The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1892-03-16

MEMPHIS, Tenn, March 9.-The dawn
OF bright spring morning, as it cast its
light across TenAessees metropolis, dis
closed the dead bodies of three negroes,
riddled with bullets and partially covered
with brush, living in an open lot about
one and half miles from the heart of the;
city. The bodies, as they lay outstretched
with faces heavenwsrd, were mute res
minders of the terrible work of seventy
five masked mon in this city at o'clock
this morning. The names of the negroes,
whose bodies were literally shot to pieces,
are j: Calvin Mcdowell, William Stuart and
Theodore Moss. The crime for which
this summary vengeance was wreaked
upon them was the ambushing and shoot<
ing down on Saturday night last OF four
deputy sherifls in a bad negro locality
known as the Curve" while the officers
were fulfilling their duty by boxing for &
negro for whose arrest they had ware
rant.
/ About o'clock this morning seventyf
five men, all wearing masks, appeared sud>
denly on Front-st. near the Jail. From
whence they came no one will this mornC
ing hazard even a guess. No one saw
them assemble; no officer of the law no>
ticed their passage through any street, nor
did any person intercept them in their
quick and quiet march to the Shelby coun-
ty jail. At this time Waterman O'DOn-
nell sat in the Jail office having a chat
with a friend named Seat. Suddenly
ring was heard, coming from the outer
gate. Hastily arising and leaving the Of
fee, Mr.. ODonnell walked to the door OF
the Jail. who's there% demanded
o'DonnelI, his voice ringing loud and clear
in the frosty air. Hugh Williams Of
White Haven" came the reply; 81 have
prisoner" "All right" said O'Donnell,
this is the place and 1 am always ready
to receive them" With that Mr.. O'Don>
nell hurried to the gate and unlocked il.
Two or three men pushed in immediately.
ODOnnell did not notice them closely as
they showed through the gate, but mo-
ment later when he turned to inquire
which was the prisoner he saw
that he had been trapped.
"What does this mean" queried the
Waterman as he reached for his pistol.
"No you don'tw exclaimed the masked
men loudly, as they seized the arms of Mr..
O'Donnell and forced him against the
high and thick wall surrounding the Jail.
The three men who seized Mr.. O'Donnell
had spoken loudly as they grasped him.
Their voices had scarcely died away when
there was a trampling Of many feet and
fully seyentY-five men, all wearing black
masks, rushed through the gate and cons
fronted the astounded Waterman.
"What do you wsnt?" asked Mr.. O'Don<
nell.
ave want the keys to the cells in which
those negroes are confined" came sternly
Al - H., el~aA cNw
Il have not got the keys" replied Mr..
O'DonneH.
ave will see if you have not" said the
leader, and in minute two men were
going through the watchman's clothes.
bent on securing the keys. But they
were not in his possession.
There was hurried consultation among
the leaders wait of minute, and soon a
rope was produced with which the watch
mans hands were bound. Two men were
then called forward through the gate and
were put over ODonnell as guard, the
other two hurrying into the Jail Office
All this was going on while Jailer Will
Jams slept peacefully upstairs, totally
unconscious OF what was going on
below. Soon came the cryf
"All right boys" here they
are" and in a moment after making sure
that O'Donnell was safely pinioned, the
men FLED silently and swiftly past him
into the Jail, and in a minute were in the
cell room of the negro department. Now
began search. There were twenty-seven
negroes there. all under arrest for COM
plicity in Saturday nights affair; il was no
easy task for those men TO distinguish the
much wanted negroes from the other
blacks there incarcerated in the dark of
the night. On they went from cell to cell
until the right men we're found. They
were taken outside and literally shot 10
pieces. later dispatch announces