Copyright USGenNet Inc., 2017 All Rights Reserved USGenNet Data Repository Please read USGenNet Copyright Statement on this page: Transcribed and submitted by Linda Talbott for the USGenNet Data Repository http://www.us-data.org/ =========================================================================== Formatted by USGenNet Data Repository Chief Archivist, Linda Talbott All of the above information must remain when copied or downloaded. =========================================================================== Labor Jounal Alpena, MI May 31, 1889 THE PORT HURON LYNCHING PARTY The mulatto tramp, who gave his name as ALBERT MARTIN, who brutally assaulted MRS. JOHN GILLIS, living in Port Huron township, on May 11, and for which he was in the Port Huron jail awaiting the pleasure of the law, was dragged from his cell last Monday morn- ing about two o'clock, by a party of masked men and strung up to one of the iron braces of the Seventh street bridge. The mob bat- tered down the jail and cell doors, and found MARTIN in the upper berth of his cell; they slipped a rope around his neck and yanked him toward the street, with about 50 men at the other end of the rope on a wild run. MARTIN first struck the cell door, he next clutched onto the office stove as he was sweeping past it, and turned it half round, but it was no use, they had him on the run! As he was passing out the door some one struck him a fatal blow on the head with a sledge hammer knocking him down on his face in the street. After getting this blow he never arose to his feet again, and was dragged through the street like a butchered hog. Several shots from revolvers, were fired at his carcass as it was dragged through the streets, a distance of several blocks to the bridge where the lifeless remains were strung up in the interest of justice and public morality. The following is the story of his crime as given by the Detroit Free Press. "Saturday afternoon, May 11 last, the deceased, a mulatto tramp, entered the house of JOHN GILLS, living in Port Huron township, where he found MRS. GILLIS alone with her little daughter, her husband be- ing away in the city and the hired man being nearly half a mile away in the fields, MARTIN, at least this is the name he gave, went in the front door without knocking and unbidden, and rather startled MRS. GILLIS by suddenly appearing before her in the sitting room. He feigned to ask for work but was not backward in making known his desires - to assault the woman and to rob the house of any money it might contain. MRS. GILLIS is naturally a strong woman and made a desperate resistance. The brute finally got the woman down, not- withstanding her efforts to prevent him, and evidently angered for reason of her remonstrances, and the cries of herself and little girl, he stamped and kicked her about the breast and throat, and to complete his fiendish work, took out a murderous looking jack knife and threat- ened to kill her if she did not accede to his wishes. He was frightened off, however, leaving his victim in an un- concious condition. "The news of the dastardly outrage spread rapidly about the neighborhood and in a few minutes a crowd of neigh- bors were in hot pursuit. MARTIN es- caped to the woods. Sunday morning fol- lowing, one of the city police found the man in company with a couple of tramps within the city limits and locked him up. There was great indignation ex- pressed at the time and efforts were made to get the brute before MRS. GILLIS for identification, the purpose being to SHOOT HIM ON THE SPOT if found to be the right man. The officers recognized the gravity of the situation and managed to keep GILLIS and his friends down town while they took MARTIN before his victim. MRS. GILLIS recognized him on first sight as did several of the neigh- bors who saw MARTIN in the vicinity on the Saturday afternoon in question. MRS. GILLIS has been lying in a precarious condition ever since the assault, and the examination of MARTIN has been delayed more than ordinarily, waiting the results of the injuries inflicted upon MRS. GILLIS. It was finally set for last Friday, but was postponed until today for the reason of MRS. G's condition." While we are lotah (sic) to advocate or encourage mob or lynch law, we believe there are exceptional cases that cannot be justly dealt with in any other way. and we believe this brutal nigger was one of those exeptional cases. The chief ob- jection to, and danger of mob law even in extreme cases, is in the bare possi- bility of lynching the wrong man. But as there did not seem to be any possibility of doubt, in "ALBERT MARTIN'S" favor there are two grave objections to the man- ner in which he was dispatched. First, it should have been done in broad day light in the presence of the populace, as an object lesson for those brutes in human form; against which society does not seem to be sufficiently protected by the civil authorities, as the laws of the state do not provide for the just punishment of such criminals as ALBERT MARTIN. Imprisonment for life is surely not sufficient punishment for such a crime. Second, - They should not have killed him so quickly. They should have burned him to a stake on the public square with a very slow fire, about the hour of one o'clock P.M. ==========================================================================