The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1889-12-29
EIGHT SHOT AT ONE TINE.
Lynchcrs In the South Take the Law Il
Their Own Hands.

1hcif own uanh..
CHARLESTON, s. G. Dee, 81 mob of sey-
cral hun lrtd asen reached ihc jail al Barn-
well court house at . o'clock this morning,
oyerpowered the iailcr and took out eight
negroes charged with murder. These were
Ripley johnson and Mitchell Adams.
charged with numbering n man named llof-
fcrman, and six others churgod With mur-
dering young Martin. The pfi.onors were
taken ont of town and Mot 10 DEATH The
iniler WAS tied nnd fofcrd ~ nccompinY tho
lynchers. The whole thing wa1 conducted
IN very skilliul manner, tue cliigcusuf tho
town not knowing ANYTHING about a.. 4
great number of negrotanTc collected ni the
scene of the iynching and moro trouble is
anticipated.
The following statement, signCd 10y Rob
crt Aldrich. Mike Brown. IVOfpc H. ihIes,
William McNabo and James A. Jenkins.
some Vt the most prominent and Influential
citizens in Banwoll, have sent ip The News
and Courier III explanation uf the horrible
hutchefy Of dcfonscluss people ai chat place
last night. Oct. 20 last John III. iclermnn,
a prominent Young mcrcllnt and 70 public
spirited citizen. was shot down and killed
IA Barnwellby nerruos. Public indipuation
rnn very hiah. threats ut lynching being
freely made, but were diverted hy cooler
counsel. At the last term of court the
Grand Jury foGnd true bills against the
niurdcrers and their accessories. but tho
eases wore continued. The white people
were disappointed, and the negroes. Il is
thought. werp emholdcned by this
~ james Brown, pmminont
leader and u leading citi1 ol Fish Pond
township, WA shot ~ dcith un lia own
premises by negroes withput the agutcst
Justification or excuse. The murderer has
not been arrested. December liih. while
going from the store no Martins sfHi.1n to
his house. mile AWAY, Robert 81 Iftiu, "a
young man of high si1ndlnc. wis t3'l1gcd
by negro and shot IN the hUruf ut
negroes, whose houses were all Hruu4d the
spot where be WIN shot, and who ,dmit
that they heurd the shot Hnd crips. aud iolv
of them went 10 his budy, although d lay IN
the road for several hours after daylight la
plain view Ol thcm all.
II was satisfactorily established tlMt his
murder was the usuh uf cpnsp rIry 20
remove him IN order tlii their licrns upon
the plantation of his fhther might be
greater. The murderer. that "a TIM negro
who fired the shot and bis nceesaprr4 uine
IN number. ufier being clearly idcntli by
the corOner's jury. wore arrested Ond lpieud
IA jull. Ihesr several brutal murders OF
prominent white nucn by negroes ciu9el
state Of indignation nud resentment amoug
the people that can bo better imagined than
described. but cnnuUt be- imagined ly any
one not present IN our midst. Lust niglt
large body of armed uirI. III disgg be, at
about . Il. IN. called M tln jail, oycrposercd
the iailer. took oui the ak murdcnrs ut
MHrtcn and two pi Hruecmln. took tnam
TO the limits uf the corporation Gnj shot
them 20 death. This explanation of tho
cnusCs which led ~ the lynchinr do. mot
in the opinion Of law-oblding cit ns M
any way justify the utrorious mulder Of
eight drfcucplcss human hoings Tho
grentest indignation is expressed at th' bru-
tality. All is quiet in iinuIwcll laio this
evening. although trouble has been untlci-
pated aud may yet come