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Lynchings in Ohio; Noah Anderson

Columbus Evening Dispatch
Thursday, August 22, 1895, page 10
Transcribed by


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SWIFT AND SURE VENGEANCE

VISITED ON A BRUTAL NEGRO MURDERER.

Taken Out and Hanged In Broad Daylight

By a Party of Unmasked Citizens at New Richmond, Ohio.

Cincinnati, Aug. 22.—At New Richmond, O., 25 miles up the Ohio River from Cincinnati, at 4 o'clock yesterday afternoon, a mob took Noah Anderson, colored, from the jail and hanged him for the murder, earlier in the day, of Franklin Fridman, nearly 80 years old, and president of the First National bank of that place. Mr. Fridman was among the wealthiest men in Clermont county. He owned a number of farms and lived at Clermontville, about two miles from New Richmond. He was driving into New Richmond shortly after noon when he stopped at one of his houses. Hitching his horse at the dooryard he went into an adjoining field, where he was suddenly attacked by Noah Anderson, a muscular negro, who had no weapons but his hands. With these he quickly bore the aged banker to the earth, and then clutching his throat with the power of a demon he literally choked his helpless victim to death.

When satisfied that the man was dead Anderson fled. Soon the prostrate man was borne to the house and found to be past all

help. He was already dead. The news of the shocking crime traveled swiftly, for everybody knew Mr. Fridman. It was not long until Anderson was captured and taken to jail, where a great crowd quickly gathered. Anderson made no attempt to conceal his crime. He gloatingly told all the details and said he had given the old man what he deserved. It is said that Anderson was not right in his mind and that one of his hallucinations was that Fridman had deprived him of a large sum of money. The truth is the two men had no dealings together, as Anderson came to New Richmond on a shanty boat only a few months ago and claimed to be a paperhanger.

The crowd about the jail soon became wildly excited. As the negro's confession became known cries of "Lynch him." "Hang the coward," arose. A rope was brought and the end seemed near. Prominent citizens addressed the mob, imploring moderation. Anderson was in his cell on his knees crying for mercy. The marshal, when a momentary lull came, attempted to take Anderson to a more secure jail at Batavia, the county seat. No sooner did the man appear out side of the jail than the frenzied mob rushed at the marshal, and seizing the prisoner, bore him quickly to the nearest tree and in a brief time he was dead. There was no making, no attempt at concealment. Every person present and engaged in the mob knew all the others. It was simply an act of frenzy under most aggravating circumstances. The murdered man was endeared to every citizen and his taking off was so sudden that his friends and neighbors seemed to have lost their reason.


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