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OFFICERS SPIRIT CAPTIVE AWAYMob Feared Result of Attempted Assault on White WomanA 42-hour Iiunt through the wood* of Smith county for Eugene Crawford, 20-year old negro charged with an attempted assault on Mr*. Joey Ainsworth, wife of his employers, early Sunday morning at her home in Union community, eleven mile* north of Taylorsville, ended ^fonday night with She capture of the negro at Taylorsville and his spiriting may to an unknown jail by Sheriff C, J. Tullos, and Deputy Sheriff D. L. Lack, of Smith county, and R. E. Blakeney, marshal of Taylorsville.The negro was captured about 9 o'clock Monday nigM at th* Lindsey camps *t Taylorsville where Joe M. Hester, night watchman for the company, seised bins. The negro is said to have offered no resistance when he was taken.Crawford is said to have admitted his guilt of the attempted assault on Mrs. Ainsworth.The negro, according to Smith county officers, went to the Ainsworth home about 3 or 4 o’clock Sunday morning, and gained entrance to the bedroom in which Mr. and Mrs. Ainsworth Were sleeping, Mrs. Ainsworth was awakened by the negro, but, believing that it was her husband who was standing over her bed, called his name.The negro, according to the officers, attempted to imitate Mr. Ainsworth's voice and answered Mrs. Ainsworth. She immediately recognized that it was the voice of an intruder and screamed to her husband who was sleeping in another bed in the same room.When Mrs. Ainsworth screamed, the negro ran from the house. Mr. Ainsworth quickly put on his clothes and went to the house where he knew that the black had been living with other negroes.As he approached the house, Crawford is said to have run from it. Mr. Ainsworth, who was armed, fired at the negro three times, hitting him each time with buckshot but not seriously injuring him. The shots took effect in the negro's right hand, and left leg. So slight was their effect, however, that his loss of blood was small.Crawford made his escape from Mr. Ainsworth into Leaf River swamp and remained in the bottomlands all Sunday. Sunday night, and Monday until he'entered the Lindsey company’s camps and was captured by Night Watchman Hester. At the time of his capture Crawford is said to have stated that he bad come to give himelf up.Sheriff Tullos was notified by Mr. Ainsworth immediately after the attempted assault and Smith couny officers immediately began a thorough search in the river swamps for the negro. Sheriff Tullos. Deputy Sheriff Lack, and Marshal lllakenty scoured the woods for the black, keeping hot on his trail. They lost trace of him late Sunday evening, however, and the negro passed the night, according to a statement he made to officers, on the river bank.Immediately upon the capture of the negro, Sheriff Tullos, Deputy Sheriff Lack, and Marshal Blakeney were notified. They took the black into their custody and spirited him away in an automo-I bile. Less than half a dozen people in Taylorsville knew that tho negro had been caught, so quietly did the officers conduct the affair.The negro was taken to a jad in this section, the identity of which the officers withheld due to a fear of mob violence.Sentiment had been running at a high pitch in Smith county against the would-be assaulter, officers stated, and they deemed it wise to spirit him away to a safer jail than the Smith county one.Crawford i- a young negro, weighs about 1R5 pounds and his height is about five feet nine(Continued on Page S)
Newspaper Details
Laurel Morning Call
Laurel, Mississippi, US
Tue, May 21, 1929
Page 1
Full Page
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Anonymous
USA 16 Jul 2023
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