The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1924-09-29
DOT Tells
STORY Of
ATTACK
BY MOB
Girl Accuses Mrs. Shank and
Leatherman OF Brutal
Assault
By VINCENT r. CALLAHAN,
NKaalhRnn.tnn Ha,,.na aAnaa f.-....-..a.-4

By VINCENT r. CALLAHAN,
WashingtOn Times Staff Correspondent.
FREDERICK, Md, Sept. 29.--
Throwing herself on the mercy
Of the court, Mrs. Mary shank,
the .thirty-year-old married woman
who led the mob that tarred and
feathered pretty twenty-year-oId
Mrs. Dorothy ('Dot',l GrandOn
near Myersville, Nd, on July "a,
today pleaded guilty in the circuit
court here.
Tbs plea came like 4 hOtnbsheIl.
for Ill Shanks case was expect
led b 81 sensational.
/ The States alto %. William n.
Storm appeared joyous over eAa
woman's action and indicated that
additional charges against Mrs.
Shank would be dropped. She
pleaded guilty to Earring and
feathering and not guilty to as
sault, aiding and abetting, and as
sault and rioting.
Defer Sentence.
Mrs. Shank will not be sentenced
until after the trial of the twenty
men indicted as her companions ia
the mob which beat up Dot"
Grandon.
The penalty for her crime is from
eighteen months to twenty years
in the State penitentiary.
A broad smile came over the face
Of 'Dot" Grandon as the nIea. was
entered. "Dot" was attired in black
and was seated with Mabel Mills.
young girl who was with her on
the night she was attacked. DOT
apparently was satisfied. and when
reporter jokingly asked her why
she was in mourning, she replied:
For Mrs. Shank"
Admits Sl1e Led Mob.
It was Mrs. Shank who, according
to her own confession, led the mob,
peat Dot across the back with q
SUCK, stripped her OF her clothes,
and applied hot tar and feathers
g her naked body. She did this,
with her husband, LLOYD shank.
II won't let her steal nv man"
she is alleged to have said at the
time.
After Mrs. Ehank's case was dis.
posed of, Harry Leatherman, sta.
ton master Of the Hagerstown and
frederick Railway Company, was
called to the bench and charges of
tarring and feathering, assault, aid.
ing and abeting and rioting were
read.
mot guilty" Leatherman told
the court.
Dot Tells Her Story.
Miss Grandon took the stand .
next and told the story Of the At
tack made on her last July.
She hurled accusations against
Mrs, Mary Shank and Harry Leatii.
erman, charging them with bang
rtngleaders Of the mob who brutally
beat her.
II was walking along the road
near Myersville with several
friends" Dorothy related. "A buiich
OF cars came along and stopped
near us. l saw a lot Of men get
out and run toward me. They 81
got around me and one OF them
pulled out a flash light.
Then a woman stepped ND ana
yelled out: That's herl' That was
Mrs. Shank. A man named Hairy
Leatherman handed her a club and {
she beat me across the back. Then
Leatherman said; Take off your
clothes
Her Clothes Torn OFF.
Two of the men grabbed me
and held my arms while Mrs.
Shank tore my clothes off my
back. She left me with only q
small piece Of my petticoat.
"Leatherman then handed her
bucket of tar and she put 1t all
over my body and then Leather
man gave her a bag Of feathers
and she threw them over me.
Leatherman cursed me and 80 did
the others"
That was Dorothy Grandon'e
story, the story on which the State
expects to convict twenty-one Der.
sons-one woman among them
who were indicted by q grand Jury