The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1891-10-08
NINE NEGROES HANGED.

NINE NEGROES HANGED.
Riotous Cotton Pickers In Arkansas. Who
Had Killed IN Overseer, Taken from
Officers by . Mob and ynched.
MEMPHIS, Tenn. Oct. mime ne
yroes were hanged Wednesday evening
by an armed mob as they were being
conveyed by sheriffs from Cat Island
to Mariana, Ark. Two of the same
gang were shot earlier in the day, one
in being captured and the other by an
armed posse.
A week ago the negroes Of Lee coun-
ty, Ark. began a strike for higher
wages for cotton picking and were ex-
cited to deeds of lawlessness by worth
less negroes of this city who have no
trade or occupation other than loafing,
crap shooting and loud talking. The
Clubhouse on the j. +. Frank
plantation was burned Friday night
and the overseer, Thomas Miller, way
laid and killed Saturday. The rioters
then made for the Mississippi river.
hoping to escape to this city.
where they would be safe. They
were closely followed. however,
and Saturday night two of
them-Patterson and Peyton-were
discovered by the parties in pursuit.
When called upon to surrender they re-
fused to do SO and were fired on by the
officers, but not until they had shot at
the deputies. Both men were wound
ed, but not seriously.
Wednesday Deputy Sheriff Frank
Mills, OF Lee county, got on the trail OF
the rioters and moved steadily upon
them in the almost impenetrable jun
gle. Their place of hiding is in the
river bottoms where there are 10000
acres covered with tall cypress trees,
with an underground Of cane 20 feet
high and matted together with bramble
briers and creepers until passage is al
most impossible except on foot, and
difficult at that. The posse, numbering
six, finally came upon Peyton and Pat
they were discovered they opened fire
upon the posse, which was returned
with deadly effect, Peyton being killed
outright and Patterson being wounded
in three places about the body. Patter-
son feigned death, but Mills discovered
his trick, chained him, and moved him
to the landing to put him on the Lee,
with view of bringing him to
Mariana, via Helena. As the Lee
landed at IIackley's the boat was
met by armed white men, who
came on be-1rd and demanded Patter
son. Mills 1ad the wounded and ter.
rified negro chained to a heavy piece
of machinery in the barber shop of the
boat, and knowing resistance to be
madness surrendered him to the band
Patterson was taken blingly from
the boat and as the boat backed ou,
from the Arkansas shore fusilade
from many Winchesters ended his life
Sheriff Riddick and posse left Ca,
Island Monday evening with nine o.
the thirteen rioters, conveying them Il
Mariana to Jail. They were over
taken by an armed band of white reg
ulators and after desperate struggle
the nine black prisoners were taker
from the sheriff and his men anG
hanged to q sycamore tree.
The negroes, under guard Of the
posse, were moving slowly through the
dense underground, when without the
slightest warning they were com
manded to halt, and at the same mo.
ment the barrels Of Winchester.
cleaned through the bushes in every
direction. The sheriff was ordered te
surrender the prisoners, and, seeing re
sistance was useless, he did SO. The
mob was composed of forty or fifty
men. Without any ceremony the ne
groes were dragged to the nearest tree
and inside Of fifteen minutes nins
bodies were swaying with the breezes
The mob poured q parting volley o
bullets into the remains and dispersed
as mysteriously and quietly as it came
The sheriff was told to go home with
his men, and he proceeded to do S.
without delay.