Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-03-09
MEMPHIS MASSACRE.
The Jail Stormed by q Mob Of Sew
enty-fve
NEGROES TAKEN OUT AND SHOT DEAD.
Avenging the Killing Of the Dep
uties Saturday Night.
FURTHER TROUBLE FEARED.
GROES TAKEN OUT AND SHOT DEAD
FURTHER TROUBLE FEARED.
AvENGiNG TINE DEPUTIES.
Ihres Negroes Implicated In SATURDAY. NigAseu
ARRAY AT Memphi. Ma-sacrcd.

Hhres Negroes Implicated In Saturday NigAsS
ARRAY at Memphi. Ma-sacrcd.
MEMPHIS, Tenn, March s-1he dawn Of q
bright spring morning as il cast lite light scross
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 heavenward.
we're mute reminders Of the terrible work
Of seventy-hve masked men in this city sts
O'Clock In the morning. The names of the ne
groes whose bodies we're literally shot 20 pieces
by this mob are Calvin Mcdowell, VIM stuart
and Theodore Moss
The crime for which this summary vengeance
was wreaked upon them WAS the ambushing
and shooting down on saturday night last OF
four deputies in a bagnio known 40 Tho
Curve while the officers were fulfilling their
duties by looking for q negro for whose axrsss
they had q warrant
APPEARANCE or rnr MOE.
About o'clock this morning seventy-avs
men, all wearing masks, appeared suddenly o.
Front street near the jail From whence they
came no one will this morning hazard even .
guess. No ono them assemble; no officers
OF the law noticed their passage through any
street nor did any person intercept them in
their quick and quiet march to the shelby
county Jail.
At this time watchman o'DonneIl eat In the
jail once having chat with q friend. Sud-
denly ring was heard coming from the outer
gate. Hastily arising and leaving the ofhcsr
Mr.. ODonnell walked TO the door OF the jsil
who's therer' demanded O'Dounel. his
voice ringing loud and clear in the frosty air.
Hugh Williams OF White Haven" came the
| reply. Il have prisoner"
"All right said o Donnell, ''this 10 the place
| and am always ready 10 receive them"
With that oDonnell 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 gates
but moment later when he turned TO inquire
| for the prisoner be saw that he had been
trapped. The men were masked.
/ what does thi mean?' Queried the ,vatch-
man as he reached for his pistol
NO, you don't" exclaimed the masked men
loudly, as they seized the arms Of Mr. O'Don-
| nell and forced him against the high and thick
walls surrounding the jail The three men
who seized Mr.. o'Donnell had spoken loudly
| as they grasped him. their voices lad scarcely
died away when there was a tramping Of many
| feet and fully seventy-five men. all wearing
black masks, rushed through the gate and con-
| ironted the astounded watchman
| What do you WANT asked y Donnell
I'VE want the keys TO the cell in which The
| negroes are confined. came sternly from the
leader Of the masked strangers
~ have not got the Keys" replied Mr..
| O'Donnell.
I'VE will see il you have not said the
| leader, and in a minute two men we're going
through the watchman's clothes bent on e.
curing the keys. But they were not In his
pocket
THE wLrcHMAN Bound.
There was q hurried consultation among the
leaders, wait Of q minute and soon Q rope
was produced, with which the watchman' 9 hands
were bound. Two rnen we're then called forward
| throngh the gate and were put over ODonnel
| as guard, the other two hurrying into the Jail
| once. All this was going on while Jailer VII
hams slept peacefully upstairs, totally uncon-
| sclous OF what was going on below.
1 Soon came the cly, All right, bows, here they
| are! and IN q moment. after making sure that
| oDonneu was safely plnioned, the men 6led
| silently and swiftly past HIM into the jsl and
| IN minute were in the cell room Of the
negro department Now began . search.
| There were twenty seven negroes
| there, all under arrest for completely In Satur-
| day nights affair, and il no easy task for
| these men to distinguish their much 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 lie confined for killing
freda Ward, heard the noise and from
her cell on the upper tier peered down on The
strange and silent crowd. Not q word vss
spoken as the men proceeded quickly and osu-
iousiy alolg the rows OF cells.
ONE vIcrrx CAUGHT
Suddenly the click Of key going into look
is heard, the stop for an instant, thsrs 10
q little scuffie, hand is clapped over negro's
mouth until be is bound, and Moss, the mal
| carrier, Is IN the possession Of the mob.
II. Clay hing, under sentence Of death for
| the murder OF David Poston, hears the scufis
| 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 captiyes being
ready they are dragged, pushed and hustled
out the jail In hurry. Out into the yard and
past o'Donnell, still securely bound, they ge
and in minute are upon the street No hals
| is made and quickly they reach the corner.
| Turning into Auction street they start toward
the Mississippi river, stopping. however. as they
reach the tracks Of the Chess peske and Ohio
railroad.
| few words in an undertone Is taken o. aa
order ana the men start north along the tracks.
lhe night is pitchy dark, but no tagging was
allowed. The prisoners IN 'front.' securely
bound, were kept moving at a hot pace.
In q few minutes the suburbs OF the city we're
reached and in an open held, near WOLF rivsx,
| tho negroes met their doom.
THE MASSACRE.
For the first time they allowed TO spsah.
As the gags are removed Moss said: IF you
are going TO Kill US, turn our faces 10 the west"
Scarcely had he uttered the words when the
crack of revolver was heard and q ball crashed
through his cheek This wac the signal for tLs
| work. terrible voIey was poured in upon
the shivering negroes who Instantly fell dead
in their tracks
Mcdowell fell face downward by himself, bus
Moss and Stuart tell over each other. and when
the bodies found this morning thoy NV
close together. The bodies presented . horri-
bic sight GcDowell's jaw Was entirely shos
away and back Of his right ear there uss
q hole large enough TO admit q mans fist.
His right hand, too. had been half
blown away, as II In defense lac had grabbed
the muzzle Of a shot gun. Stuart 10 shot in the
mouth and twice liz the back of the head Hs
body was ricdled with buckshot Moss hss oos
ear shot Of and several bullet holes in bis forS-
head
The men had completed their terrible work.
and came toward the town. At the first cross
ing they scattered and all disappeared -
silently they had arrived on the scene.
Not a trace OF any Of them could bs found
this morning. The bodies Of the dead negroes
were brought to an undertaking establishments
about 7:So this morning. In less than fifteen
minutes the place surrounded by about
200 negroes- All were afraid tAlk,
however, on account Of the proximity
OF the whites, but on the edges Of the
crowd were heard many mutterings and
curses One negro apty expressed the feel
ings Of the majority Of his race by saying: If
those niggers stand this ives done up shuaA"