The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-10-20
THAT NEGRO LYNCHING.

THE HOLLY SPRINGS MISUNDERSTANDING OF
TWO PRISONERS BY NEGROES IN MISSES
sIPPT.
Mention of the Holly Springs tragedy has
already been made in the columns of the
Sentinel. The details of the affair given
in a letter to the Courier-Josrnal, dated
Holly Springs, Miss, October 10: This has
been a week of startling occurrences in the
usually quiet and orderly city OF Holly
Springs. Events have transpired of such a
nature as to satisfy the desires of the most
ardent lovers of excitement. The exercises
began ON Tuesday morning at daylight by a
desperate attempt to break Jail by number
of negro convicts confined therein,
which resulted in the death of Mack Hill, a
negro turnkey, and closed on Wednesday
night with the bloody execution of his MIR
telegraph has announced to you both occur
rences and have waited to see what devel-
opments would be made by the coroner's
investigation before giving you a more
detailed account of the affair by letter.
The killing of Mack Hill so aroused the in
only be quieted by the death of his murder
ers, Jim Perkins and VIM. Ravenwood, two
negro prisoners-One of them, Perkins,
already under sentence to be hanged on the
2Sth prox. 1t is said that remarks made by
white carpet-bagger, who preached to a
officiated at the funeral of Hill, did not
have tendency to quiet their aroused in
dignition. Accordingly on Wednesday
night between 10 and IL o'clock
disguised mob, composed wholly
of negroes, went quietly to the
Jail, which is situated in remote quarter
of the town, demanded the keys of the
jailer, who surrendered them with little re-
luctance, and took the two prisoners out,
and carrying them to a secluded place in
bottom a mile westward from town, there
wreaked their vengeance on them in the
most cold-blooded and diabolical manner
and then
BURIED THEIR BODIES
in the sand with their faces downward. As
soon as it was known on Thursday morning
that mob had taken the two negroes from
the Jail the proper authorities instituted
search for their bodies, which they soon
found, tracking their executioners by their
footprints in the road. When the grave was
opened and the bodies were examined it was
found that the mob had followed strictly the
savage mode of retaliation on their enemies.
The negro, Ravenwood, was shot twice, in
retaliation for firing two shots at the jailor
on the morning of the attempted escape.
Perkins, who struck Mack Hill the blows
on the head which caused his death, was
found with his head mashed to a jelly,
evidently done in spirit of retaliation,
not have attempted escape from the mob.
He is said to have buried the body of
his victim, woman, for whose murder he
was condemned, with her face downward;
and in that position his body was found.
No one regrets the death of the two. negroes:
for there is not the slightest doubt that they
richley deserved to die; yet even one sin
cerely regrets the manner of their death, and
condemns the lawless conduct of their exc
cutioners. The coroner's jury have not
yet terminated their investigation, but
will probably conclude on Monday,
as enough evidence has been clio
tied to determine at least who the ringlead-
ers of the mob were. Several arrests were
made this afternoon, all negroes, and rumor
has it that several more are to be made as
soon as the guilty parties can be found. 1t
is clearly shown tina, not single white man
was concerned in the matter, and it remains
to be seen whether the United States au-
thorities will display the same zsal in ferret
ing out and Furnishing this band of negro
Ku -Klux that is displayed when white men
are supposed to be the guilty ones.