Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-10-01
TEXAS WHITE CAPS.
Three White Cotton Pickers Taken Out
and Shot by Eight Masked Men.
One Killed, the Other Two Seriously
Wounded-They Gambled With and
Made the Negroes Dissatisfied.
Special TO the Gazette.

Ft'C III ~ tIt bdLtLlG
EAGLE LAKE, TEX, Sept. 30.-The e1-
element was at fever heat in the little
town Of Eagle Lake this morning upon
hearing of the assassination of Bob Wy
att, and the serious wolnding of Charley
Armstrong and r. B. Mills in the bot
tom about seven miles from Eagle
Lake, on the plantation Of Mr..
b. L. Vineyard by party of eight or
ten masked men. A colored man by the
name OF billiard Mead, a farmer for Mr..
Vineyard. had Bob Wyatt, Charley Arm
strong and r. B. Mills, all white, were
employed in picking cotton. 1t is said that
these men gambled with the negroes and
had great deal to do with making them
DISSATISFIED AND DISCONNECTED.
Every one seems to be afraid to say
word although some are bold enough to
say it is said, that owing to the above
state of aiTnirs, parry of masked men,
supposed 10 be bosses and planters, went
10 give these pickers notice TO
leave and to administer TO them
thrashing, but that one of them
was probably rather rash and used his
gun too quick, and then the attempt was
made to Kill all OF them so as to leave no
one TO tell the story. Your reporter in
terviewed quite q number ot citizens,
an Rll say that all the men have the
rel utation OF being peaceable and quiet
me and none give any other version
than the above.
CHARLES ARMSTRONG TALKS.
A reporter found Charley Armstrong,
one Of the wounded men, in servants
room back of the Drummers hotel all
alone. lie said he lived IN Kyle, Tex,
and after spending about three weeks in
Lockhart came down here to pick
cotton to make some money to
send home and was employed by
j. T.. Frazer s. Bro. He says he has
never had any trouble or misunderstand-
ing. He roomed with Bob Mills and
Bob Wyatt slept in an adjoining room in
the bottom. They went to bed about
O'Clock and were awakened about 10
O'Clock last night by eight or
ten masked men who ordered them to
throw up their hands. They were then
ordered to put on their clothes, and after
dressing were ordered to march out of
the house. When they had got on the
outside Bob Wyatt ran and was shot
down and
INSTANTLY KILLED,
four shots being fired. One of the men
turned around and said, 1--WE might as
well kill all of them'' and Immediately
shot Charles Armstrong and Bob Mills
was shot at three times. Armstrong
acted as though he was dead. One of
the masked men came along, caught
him by the arm, hit him
with club and said, al got him behind
the ear.'' Armstrong says that he
recognized in the crowdt wo men who are
prominent planters, j. V. Frazier and
N f. Frazier. When the men
ran after Malls through the cotton
field, leaving Armstrong believing him
TO be dead, Armstrong ran in an
other direction through the cotton
fields in the bottom where he got lost,
roamed around all night and found his
way to n section house Eve miles east of
Eagle Lake At G O'Clock this morning,
when he was brought 10 town
TO RECEIVE MEDICAL AID.
The bullet hit Armstrong in the shoulder,
going through and lodging in his head,
just behind his right ear. DR.. r. b.
Logwic and DR.. j. S. Bruce extracted
the bullet from his head and say that
it Will not prove fatal. The above state
ment is substautiated by Armstrong;
sworn statement before the magistrate.
Il. b. Mills, upon being sworn, stated
in substance about the same as Arm
strong. He said he never recognized but
one OF the masked men and that
was II. IL. Moore. He said Moore was
the man that shot him. Mills said boy
was IN the crowd and he would know
him if he could see him. Mills was found
this morning about mile and half
IN THE COTTON FIELD
by Hillard Sueed, cOlored, who took him
TO his house and then came to town and
informed Constable s. p. Moore.
j. Langston, J. d. O'DeI, Lawrence
Williamson and Harvey Vineyard were
all in the store setting on the counter
about 3 CLOCK, and that they heard the
shooting, but did not so down TO see
anything about 1t.
Constable Hatch York, Deputy George |
Bridge and Constable J. Z. Stewart |
have just arrived and have under arrest |
II. II Moore and number of witnesses.
Sheldon Martin, an olC/colored man and |
his wife were in the same room with /,
Wyatt and said to ~ reporter that the |
men came in thu room and made .
him get them light and took Toyatt .
out. Jim Davis, colored, was also in .
the house. He says that he and his
wife were nearly scared to death, COW
cred up their heads and did not go to .
oil ,fFrl,N