Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1891-12-31
END OF BOB SINS.
A Cannon Forces the Surrender Of
the Outlaws.
THE SHERIFF IS OVERPOWERED.
Choetaw County Citizens Hang Bob and
Two Others-Later. Mob Lynches
Two MOre-Huntlng the
Last One.

state troops left here at PAS Saturday
morning and reached Shubuta, Miss,
at 8 o'clock. Ate:3O the soldiers were
en- route for the scene of action, in
Choctaw county, Ala, two miles dis
tant. A very heavy rain prevailed the
previous evening and part of the night,
making the roads very bad The de-
tachment had a six-pounfer field piece
and every man was armed. The col
onel of the regiment, also the chaplain
and assistant surgeon, wree with the
command.
A special messenger for the Mobile
Register got into De Soto from the
scene of action and brings advices as
follows:
Sheriff Gavin on Christmas morning
sent to Bladen Springs for a cannon.
When Sims heard of this preparation
to blow his stronghold to splinters he
looked at his women folk and his heart
misgave him. He began parley with
the sheriff. At 2 o'clock he said he
would surrender if the posse would do
him no injury and if the posse would
protect him from mob violence. A
meeting of the posse was held, which
lasted more than two hours. There
was great excitement and much diver
sity Of opinion. at first the proposal
of Sims was fatty refused, but the fact
that there were women in the house
was strong point in favor of mercy to
the inmates The thought of shooting
with cannon into house harboring
women was so repugnant that it over
came the almost wild longing for the
blood of the men outlaws, so that at
last the terms of Sims were accepted.
At half past 4 o'clock the Sims laid
dCwn their arms and came out of the
house. The posse was astonished to
see that instead of seven desperate
outlaws there were only two men and
a boy, as follows: Bob Sims, Thomas
Savage and Young Savage, the nephew
of Sims. The women. Bob's wife and
three daughters, came on also. The
men were at once ironed and placed in
wagon. The women were placed in
second wagon and under guard
At 5 o'clock the party started for
Butler, the county seat of Choctaw
county. Sheriff Gavin commanded
silence, fearing that should word be
said his men might become angry and
kill their prisoners.
The Registers correspondent de-
scribes the road to Butler as very
rough and hilly and as bordered on
either side by a thick underground,
from which it would be easy for band
of determined men to surprise and
overpower the posse. The correspond
ent believed that such an attempt
would be made somewhere along the
route. As showing the temper of Choo-
taw it is said that John Savage, who
was arrested the day before Christina,
on the charge of being a member of
the Sims gang, was hanged to a tree at
/ o'clock the same night.
While the posse in charge of the Sims
party were Ell route to Butler a mob of
Choctaw county men overpowered the
posse and hanged the three men, Bob
Sims, Tom Savage and Young Savage
1t is reported that another of the Saw
age boys was hanged at the same ii re.
This is in addition to John Savage, who
was hanged on Christmas eve.
The sheriff promised the best protec-
ton he could give under the circum-
stances. Sims selected twenty-five men
and the sheriff twenty-five and started
with them to Butler. About one mile
from Sims house a body of men from
100 to 200 strong took them from
the guard and hanged them all to
one tree. Sims expressed fears
that he would never reach the
Jail, dead or alive. When he was placed
in the buggy for the fatal ride he re-
fused to be blindfolded. He held out
his hands and asked them to feel of his
pulse to see il he was frightened and
said he was going to Heaven.
Young Savage said: 'If you think
enough of me to bury me, put me by
the side of Sims. We are fighting for
the same cause" They died cursing.
The women were turned lose. All is
quiet now. The names of the Simsites
hung are: Bob Sims, Tom Savage, Con
Savage and his two grown sons,
Thus ends the defiance OF the United
States, the state of Alabama and in
fact all laws by the notorious Bob Sims
and four of his followers.
TWO MORE HANGED,
SHUBUTA, Miss, Dec. 2a-The
lynching still goes on. Two more vic
tins, John Sims, brother of Bob, and
Mosely, nephew of Bob, were both
hanged last night, and the avengers
are in hot pursuit of negro that was
with the Sims gang the night of the
massacre
They have burned both Sims dwell
ing and the houses on his place, and
killed every living thing to be found on
the place, except the family, and they
had to escape to a neighbours house.
Sims family say they are going to
leave the country. The crowd con-
tinues to enlarge and is fullyI5O0 strong
and is hunting for Neal Sims. 1t is re-
ported that Neal Sims has gotten to-
gether about forty men and intends to
burn up Womack Hill. The bodies of