Thousand Shots Fired At A Negro

Case(s)
Source Type: Newspaper
Author: n.a.
Publisher: Quad City Times
Place of publication: Davenport, IA
Date of publication: 3/25/1907
Transcript:

THOUSAND SHOTS FIRED AT A NEGRO. Fiend Who Attempted Assault on Alabama Woman Riddled With Bullets, Florence, Ala., March 25. Cleveland Harding, a negro, who attempted to assault Mrs. Ben Rice near here Friday, and who was driven off by Mrs. Rice’s shepherd dog, was summarily executed yesterday by his intended victim’s husband and about 300 sympathizers, Tied to a tree with his arms up, the negro was riddled with bullets, the first shot being fired by Rice, following which every man in the crowd emptied his revolver at the prisoner. Over 1,000 shots were fired. The negro was captured yesterday half a mile below town and was taken before Mrs. Rice, who fainted at sight of him. Upon recovering she fully identified her assailant, and on being asked what should be done with him, told the negro’s captors to do as they thought best. Harding was taken a short distance from the Rice home, where a conference of the mob leaders was held. Some said burn him, but shooting was decided on. Beyond confessing his guilt, the negro had nothing to say and was stolidly indifferent to his fate

Citation:

“Thousand Shots Fired at a Negro.” Quad City Times (Davenport, IA), March 25, 1907.