Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-03-09
MEMPHIS MASSACRE.
The Jail Stormed by a Mob Of Sew
enty-fve
NEGROES TAKEN OUT AND SHOT DEAD
Avenging the Killing Of the Dep
uties Saturday Night.
FURTHER TROUBLE FEARED.
NEGROES TAKEN OUT AND SHOT DEAD
FURTHER TROUBLE FEARED.
Three Negroes Inn IMPLICATED In saturyisy Ri~hsH
ARRAY at Memphis NJ assacned.

AvENGiNG THE pEPyrIKS.
Three Negroes Implicated In SATURDAY NieAss
ARRAY at Memphis. MHssaered.
MEMPHIS, Tenn, March She dawn Of Q
bright spring morning az il cast its light across
Iennessees metropolis disclosed the dead
bodies OF three negroes riddled with bull
lets and partially covered with brush living
IN an open lot about one and q half
miles from the heart OF the city. The bodies,
as they lay outstretched with faces heaveuwsrd.
we're mute reminders Of the terrible work
Of seyenty-hve masked men in this city st
o'clock IN the morning. The names of the ne
groes whose bodies we're literally shot TO pieces
by this mob are Calvin Mcdowell, VIM Stuart
and Theodore Moss
The crime for which this summary veneesncs
was Wrecked upon them WIS the ambushing
and shooting down on saturday night last Of
Curve while the officers were fulfilling their
duties by looking for q negro for whose srrsss
they had a warrant
APPEARANCE or TEE MOB
About o'clock this morning sevsnty-evs
men, all wearing masks, appeared suddenly On
Front street near the Jail From whence they
came no one will this morning hazard even .
guess. No one saw them assemble; no ofhcers
OF the law noticed their passage through any
street nor did any person intercert them in
their quick and quiet march TO the shelby
county jail.
At this time Waterman o'Dounell sat In the
jail office having a chat with a friend. Sud-
denly ring Was heard coming from the outer
gate. Hastily arising and leaving the ofhcsr
Mr.. U Donneii walked TO the door OF the Jail
who's therel" demanded O'pouu1l his
voice ringing loud and clear in the frosty air.
Hugh Williams of White Haven" came The
reply. Il have prisoner"
'.Ali right" said o Donnen, this 10 the place
and am always ready TO receive them"
With that O'DonneIl hurried TO the gate and
unlocked it. Two or three men pushed in i'm
mediately. o'Donnell did not then notice
them closely as they showed through the eAtes
but moment later when be turned 10 inquire
for the prisoner he saw that he had been
trapped. The men were masked.
What does this mean?" queried the WATCH
man AZ he reached for his pistol
No, you don't" exclaimed the masked mon
loudly. as they seized the arms Of Mr. O'Don-
nell and forced him against the high aud thick
walls surrounding the jail The three men
who seized Mr.. 0'Donnell had spoken loudly
as they grasped him; their voices had scarcely
died away when there was a tramping Of many
feet and fully seventy-rive men. all wearing
black masks, rushed through the gate and con-
fronied the astounded Waterman.
What do you WANT" asked U Donnell
I'VE want the keys to the cell in which tbs
negroes are confined" came sternly from the
leader of the masked strangers.
II have not got the keys" replied Mr..
I'VE will see il Won have not" said the
| leader, and in minute two men were going
through the watchman's clothes, bent on &C.
curing the keys. But they were not in hss
pocket
THE wlTcHMaN BOUND
There was a hurried consultation among the
| leaders. wait Of q minute, and soon q rops
was produced, with which the watchmap's hands
were bound. Tw0Uhen we're then called forward
through the gate aud were put over O'Donnell
as guard, the other two hurrying into the jail
ONCE All this was going on while Jailer Viii
hams slept peacefully upstairs totally uucou-
scious OF what was going ON below.
Boon came the cry, "An right, boys, hare they
are! and in q moment after making sure that
o onneh was safely pinioned, the men fled
silently and swiftly past him into the jail and
| negro department Now began q search.
There were twenty seven negroes
there, all under arrest FOR completely In Sasur-
day nights affair, and 1t was no easy task for
these men TO distinguish their mnch-wanted
negroes from the other blacks there incarcer-
ated in the dark Of the night They went from
cell 70 CELL the thoroughly alarmed inmates
coming to the cell doors and unwittingly aid
ing in the search.
Alice Mitchell. who ia confined for killing
Freda Ward, heard the noise and from
| her cell on the upper tier peered down on ths
strange and silent crowd. Not a word vss
spoken as the men proceeded quickly and osu-
| tious!y along the rows Of cells.
ONE vIcrrM CAUGHT
Suddenly the click Of key going into lock
is heard, the men stop for IN instant, thsrs ID
little scufie, hand is clapped over Negroes
mouth until be is bound and Moss the mail
| carrier, ID IN the possession Of the mob.
H. Clay King, under sentence OF death for
the murder OF David Poston, hears the scuffis
and appears at his cell on the opposite upper
| tier for an instant, but quickly retired
Soon Mcdowell is found and then Stuart and
| the party Is ready TO start The captives being
ready they are dragged, pushed and hustled
out the jail in a hurry. Out into the yard and
past o'Donnell, still securely bouno, they 10
and in minute are upon the street No bale
| is made and quickly they reach tho corner.
Turning into Auction street they start toward
| the Mississippi river, stopping however. as they
| reach the tracks Of the Chesapeake and Ohio
! railroad.
A few words in an undertone Is taken - -
order and the men start north along the trscks
The night IL pitchy dark, but no tagging was
allowed The prisoners In front, securely
bound, were kept moving at . hot pace.
In a few minutes the suburbs OF the city were
reached and in an open held, near Wolf river,
tho negroes met their DOOM
THE MASSACRE.
For the FIRST time they are allowed TO speah
As the gags are removed Moss said: If you
aie going to Kill us, turn faces 10 the west I"
Scarcely had he uttered tho words when the
crack OF q revolver was heard snd = ball crashed
through his cheek. 1bis Was the signal for tLs
work. A terrible voiley was poured in upon
the shivering negroes, who instantly fell dead
in their tracks
Mcdowell fell face downward BY himself, but
Moss and Stuart fell over each other. and when
the bodies were found this morning thsy NY
close together. The bodies presented horri-
bic sight NcDoweuIs jaw was entirely shos
away and back Of his right ear there vss
q hole large enough 10 admit . mans Est
His right hand, too, had been half
blown away, as il in defense he had grabbed
the muzzle Of O shot gun. stuart ID shot in ths
mouth and twice in the back Of the head. His
body was riddled with buckshot Moss has ons
ear shot Oh and several bullet holes in bis fors-
head
The men had completed their terrible work
and came toward the town. AZ the frst cross-
ing they scattered and all disappeared e
silently as they had arrived on the scene.
Not trace OF any Of them could be found
this morning. The bodies Of the dead negroes
we're brought to an undertaking establishment
about go this morning. In less than fifteen
minutes the place was surrounded by about
200 negroes. Ali were afraid to tAik,
however. I'M account Of the proximity