The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1922-05-25
DISTRICT ATTORNEY THREATENS
ITO TELL ALL If PLEA OF SELF
DEFENSEISM MAINTAINED WARD
YOUTH
GLAD TO GET
BACK IN JAIL
Was Captured by a Posse Yester-
day Morning After Search
Lasting Two Days.
tsy The Associated Press,

MACON, Ca. May 24.--Jim benson.
negro youth. prayed unusually long
In the Bibb County Jail tonight before
he threw himself upon his bunk for
his first nights sleep of this week; he
prayed for the members of the mob
that broke into the jail at Irwington,
Ca, early Tuesday dragged him out
and attempted to lynch him. and also
prayed for his ultimate release, reas-
serting his innocence.
benson is under sentence to hang
on June 1s, for an alleged attack upon
an aged white woman some years
ago. His case went to the supreme
court of the United States.
Believing that Denson's escape from
the mob was made possible by an act
of providence. there are numerous
white people Of this and Wilkinson
county II was reliably reported to-
night, who viii ask Governor Hard
wick to commute. the. sentence OF the
negro TO life imprisonment 1t is the
only chance to save his life.
benson was captured this morning
by a posse who believed in law and
order There were two newspaper re-
porters from this city in the party.
They turned benson over to Sheriff L.
r. Player at Irwington. Ca. whom
only an hour before had declared his
belief that benson was dead
It was like bringing man back
from the grave to present the prisoner
at the Wilkinson county jail AS soon
as the negro could be fed and clothed
for there were only a 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 "a
which he was riding swervea into the
gateway Of the local Jail.
rs sho mighty proud to be here
and Jim smiled until his big white
teeth ghstened
Inside the jail there were two recen-
tions for the prisoner one bv the
white prisoners; the other by negroes.
They tied rope around my neck,
said benson, then they dragged me
into the car. I asked them to let me
pray and they replied that they hadn't
time
heard them say they would shoot
me just out of town. The knot an
the rope around my neck was chocl,-
ing me. / reached up one hand in the
dark and felt the slip knot. united
II The car was speeding thirty miles
an hour | says, to myself, Jim. iump
or be KILL
II Jumped, feet first. flam-flooev
Just like that. hit the ground on NJ,
feet then on my head, and must
have flopped over four times and tba,,
rolled into the ditch.
when 1 got out OF the ditch several
shots wer fired at me. Z crawIed b,,t
they kept on firing. 7 got IN again
and ran. I was barefooted nv cIotbss
Were torn off me, and the gravel cut
my feet" -
Al sun-ap yesterday, the negro said
he obtained bread from another naero
and then returned to rs swarm ~
sun-up today. he said. he said ~
crawled out and got pIums. being al
most starved. Then he heard ~.
heard the bioodhounds on his trail
Pretty soon the white hound came
upon me, said the negro. Il kent an
jumping from one side Of the creek To-
the other I couldn't shake him. He
got right up to my heels, so I stopped
snapped my fingers at him, and Law
dy, he curled his tail and walked right
up to me. took off my belt and tied
him 10 me-
The negro had this dog tied to him.
was playing with second hound and
was fighting off third when the
posse reached him
Sheriff Player said here tonight that
he had names Of persons in the mob
that attacked the jail early Tuesday
morning and that arrests would be
made.