O’Neal’s Statement Concerning Lynching
Item
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Title
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O’Neal’s Statement Concerning Lynching
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Source Type
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Newspapers
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Author
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N/A
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Publisher
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The Weekly Hearld
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Publication Place
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Wetumpka, AL
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Publication Date
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January 7, 1915
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Transcript
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O'Neal's Statement Concerning Lynching (Continued from page one.) lynching and the grand jury will b impannelled at noon Monday. Joseph B. Scully adjutant-general and several members of the Montgo mery military companies called ou to pursue the lynching party arres ed the two Wades and Penton nea Elmore. One of the party threw h pistol into a ditch and when the me discovered Adjutant-General Scully party was the miltary they dre their pistols. The elder wade claime they heard shooting and carried their pistols. The elder Wade claime where the lynching had taken plac they declared they did not know Later the elder Wade carried Adju tant-General Scully and party acros three barbed wire fences, across thirty foot railroad embankment an directly to the spot where the tw negroes hung to a limb of a sou persimmon tree. A gold watch was found under th tree and blood which ran from ne groes bodies after they had bee pierced by hundreds of pistol shot had covered it. It will be used a evidence. The militiamen appeared as wit nesses for the state at a coroner' jury at Wetumpka Monday after noon, but fearing the verdict would be opposed to the state, Adjutant General Scully preferred warrant charging the three men with murde in the first degree. They are in jai at Wetumpka. They claimed the were en route to Wetumpka to at tend county court. Governor O'Neal's statement fol 10TH portly before two o'clock las night the sheriff of Elmore Count informed me over the 'phone that - mob composed of about fifteen me heavily masked, had taken posses sion of his jail, overpowered him and removed two negroes charge with murder. I told him that I would at once order a company of soldier to go to Elmore county and attemp to intercept the lynchers. The sherif informed me that the mob had in vaded the jail about an hour before he had been able to get into com munication with my residence, and that the delay was due to the fact that he had been seized and tied to a chair and was unable to get to the 'phone. As soon as I could get into communication with the Adjutant general I ordered him to take a company of troops and proceed to Elmore county, and if possible to intercept the lynchers and to arrest every O'Neal's Statement Concerning Lynching (Continued from page one.) lynching, and the grand jury will be impanelled at noon Monday. Joseph B. Seully, adjutant general, and several members of the Montgomery military companies called out to pursue the lynching party arrested the two Wades and Penton near Elmore. One of the party threw h pistol into a ditch and when the mob discovered Adjutant-General Seully party was the miltary they were armed with their pistols. The elder wade claimed they heard shooting and carried their pistols. The elder Wade claime where the lynching had taken plac they declared they did not know Later the elder Wade carried Adju tant-General Seully and party acros three barbed wire fences, across thirty foot railroad embankment an directly to the spot where the two negroes hung to a limb of a sou persimmon tree. A gold watch was found under the tree and blood which ran from negroes bodies after they had been pierced by hundreds of pistol shot had covered it. It will be used an evidence. The militiamen appeared as witnesses for the state at a coroner' jury at Wetumpka Monday after noon, but fearing the verdict would be opposed to the state, Adjutant General Scully preferred a warrant charging the three men with murder in the first degree. They are in jail at Wetumpka. They claimed the were en route to Wetumpka to at tend county court. Governor O'Neal's statement fol 10TH portly before two o'clock last night the sheriff of Elmore Count informed me over the 'phone that - mob composed of about fifteen me heavily masked, had taken possession of his jail, overpowered him and removed two negroes charge with murder. I told him that I would at once order a company of soldier to go to Elmore county and attempt to intercept the lynchers. The sheriff informed me that the mob had invaded the jail about an hour before he had been able to get into communication with my residence, and that the delay was due to the fact that he had been seized and tied to a chair and was unable to get to the 'phone. As soon as I could get into communication with the Adjutant general I ordered him to take a company of troops and proceed to Elmore county, and if possible to intercept the lynchers and to arrest every
