3 Accused of Murder
Hazard Ky Jan. 25 1934
A special grand jury has been ordered by circuit judge Sam Ward to convent Monday for investigation of the lynching of a negro slayer of a coal miner.
Four men were held, and more arrests were predicted by Perrry County officials as they presses their investigations.
Murder Warrants were sworn out against 3 miners: Lee Gibson, 37: Andy Workman, 20, and Petie Carroll 38, and another man James Collins, 32, was held on orders of County Judge A.M. Gross.
Await Grand Jury
"We have some good information, but can't talk about it yet." was all the Judge Gross would say, further than that he and all the county officers were continuing the investigations. He added there would be no formal inquiry until the grand jury met.
There are some 800 negroes in Hazard, a town of around 7000 population in the center of a coal mining district, and threats of retaliation for the lynching were heard, but commenting upon them, Judge Gross said," Those threats came to nothing and there'll be no trouble."
Meanwhile telegrams poured in upon Govenor Ruby Laffoon at Franfort deploring the first 1934 lynching and urging him and all the state and county officers involved to aid in convicting the members of the 150 to 250 masked men. The negro, Alex Scott, 20, an ex-convict was forcibly taken from jail here last night, hanged in a mountain grave yard in adjoining Knott County and a score or more of bullets fired into his body.
In Group Says Jailer
Alex Johnson, 21, a coal miner whom Scott was alleged to have beaten with a stick here last saturday night died shortly after the lynching. Men questioned by the officers included a number who Troy P. Combs, county jailer, said came to the jail wednesday and asked him the name of the negro
All four men held today were said by the county officers to have worked the same coal camp as did Johnson. who left a widow and a four year old daughter.
Mrs. Atwood R. Marting of Lousiville, chairman of the Association of the Southern Women for the Preventing of Lynching, telegraphed the govenor urging him to take an opposite stand from of Govenor Rolph of California which promise pardons after a lynching in that state.
House Condemns Lynching
The Kentucky House of Representatives unanimously adopted a resoltion by Rep. W.B. Belknap, Democrat of the Goshen, declaring, " The terrible crime of lynching."
Hang Victim in Cemetery Near Hazard
Mob, Led by Masked Men, Forces Way into Jail and Threatens Jailer Combs
Shots Fired into Body
Posse Pursues Crowd into Knott County; Investigation is Begun Today.
An intensive investigation of the lynching of Rex Scott, 20-year-old negro, was launched by Perry County authorities today. Scott was forcibly removed from the county jail here last night by a mob of armed men, and hanged to a beech tree in adjoining Knott County.
Jailer Troy P. Combs when informed the negro had been lynched an hour after his removial from the jail. telegraphed the details to Gov. Ruby Laffoon at Frankfort. Kentucky law required that the Govenor remove any jailer surrendering a prisoner to a mob and grant him a hearing to determine if he shall be reinstated.
Jailer Roughly Handled
30 or 40 masked leaders of a mob of approximately 300 men were swarmed around the jail forced their way inside and threatened Jailer Combs with death if he did not surrender the key to Scott's cell. The jailer was rounghly handled until the men were convinced he was not in possession of the keys.
Deputy Jailer W,C, Kpuck was cornered in a jail corridor and the keys were found on him . Scott's cell was unlocked and he was dragged out of the jail and hustled into an automobile, which led a motorcade of the mob out of the city.
Accused of Killing Miner
Scott was charged with slugging Alex Johnson, a miner, on a side street here Saturday night. As the machines passed the scene of slugging, approximately 100 shots were fired into the air. Johnson died at the hospital here 2 hours after the negro was found lynched. He had never regained consciousness.
Sheriff Filmore McIntosh hastliy organized a posse of appoximately 50 city, county and special officers, and pursued the mob. The trail led past Vicco. 13 miles south of here, into Knott County. There the officers found Scott's body hanging in the Cornett Hill Cemetery. Approximately 40 shots had been fired inot the body
