Twin-City herald. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1927-1940, 1936-05-23
Rayfield johnson Vice Overload To
Throw Himself On Mercy OF
A Friendly Judge?
The Only Effective
To Stop Lynchile

s GORDONSVILLE, Va, May 70
William Wales, IS. and his sister,
Cora, persisted in the flames of their
cottage here Friday night after hold
ing off lynch mob of $500 persons
for six hours.
{ During the six-hour gun, battle in
which the Orange Fire department
and state police were called in to aid
the lynchers, Sheriff William B.
King was killed and six other Off
GERS injured. Five members of the
mob were also killed and nine others
injured.
The siege was broken when a state
trooper ignited the cottage with his
gasoline soaked shirt and others
moved the man and his sister down
with machine guns as they attempted
to flee the building. The bodies of
both fell into the flames and were
consumed.
Fight Under Floodlights
Officer Oscar Munday was killed
by rifle fire from the house when he
attempted to drive a heavy truck
used in road construction into the
cottage. The battle which began at
a p. m. Friday was continued after
sunset under the glare of floodlights
supplied by the Orange Fire depart
ment.
Hostilities opened when Sheriff
King of Orange county went to the
home of Wales to arrest him on
charges made by Mrs. George linn.
Mrs. linn, wealthy landowner, in
this section, told police that Wales
had accosted her in the Maplewood
cemetery near his home and threat
ened her life with a revolver.
Wales instead of peacefully sub
hitting to arrest on the trumped up
charges of Mrs. linn, elected to fight
it out with the officer. Beating him
tc the draw, Wales shot the officer,
killing him instantly.
Wales Complaint Ignored
Wales realized that in the South
arrest of a member of the Race on
charges made by a white woman is
tantamount to conviction of a CAPT
tai crime.
Wales told friends that threats
were made on his life and that of
his sister several weeks ago by
whites and that when he reported
them to the sheriff he was ignored.
The alleged attempted attack on
Mrs. linn is looked upon as means
used by those who threatened Wales
life to accomplish the same pur-
pose, such charge, it being gener-
ally understood, would result in the
Race mans death.
The terrific battle waged by Wales
and his sister is Indicative of a new
spirit which has manifest itself re-
Gently in the South among members
of the Race faced with persecution.
Surprised Mob
Two lynchings within the last
month were notable because of the
valiant struggles against great odds
made by the victims before they
died. 1t is believed that Wales and
his sister took their cue from other
members Of the Race who went to
their deaths fighting.
When the death of Sheriff King
was reported a large lynch mob
equipped with ropes and faggot
collected and proceeded to the Wales
cottage intent on lynching Wales.
Shots from the house, however, tenn
porarily dispersed the mob taken
Reinforced, still larger mob num-
bering about 1,500 white persons then
surrounded the building and opened
fire from all sides: Wales and his
sister armed with shot guns fought
cautiously, making every, shot court
and managing, to Escape. intdfy I'd.
til the building was fired. :.
This community was left stunned