The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1926-10-08
MOB STORMS
JAIL, KILLS
3 NEGROES
Victims. One a Woman, Were
). on Trial a Second Time
For Killing Sheriff

Aiken. S. c., Oct. 8.-tR-A mob
early today stormed the Aiken Jail,
scixed three negroes, ONE of them Il
woman. and shot them to death in Il
pine thickct just beyond the city
limits.
The negroes lynchcd were Clarence
and Demond Lowman. and the latters
sister. Bertha LOwman. They were
on trial u second time for murder in
connection with the death of Sheriff
II. H. Howard of Aiken county, who
was shot TO death April 25. 1926, when,
accompanied by several deputies, he
went to, raid the home Of Sam Low
man, father Of Demond and Bertha
Lowman and uncle Of Clarence Low
man.
On their first trial the negroes
were convicted but a new trial was
granted by the state supreme court.
This trial began early this week.
Yesterday Special Judge s.. T. Lam
ham, presiding, directed verdict Of
mot guilty" for Dem0nd Lowman on
the charge Of conspiracy to murder.
Jailer Overpowered
The mob broke into the Jail about
3 o'clock this morning. overpowered
Rupert Taylor, jailer, and Sheriff
Nollie Robinson, and spirited the
negroes away. Their bodies were
found several hours later in a thicket.
u quarter of a mile from town. Each
had been shot several times.
The j9iler said all electric light
wires to the jail were cut and he was
called to the door by the men. A de-
mand was made for the prisoners.
He refused to accede and had Sheriff
Robinson called by telephone. The
sheriff arrived while the mob sur
rounded the Jail and was overpower-
ed, the officer said. Meantime, some
members Of the mob entered the jail
through window in a part of the
building used as the jailer's residence
and succeeded in obtaining the pris-
oners. Sheriff Robinson said he fol-
lowed the mob, but was out t-distanced.
Although Demond Lowman was ac-
quilted on the conspiracy charge, he
was rearrested yesterday on charge
of assault and battery with intent to
kill.
The two men were sentenced to
death at their first trial, and the
woman given life sentence.
None of Mob Identified
Estimates Of the number Of men in
the mob varied widely. The cutting
Of the electric light wires left the
Jail and the whole town in darkness,
making it impossible, according to
officers. to identify members Of the
mob.
Sheriff Robinson was one Of the
officers who, ms a deputy, accompa-
MED Sheriff Howard on the liquor
raid on the Lowman home. One of
the contentious Of the defendants at
the first trial was that they were not
aware that the raiders were officers.
Annie Lowman, the mother of Demond
and Bertha, was shot and killed by
one Of the officers. Clarence was al
legged TO have fired the shot that
killed Sheriff Howard. Bertha was
shot through the body during the
raid.
Shot % They Ran
Assistant Chief of Police. ]. H.
Woodward said the mob evidently
had ordered the negroes to run and
then opened fire. The bodies indi-
Gated that each negro had headed in
= different direction.
When the mob left the jail the
sheriff and jailcr were released and
the sheriff opened fire on the mob in
the darkness. He said he did not
know whether he had hit anyone.
Judge Lanham today called the
grand Jury in to investigate the
lynchings and rigid inquiry was
promised. The grand jury will meet
this AFTERNOON.