Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-12-30
MOB RETRIBUTION.
South Carolina Climbs to Bad
Gminence.
EIGHT NEGROES SHOT TO DEATH


Outbreak OF OutIawry--'he Accused
but Untried, Victims p ddied with Bull
lcts-A Georgia r.per Prints Some
Healthy Sense.
COLUMBIA. S. T., Dec. 3O.-Three hundred
armed men With faces masked surround a
Jail siust o. che darkest hour before dawn,
while NJ, inmates are sleeping heavily. They
NOV with caution and as an organized body
Tae jailer is quietly seized and quickly over
powered, his keys taken from him, the heavy
doors unlocked, and before eight negroes
sleeping within are awakened their cells are
filled with strange figures, they are seized
and carried out into the night, their cries for
mercy, prayers, and curses alike unheeded
by their silent executioners
The Victims shot to Pieces.
The body of men Is put in motion and pro-
ceeds a quarter OF II mile to the outskirts of
the town, where it halts and the eight I'M
fortunate wretches are secured, several hun
dred shots fired and eight bodies lie ON the
earth, with blood running from hundred
wounds, literally shot 90 pieces. Such was
the terrible tragedy enacted in the town Of
Barnwell Saturday morning-the most ter
rible retributinn for not extraordinary Of
Tense, as the crime records will prove.
The Outrage without Parallel
Four years ago five men were lynched in
Horkville for Tire brutal murdes Of a little
boy who caught them stealing But they be-
lOnged TO an organized gang whose members
were sworn to kill whoever caught them
stealing, ana they were believed TO have
committed several murders previously
Their conviction was uncertain, and the peo-
pie took the law into their own hands But
the Wholesale lynching OF Saturday morning
Is without parallel in the records of crime
in 5his state, and there was less ground for
the act probably than for any lynching be-
fore. IL is doubtful If the country can show
a like record
What the Negrues Were Charged with.
These eight negroes were charged with
committing and being accessory to the follow
ing crimes: Tho afternoon Of Oct 20 John J.
Hefferman was shot and instantly killed in a
restaurant in the town of Barnwell by Ripley
johnson. Heiferman was one Of the princi-
pal merchants Of the town. and johnson was
a colored man employed at that time in run
ming gin. There had been some trouble be-
tween the white man and the negro the day
before, and, although there were conflicting
accounts rs TO the difficulty, it is probable
that Hefferman threatened the negro. for he
had been summoned TO appear before the
town council the morning following, and had
been put under bond The killing took place
in a colored restaurant. where Hefferman
had followed johnson. Five other negroes
were jailed as accessories
Assas-ination of Robert Martin.
Robert Martin, a young planter and prom
inent citizen and only child of aged parents,
was riding home Dec. Is late at night when
he was shot down by hidden aSsassins. The
shots were heard by negroes living near, but
they made no effort TO ascertain the trouble,
and the white citizens assert that they were
all in the conspiracy, at least by guilty knowl-
edge. Mr.. Martin had no white enemies,
but he worked ms fathers plantation and
had the reputation Of keeping the negroes
pretty Close 10 their work and allowing then
little license Five bullets had entered his
body from the back, AMI he had evidently
been almost instantly killed Atthe coroner's
inquest the crime was charged to six negroes,
and they were arrested and put in Jail Be-
sides the above Dec 70 J. 5. Brown, another
prominent planter, was Got TO death on his
own premises by negroes who have never
been discovered.
The Lynching "A Surprise.
There was not rumor in the town OF
Barnwell Friday night that violence was
contemplated Had there been n whisper of
it the Jail would have been guarded by
troops. As 1t was the town, together with
the doomed prisoners and the jailer, was
sleeping. At O'Clock Saturday morning
the jailer was called by some men ON the
outside Of the jail incloSure He was in
formed that constable had arrested the
= -
he wished to lock him up. Suspect
ing nothing the jailer came down and opened
the heavy gate. He was Immediately seized
by dozen men and overpowered, unarmed,
and told to keep quiet or he would suffer for
any alarm made
Names of the Eight Men.
The keys were taken from him and fifty
men entered the Jail and took out the follow
ing prisoners: Ripley johnson and Michael
Adams, the principal and chief accessory to
the murder of j j. Hefferman in October
last, and Peter Bell, Rafe Morrell, Hugh
Furse, Hudson johnson, Robert Phunix, and
John Jones' the SIX negroes charged with
the assassination Of Robert Martin Dec.
Is They were then marched TO the out
skirts of the town, and in few minutes each
man was bound 10 the body Of tree
RiddIed with Bullets.
Two hundred men then formed "a line
short distance from them and poured volley
after volley into the bodies of the negroes.
They were shot To pieces. The firing was the
first intlmation the people Of the town had
of the trouble. It seemed then as IL the ne
groes would rise up and revenge the lynch
ing. In response to a request the governor
ordered n body Of infantry and one Of
cavalry 10 prepare for service The whites
Are armed and pretty well organized The
town is reasonably quiet
A Statement In PaIIIation.
The leading citizens of Barnwell met Sat
urday evening and prepared statement in
ended as palliation Of the slaughter. In
e they recount the murder Of the three citi-
lzens mentioned above and add that the con
tiuuation OF the cnses of the murderers of
Hefferman disappointed the whites and IL
was thought emboldened the negroes. They
,scribe this latest Wholesale lynching TO the
indignant resentment Of the whites at these
brutal murders