warning to the crowd and then
fred a revolver into the air. 1t was
the signal for the troops to fire.
Soldiers and police fred into the
crowd, and a nearby machine gun rat
tied. From the windows of the court
room above another hail Of bullets
spattered down on the asphalt street.
Four men fell at the first volley.
Dead and Wounded Left Behind.
The mob, which had surgeG half
way up the steps, pressed back and
broke. Quick action on the part of
the authorities got the negro out of
the building.
Those killed in the clash were B. F.
Carrier and L. NJ. King of Lexington,
and John Thomas and William Effing-
ton Of Versailles.
Among those wounded were ]. w.
Stansell, W. ]. Rees, Otis Sharp. EN-
NETT Dozier, Irwin Gwynn, Emmett
Danziger, Fred Sowders, H. =. Wealth
ers, Mrs. E. I. Cross and James Mas
sevgall.
The shooting temporarily dispersed
the mob and gave the authorities time
in which to take Lockett to place of
safety. The mob reformed, however,
and looted pawnshops and hardware
stores to get firearms.
Fearing an attack on the handful
of National CuardSmen on duty, the
authorities appealed to Governor
Morrow for assistance. AS result.
800 troops arrived from Camp Taylor.
The federal troops Immediately began
the work of patrolling the streets to
keep crowds from congregating.