The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-10-20
Negro Worker
Tortured, Lynched
By Maryland Mob
CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE

repeatedly kuO"keQ MIN GOWN. OIlt
19-year old member Of the mob, slashed
the victim ear almost off with q
knife, while the mob howled with
sadist delight.
Under the tree, despite the pres
ence of women and children, all Of
his clothes were torn from his body
and he hung there for some minutes
nude, his body bloody pulp from
the beating and torture he had re-
ceived.
Armwood had been removed the
day before to the Baltimore Jail for
safety, but had been conveniently re-
turned to the Princess Anne Jail, as
the local authorities announced their
intentions to push through a speedy
indictment and trial in the carefully
built-up lynch atmosphere. The
lynching followed an afternoon of
open lynch preparations, in which
rumorS gained statewide circulation
that a mob was forming to lynch the
worker. The Baltimore offices of
the International Labor Defense,
which was organizing a delegation to
visit Gov. Richie to demand execu-
tive clemency for Fuel Lee and a
halt to the lynch Indictment against
Armwcod, wired the Governor de-
mahd for the protection of Armwood.
Preparing an alibi for himself in
advance, Gov. Richie then telephoned
to Judge Duer and the States At
torney Robins for information on the
situation. He was assured by them
there would be mo difficulty" The
Governor then declared he would re-
fuse to order the Negro removed to
Baltimore.
After the lynching, Richie said he
had been advised by Captain Edward
Nick. johnson, head of the State Po-
lice, that it would be dangerous" to
remove the Negro. Captain Johnson
declared, however, that earlier in the
day he suggested that Armwood be
removed to Baltimore.
Ritchie tried to establish an adj
ditional alibi by calling on the Ne
graduating American Legion to guard
the prisoner. E. c. Young, local post
commander, spurned the appeal" de-
claring:
81 am willing, as O. legionnaire, to
protect the townspeople and their
property. However, I have no desire
personally as citizen, as legionnaire,
or as commander of legion post
to engage in police duty for the
protection of Negro charged with
such an atrocious crime. The laws
of our organization forbid such use"
The mob gathered soon after night
fall. 1t Immediately converged by
pre-arranged plan on the Jail. The
State Troopers and deputy sheriffs
fired few tear gas bombs in pre-
tense of defending the Negro, and
then calmly stood aside while the
mob battered down the jail door with
timber secured from a nearby lum-
Der yard. The Associated Press re-
port of the crime admits that the in
side door was apparently opened
from the inside" With blood curdl-
ing yells of Lynch him, lynch him!'
the mob reached the Negroes cell.
Sheriff Luther Dougherty arrived
at the prison at this time, but made
no effort to prevent the lynching
save for a feeble plea to the moi
leaders, Don't break in here"
BALTIMORE, Md, Oct. 19.-Quick-
ly moving to pass the buck for the
atrocious lynching of George Arm
wood, in Princess Anne last night
Gov. Richie ordered Police Commits
sioner Charles Gather of Baltimore
to send four officers to begin an out
side inquiry.
1.-THE responsibility for Armwood's
being at Princess Anne tonight,
Ritchie stated, rests squarely on the
shoulders OF Judge Duer and State;
Attorney Robins"
The lynching of Arnwood Is only
rivalled in atrocity in the lynch an
mails of Maryland by the lynching
two years ago Of Matthew Williams
in the public square of Salisbury, If
the same section of the Eastern Shore
of Maryland, where Negro and white
workers have been carrying on 6
sharp struggle against the forced
labor practices of local rich farmers
Williams was taken from the PENN
sula Hospital, where he laid seriousl.
injured, and hanged on a tree il
the courthouse lawn. He received thu
wound, following his demand on hi
employer for an increase in pay. Hi
employer was murdered several hour
after Williams had talked with hin
and left his office. All the evidenc,