Tony Harrison
Cincinnati Enquirer, 6 January 1893, page 4
A MOB AT THE NEWPORT JAIL
The new Newport police force, under the charge of Chief Stewart,
is till making efforts and strong ones at that, to apprehend the man who made
the attempt to outrage Mrs. Wing of Claryville.
Yesterday Officers Connelly and Jones went to Milldale and arrested a colored man by the name of Dan Petty and took him before Mrs. Wing, but she failed to identify him. The officers are still of the opinion that Tony Harrison, who is now confined in the Newport Jail, knows more than he cares to tell.
Last night it was intended to take Harrison to Claryville to see if Mrs. Wing could identify him. However, owing to the precarious condition of the injured lady the matter was abandoned. Harrison's case will be called before Mayor Ahlering this morning and he will be held.
Mrs. Wing is still in a precarious condition and her attending physicians fear that she will die from the result of the fright that she received. She is no condition to identify anyone at present and she may die within the next twenty four hours unless a change comes. Jailer Davis did not like to have Harrison leave the jail last night for fear that he would not be brought back alive.
It is known that if Mrs. Wing had identified on the night of his arrest he would have been lynched on the spot. The rope was ready for him. The people in the neighborhood are still waiting for the man to be apprehended and in case he is caught there will never be a trial.
A rumor was current in Newport last night that Harrison was to be taken to Claryville to confront Mrs. Wing. The rumor spread and by 8 o'clock there was a mob of about thirty people present with a rope ready to follow Harrison to Claryville and hang him, in case he was identified.
Harrison, however, was not taken from the jail last night and the crowd was disappointed.