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advertise the coming event. Hearing these reports, the Afro-American dispatched a
team of three reporters, including the Forum's Clarence Mitchell, from Baltimore
to Princess Anne. Had the Afro reporters taken the ferry they would have had
sufficient time to arrive before the murder. However, fearing the ferry would be

closed to Blacks, they decided to drive around Chesapeake Bay and arrived to find

12
Armwood's body smoldering in the street as the white mob milled around.

In fact, the situation was so threatening early in the day that even the State
Police requested permission from State's Attorney Robins to send Armwood back
to Baltimore. He refused. The police then contacted Governor Albert C. Ritchie
to get permission. Ritchie, after receiving assurances from Robins and Eastern
Shore Judge Robert F. Duer that Armwood was in no danger, denied permission.
In early evening, the commander of the national guard in Crisfield, twenty-four
miles from Princess Anne, called Princess Anne coroner and magistrate Elmer
Jones to ask if he should mobilize troops; Jones claimed everything was quiet. One
hour later, George Armwood died.1^

After the lynching, nobody in Princess Anne, including the local officials,
knew who was involved in the lynching. Or so they said. Afro-American reporter,
Clarence Mitchell, showing remarkable courage, asked whites milling around
Armwood's body who was responsible, and he was told the lynchers came from
across the state line in Virginia. The jailer and the sheriff were unable to identify
those who attacked the jail; they was sure that the mob was from out of town.
According to the Evening Sun, Judge Robert Duer "addressed a crowd of 500
persons gathered around the jail shortly before the attack, and reminded them that
'I know almost all of you.'" Yet the next day he had no idea who was involved in
the lynching. And in the aftermath of Armwood's death, State's Attorney Robins
was making no comment to any of the questions directed toward him.14

Responding to accusations, Governor Albert Ritchie denied that he had
ordered Armwood's return to the Eastern Shore, a denial that was met with some