Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1925-08-08
PAYS WITH LIFE !
FOR AN ATTACK
ON WHITE Girl
Mob Turns in False Alarm to
Gain Entrance TO Place of
Incarceration
COUNTY OFFICIALS TO
MAKE NO INVESTIGATION
Black Confesses Guilt and
Pleads for Mercy Before
Being Strung From Tree

ECELSIOR SPRINGS, Mo-, Aug
7.-Officials of Clay county have
indicated that no investigation will
be made Of the lynchirg here yes
terday OF Walter Mitchell, negro,
who was taken from the county Jail
by a mob and hanged to tree, fol-
loving his Identification by young
woman as her assailant late THUS
day night.
A mob Of = thousand persons
.lynched Walter Mitchell, negro,
here Friday for an alleged attack
about midnight Thursday night on
young white girl in the country.
The mob obtained entrance to
the city hall, in which the Jail is
located by the ruse of a false fire
alarm and dragged the negro thru
the main streets, to place about
mile south of town where he was
hanged to a tree.
The attack was alleged to have
occurred while the girl was being
taken to her home by Leonard Utt
Several miles from town the negro
jumped on the running board Of
their car, brandishing a flashlight,
with which he struck UT in the
mouth, knocking him temporarily
unconscious. The negro then
forced the girl into the rear of the
car and attempted to attack her, but
was beaten off. Frightened by her
cries, the negro ran toward Excel
sior Springs. The police traced the
negro early Friday by his tracks.
They found hin. asleep in small
house in which he lived. Nearby
lay the flash-hght. UT identified
him at once, as did the young wo-
man later.
The news of the Identification
spread. A crowd formed about
the Jail where Mitchell had been
taken. There were threats but no
violence, as the crowd was without
a leader. Chief of Police J. F.
Craven and eight or ten deputies
guarded Mitchell and attempted to
dispense the crowd An attempt by
officers to remove mitchell by way
of basement door was baked by
part Of the mob which guarded
the exit.
The crowd rapidly gathered in
numbers and excitement. In it was
Charles Holt, father Of the young
woman, and with him were his SONS.
Cries of "brings him out" arose
but for the most part the mob was
not noisy Persons talked excited
ly to each other.
Raylond Cummings, prosecuting
attorney of Clay county, walked
occasionally from the city hall into
the thrOng, speaking to its members
and urging them to depart without
violence.
Cummings caused a committee
of ten citizens to be chosen to
plead with Holt, an dHolt was
brought into the city hall. The
committee, however, was unable to
persuade him to assist in conveying
the prisoner to Liberty, Mo.
When it seemed certain the
crowd would seize the first oppor-
tunity in attack, the half dozen of
ficers gathered in a large empty
room adjoining the cell room wedg-
ing heavy timber against the
door to reinforce it's flomsy lock.
But the barricade had little effect
on the torrent of humanity that
soon was to bulge into the build
ing, hurting the officers before it
and crushing them to the walls.
Down Thompson avenue the main
street of the little resort town, the
mob swept, women and children I'M
its wake. Past the exclusive Elliot
hotel, where guests crowded the re-
randas, the negro was dragged
along on out into the open country.
The rope was procured on the way
and upon arrival at an oak tree
about a mile from town, man
Skinned the tree, tossed the rope
over limb and five other men
pulled the negro into the air.
Friday night Clay county, scene
of many stirring crime in the
days when Jesse James held forth,
was uiet. Mr. Cummings said it
would be useless to attempt an in
vestigation.
81 do not know who the members
of the crowd were," he stated,
"and | have no way of finding out.
| am up against stone wall of sill
ence."
On the death certificate, the
coroner wrote that death was due
to hanging by "a mob of persons
unknown"