OCR Text |
Show VICTIM OF MOB Ontario City's Town Hall and I Jail Burned During Hunt i for Prisoner FT CATHERINES, Ont, Aug. 17 cVmmon sense and spirit of fair pley lr.si night saved the life of David McNcal. who had been committed fori trial during the afternoon at the town hall in Thorold on a charge of havinl murdered four-year-old Margaret Bou- j cock .-ii July 3. laSt Xnt' mo1' wh,cn numbered several thousand pareoni a I fire to the town jail aftei tin prisoner and police officers had been smoked! iout of the town hall, which the mob 'had Bet on tire also. When darkness! h ol set In. the crowd which had grown i to large proportions began to stornv the town hall with bricks and stones. Before long every window In ths new -ily built build. ii", had be n shattered ,,nd then the mch a'ticked lh- doors. Mi Neal und the police officers saved j their lives by crouching In corners and holding chairs In front of them as I volleys of rocks swept the building MAY BUILDING I Htl D. Then flares were thrown through the shatter,,! windows and a couple of men rushed a bundle of hay saturated' With gasoline into the ground floor., I Flames burst out and eventually the I and fir diove the men down I the stairs and out. We surrender." yelled McNenl an he came down the stairs, with Chief Prank folllns, of Thorold hanging to bis suel wristlet. A Biffulo newspaperman newspa-perman was ahead of McNeal and the i owd seized him .and were running him off when he showed his badge and they let him go. ftlcNea was seized and taken in an nutomoblle In front of th- town hall. A rope Whs run up a pole and preparations prepara-tions were made to hang IfoNsal. He screamed for mopy while the mob howled. "Give him a chance," called somo lone and that met with popular ap-prov ap-prov a I. aien, ll you are men. iiw in- hi banco to miiKc a Htab-tiK-nt." M'.N", il ahobted "It may be my last words ;on earth." cituW l Hi rs VCCUSED. McNeil and the crowd later moved to the public library steps, duo to the heat caused bv the burning town hall. H McNeal spoke for half an hour be- H i i hushed crowd He swore he H nol killed Margaret Boucock. 1 only a lerencrato could do such a H thing." he said V-rom one section ot aaH the great audience came Insistent ap- H peals, glv,. the. man a chance, hand H him over to the police." J When McNeal ceased speaking. H there was no further talk of lynching. H The crowd was almost Jovial. No on H touched McNeal as Chief Mains and 1 Ills men supported the prisoner to an H a utomoblle. and he was rushed off to 1 IWollnnd before there was time for H the crowd to change its mind. H |