Jasper County Democrat, Volume 9, Number 17, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 July 1906 — NEGRO HANGED AFTER SEA TRIP [ARTICLE]

NEGRO HANGED AFTER SEA TRIP

Officials Prevent Lynching by Spirit* ing Away Prisoner in Ship, Then Execute Him. Baltimore, Md., July 26.—A negro died on the gallows after a trip at sea with the sheriff of Somerset county, who sailed from port with the negro and a gallows. At daylight the sheriff anchored at a lonely spot on Smith island, erected the gallows on the shore, and hanged the negro. The negro was William Lee. convicted and sentenced to death for an attack on two women in Princess Anne county.. To prevent him from being lynched, he had been kept In the Baltimore jail until the day of his* execution. The governor fixed the time for the negro’s execution, but the people of Princess Anno county believed hanging was too mild and threatened to tear him to pieces when brought back for execution. To outwit tbe mob the sheriff spirited the negro out of Jail, put him on I ward the state fishery steamer, and made the unique preparations for a daylight execution. Only his assistants and the legal number of witnesses were present. *