Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1922-05-31
AUTO WRECK STOPS YLNCHING.
JIM benson, with Ropo Around Neck,
Escapes from Mob.

son, q negro, is believed to have shat
tered all lynching records by escap-
ing from mob after a rope had been
placed about his neck, and to-day he
Is reported to be attempting to eludc
a sherlH's posse and reach Macon to
take refuge in "mob-proof Jail"
benson, convicted Of attacking a
white woman, was taken from the
Jail here early yesterday morning af-
ter battle between Jail attaches and
q mob. He was placed in an auto
mobile, rope around his neck. The
automobile soon afterwards crashed
into another machine and the occu-
pants were thrown out. benson is
sQid to have recovered first and made
a nasty exit from the scene.
irwin county officers who visited
the scene Of the automobile accident
said they were convinced that benson
escaped.
Several farmers i'll the vicinity re-
ported having seen him running,
bareheaded, across country.
Negro Reaches Jail at Last.
Macon, May 2l.-Jim benson, the
negro youth who escaped from a mob
yesterday, prayed unusually long in
the Bibb county Jail tonight before
he threw himself upon his bunk for
his first nights sleep this week. He
prayed for the members Of the mob
tha. broke into the Jail at Irwinton,
Ga, early Tuesday, dragged him out
and attempted to lynch him, and he
prayed for his ultimate release, re-
| asserting his innocence.
benson is under sentence to hang
on June 16 for an alleged attack on
an aged white woman three years
ago
Believing Denson's escape from the
mob was an act Of Providence, there
are numerous white people of this
and OF Wilkes county, it is reported,
who tonight will ask Governor Tom
liardwick to commute the sentence
OF tho negro to life Imprisonment. 1t
is the only chance to save his life.
Denson was captured this morn
ing by posse who believed in law
and order. They turned him over TO
Sheriff Plyler at Irwinton.
AS soon as the negro could be
fed and clothed-for there were only
few rags left on his body-he was
rushed to the county Jail in this
city.
"Lawdy, boss, looks mighty good,
jail sho' do" said benson, as the car
in which he was riding swerved into
the gateway Of the Jail.
"I'se sho' mighty proud to be in
here.
They tied rope around my neck
and then they dragged me into the
car said benson. 81 asked them to
let me pray, and they said that they
didn't have time.
81 heard them say they would
shoot me just out Of town. The knot
in the rope around my neck was
choking me, and | reached up one
hand in the dark and felt the slip
knot. I united it. The car was going
thirty miles an hour, an l say to
myself, Jim, jump, or be kilt
jumped, feet first, flam-nooey, just
like that. I hit the ground on my
feet and then on my head and then
must have Topped over four times
and rolled into the ditch.
'When got out Of the ditch sew
eral shots were fired at me. 1 just
crawled, but they kept on firing. I
got up again and ran. 1 was bare
footed and my clothes were torn off
Of me, and the gravel cut my feet"
The negro said that he hid in
swamp. To-day, he said that he be-
gan to hear the bloodhounds on his
track.
'Pretty soon the white hound
came upon me-" said the negro. II
kept jumping from one side Of the
creek to the other. couldn't shake
him. He got right up to my heels, so
I stopped, snapped my fingers at him,
and, Lawd, he curled his tail and
walked right up to me. took Off
my belt and tied him to me-"
The negro had this one tied to him
and was playing with a second and
Fighting off a third when the posse
reached him.