Mob Goes On Rampage In Alabama Six Are dead

MUB GOES ON RAM- PAGE IN ALABAMA SIX ARE DEAD Emelle, Alabama, July 8.-(By ANP.)-Mob violence which is sweep ing the South reigned here the week-end and four Negroes, one woman. and two whites, are dead and others are wounded. The affair, which made Alabama’s position in the “Lynching League” se- cure for the second half of the sea- son. grew out of the of for white man force Negro attempt pay to a to a second-hand automobile battery that he had purchased from the white man sometime last April. chased Esau Robertson, Negro, pur- the had a battery from Clarence Boyd, the for it. white paid him man, and had not Boyd met Robertson in front of him. his An store argument and started, battery and Rob- took the from ertson atempted to gain possession of the battery, Seeing the men struggling, Grover Boyd, uncle of Clarence Boyd, rushed into the fracas only to be slain by John Robertson, Esau’s brother, who was with him. A crowd of whites gathered, but the two brothers es caped. Believing that the fugitives were hiding at John’s home. the mob made volley of shots, were met dropped a its way there and with one of which Charlie Marrs, one of the mob. for the count. Realizing that their lives were at stake, the two brothers fought off the mob until fire was set to the house. Attempting to escape from the burn- ing dwelling, John was shot to death, and Esau was hanged to a tree and his body riddled with bullets Having killed two of the Robertson family, the mob set out to wipe out the whole Robertson clan. Two days were spent in searching for Tom Rob- ertson, the father, and his other four sons. The entire section was scoured by the mob composed of some two hundred men. Every Negro’s life was in danger as the blood-thirsty mob roamed parts of two states. That such was true is indicated in the manner in which Mrs. James Eyer was shot and killed when her husband refused to halt his car on the highway at the command of the mob leader and the manner in which an unidentified Negro was slain as he stood in the railway station at Nar- chetta. Mississippi. These four deaths apparently satia- ted the thirst for blood and life, and the mob gave up the search Tor the Robertsons and the members made their way back across the state line and back home, where the sheriff de- clared everything was quiet and mat ters well in hand. One Surrenders Jim Robertson. brother of Esan. Ollie and John Robinson. who were accused of the murder of Grover Boyd, surrendered to authorities Monday and was taken to Montgomery for safe keeping. Governor Graves Orders Thorough Probe That Gov. Bibb Graves is determined to bring to justice those persons re- sponsible for the deaths of six persons, following the Fourth of July disturb- ance at Emelle, Sumter County. is shown in his statement made public Monday. Following a telephone conversation with E. Potter Smith, deputy state law enforcement officer, a governor Mon- day placed in the officer’s hands full authority to make a complete investi- gation in an effort to convict persons who took part in the outbreak. “Alabama will exhaust every energy at her command to bring before the bar of justice every murderer impli- cated in these Southwest Alabama crimes,” the governor said. MUB GOES ON RAM- PAGE IN ALABAMA SIX ARE DEAD Emelle, Alabama, July 8.-(By ANP.)-Mob violence which is sweep ing the South reigned here the week-end and four Negroes, one woman. and two whites, are dead and others are wounded. The affair, which made Alabama’s position in the “Lynching League” se- cure for the second half of the sea- son. grew out of the of for white man force Negro attempt pay to a to a second-hand automobile battery that he had purchased from the white man sometime last April. chased Esau Robertson, Negro, pur- the had a battery from Clarence Boyd, the for it. white paid him man, and had not Boyd met Robertson in front of him. his An store argument and started, battery and Rob- took the from ertson atempted to gain possession of the battery, Seeing the men struggling, Grover Boyd, uncle of Clarence Boyd, rushed into the fracas only to be slain by John Robertson, Esau’s brother, who was with him. A crowd of whites gathered, but the two brothers es caped. Believing that the fugitives were hiding at John’s home. the mob made volley of shots, were met dropped a its way there and with one of which Charlie Marrs, one of the mob. for the count. Realizing that their lives were at stake, the two brothers fought off the mob until fire was set to the house. Attempting to escape from the burn- ing dwelling, John was shot to death, and Esau was hanged to a tree and his body riddled with bullets Having killed two of the Robertson family, the mob set out to wipe out the whole Robertson clan. Two days were spent in searching for Tom Rob- ertson, the father, and his other four sons. The entire section was scoured by the mob composed of some two hundred men. Every Negro’s life was in danger as the blood-thirsty mob roamed parts of two states. That such was true is indicated in the manner in which Mrs. James Eyer was shot and killed when her husband refused to halt his car on the highway at the command of the mob leader and the manner in which an unidentified Negro was slain as he stood in the railway station at Nar- chetta. Mississippi. These four deaths apparently satia- ted the thirst for blood and life, and the mob gave up the search Tor the Robertsons and the members made their way back across the state line and back home, where the sheriff de- clared everything was quiet and mat ters well in hand. One Surrenders Jim Robertson. brother of Esan. Ollie and John Robinson. who were accused of the murder of Grover Boyd, surrendered to authorities Monday and was taken to Montgomery for safe keeping. Governor Graves Orders Thorough Probe That Gov. Bibb Graves is determined to bring to justice those persons re- sponsible for the deaths of six persons, following the Fourth of July disturb- ance at Emelle, Sumter County. is shown in his statement made public Monday. Following a telephone conversation with E. Potter Smith, deputy state law enforcement officer, a governor Mon- day placed in the officer’s hands full authority to make a complete investi- gation in an effort to convict persons who took part in the outbreak. “Alabama will exhaust every energy at her command to bring before the bar of justice every murderer impli- cated in these Southwest Alabama crimes,” the governor said.