The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-01-29
THE ROANOKE TIMES. THURSDAY. JANUARY 90. 1891.
AN oLp-TiME HANGING.
a Sample OF Tcxas Justice When Tint
State Was y Republic.

Perhaps tho most,delibcrate lynchinp
that ever occurred took place in what
is now Hunt County, in this State.
about fourteen miles east of Grcenvillc.
and only IL short distance from the ia
nous town of Black jack Grove, snys a
Texas correspondent of tho Philadel-
phia Times. This trial took piece in
1914, and its history has nover before
been written up. There was only one
newspaper printed in two hundred and
nifty miles of the place, and it only
made passing reference to local mat
tcrs, presuming that the people knew
OF them and It's limited space was talson
up with foreign ncws.
There arc very few persons now liv-
ing who were present on this UNIQUE
occasion. Ono of these was Henry
Skidmorc, Of this city, who is now moro
than throe score and ten years. AL
though the writer has heard of the trial
oil his life and has played upon the spot
where 1t took place, Dir. Skidmorc Is
tho only man whom he over met that
was present and participated In 1t. At
that time this country was on the
northwestern frontier of tho Republic
OF Texas. The policy of the Texas Gov
eminent toward tho Indians was hui
mane and liberal. Tho roason was OBJ
vious- There wero then on the frontier
the Comnnches and other powerful
tribes who wero always ready 10 wage
war upon the slightest prctext.
Living among the whites wero frng-
ments OF numerous bands of Indians.
who were inveteratc cnomles Of tho Co
mnnches- They made an offensive
pledge for mutual protection. II a
white man killed one Of these friendly
Indians no was to be turned over to
them for trial, and If an Indian should
kill white man the whites were to try
him.
There was q band of horse thieves
thnt had regular stations from the Mis-
sissippi river to tho Sabine, on tho
frontier. Near where the town of Lone
Onit. Hunt County, now stands lived
two members of the gang, named Ray
and Mitchcll In the Sabine bottom,
near by, some of the friendly tribes
struck camp for tho winter of 1884.
Ray and Mitchell became quite intimate
with them.
Tho Indians wero bountifully supplied
with provisions, blankets and pclts, be-
sides somo horses and money. In April,
lo44, two members of the gang of horse
thieves, named Andy Jones aud Harry
White, arrived ut Mitchell and RAYS.
Tho four worthless coveted the possess
sions Of the Indians, and decided that
the best why to obtain their property
was to kill them With very little dc
Lay they surprised and killed eleven of
the unsuspecting Indians in the most
cruel and cold-bloodod manner imagin-
able The remainder OF the Indians in
that vicinity saved themselves by flight.
Littlo attention was paid to the nitro
cious affair by the whites, but it was
soon learned that the Indians intended
to revenge themselves upon all the set
tiers unloss the murdcrers were brought
to justice. Aroused to q sense Of tho
danger TINT confronted them, the
whites arrested Mitchell, Buy, Jones
and White, and offered to turn them
over to the Indians, but tho Indians ro-
fused to receive them. They insisted
that an tho whites from tho Arkansas
line to the frontier and from Red
river to the Sabine take part In the
trial. Couricrs were sent all over the
country summoning tho people to meet
ut Mcrideth Hart's place in Sulphur on
the first Monday In Juno.
On tho appointment day fully two
Thousand white people and five hundred
Indians were present The crowd chose
one OF Its number to preside over the
deliberations of the meeting. Another
citizen was chosen to represent tho peo-
pie and the Indians. Tho accused were
permitted to select tho citizens to repre-
sent them. A jury was then selected,
nnd no man was allowed to sit upon it
that was objectionable to the accused.
John b. Simpson, county judge of Fan
min County, who was present by request,
s~ore in the jury. Two days wore
then consu med in hearing the testi-
mony. The prosecution made u COM
plete cnsc, and declined to argue it be-
foro the jury. Tho defense made q
strong plea for mercy. The jury re-
tired, and after dcliberating three hours
returned verdict Of guilty against all
tho men, and fixed the date of their ex-
ccution two days from tho hour of tho
finding Of the verdict
There was still chance for the con-
dcmned men. There was one appeal.
and that was to the people themselves.
II they approved tho verdict the men
must die; if they did not, somo other
course would have to be taken.
Tho presiding officer then called upon
all who agreed with the jury to walk to
tho right, and those who did not to 90 to
the left. Every man except ono went
to the right. He explained that his
reason for opposing the execution wac
that he had conscientious scrupleB
against the infliction of the death pom
atty as punishment for crime. On
Saturday heavy pole was placed in
tho forks of two trees that stood noar