Mississippi leader. (Jackson, Miss.) 1892-1895, 1892-02-11
THE SIMSITES.
\ SHORT HISTORY OF THE
ALABAMA OUTLAWS.
" As Ye Sow, so Shall Yc Reap"
4 Record of Wickedness and
Blood Which Teaches IL
Solemn Moral.
Correspondence y. o. Christian Adyocatc.l

Inc nOliudy season was MADE lear
fully sad to this section of country by
the ''Sims' riot in Choctaw county,
Ala. Many of your readers arc,
doubtless, familiar with details of the
awful outburst of Il volcano which has
been smouldering for many years.
Indeed, some of the daily papers
have surfeited their readers with the
ticiently sorrowful even in its outlines.
Briefly recounting, we note first
that the scene of these horrors lies be-
tween twenty and thirty miles from
this place-iust over the Alabama line
and that much of the news concern,
ing these things naturally passed
through this place, as the nearest
railroad and telegraphic outlet to these
rural districts. Here the tragedy has
been much discussed, and, | suppose,
the main truths elected and the false
hoods discerned and discarded.
The leading facts published are
these: Last spring an unoi1ending
Baptist preacher, living not far from
the recent battle ground, was strange
ly assassinated. About the close of
summer a United States marshal and
a posse raided the illicit whisky distil-
lery of certain Mr.. Bob Sims, notori-
ous for many things in the vicinity of
Womack Hill, Ala. While being con-
Quoted to Jail, stopping at Bladon
Springs, a party of the kindred and
| friends of said Sims rushed in una
wares and rescued him from his hand
cuffed and captured state, meanwhile
killing one of the guards and most
estimable physician who happened to
be sitting near. The marshal's posse
and others, hotly pursuing, avenged
this innocent blood by the speedy slay-
ing of two of the Simses-a brother
and q son of the now famous "BOb."
He, who was known as the leader of a
large class called "Simsites," sailing
under the guise of religionists, escaped
to other regions, where, it is said, he
has many ardent admirers and follow
ers. At this .juncture IL large body of
the leading citizens of the county and
adjacent country massed together and
forcibly drove away most of the fam
lily, near relatives and clansmen of
Sims, including women and children.
L HIS NuS uOilC bCtdtSC II was oCllONCh
their presence in their home was dan
gerous to the rest of the community,
as they openly justified and upheld
one who had distinctly made himself
an outlaw. The refugees came over
into Mississippi, and remained on and
near the railroad for many weeks.
Finally, by the friendly interposition
of Gov. Jones, they returned to their
homes in Choctaw, sadder, perhaps,
but not wiser. \ different course on
either side might have brought less
unhappy results.
No one supposed that Bob Sims
would dare again to show himself
openly ii ChOctaw; but, doubtless, re-
lvi:,g on the strength of his following
and the fort-like style of his family
dwelling, and also having abundance
of that style of courage known as fool
hardness, he returned the latter part
of December. 1t is reported and be-
lieved that he declared he would have
"a barrel of blood for every drop"
which had been split from Simsite
veins. 1t is certain that he and some
of his family waylaid and robbed a
wagon carrying groceries to the store
of neighbor, Mcmillan, sending him
word that he would also kill him soon.
About the following night, in the
midst of the rain and darkness, eight
or ten of the Simsites surrounded and
set fire to McMhlan's home. AS the
inmates fled out they were shot down
on every side with Winchester rifles.
Little children were wantOnly shot,
and one little boy actually kicked
alive into the blaze by the foot of Bob
Sims. There he perished while the
fiendish incendiaries gloried in their
work with loud cursings and threat
enlngs. Four of the Mcmillan family
and friends were killed, and four bad
ly wounded. This deed so reused the
citizens generally that before many
hours the Sims headquarters was sur
rounded by large bodies of armed men
bent on swift and sure vengeance.
The sheriff was apparently in charge,
and seems to have done what was in
his power to restrain mob law. After
more than twenty -four hours battle
and seige of the "block house, and
when cannon were approaching from
each side, the desperadoes were in
duced to surrender late Christmas
evening. That night,as they proceed
ed to jail, the body guard of fifty men,
with the sheriff, was oyerpowered,
and all four of the men eaptured were
hung to the same tree. Sims main
tanned his spirit of bravado to the end,
and, horrible TO relate, swung off into
eternity mingling words of awful ours
ing with the tune of one of our most
sacred and popular hymns. Before
death, he said he had nearly forty 9th
er citizens marked down for death
and that he would be avenged. Sew
eral of the others most implicated in
the riot have since suffered lynch law
Some innocent may hare suffered. II
is seldom otherwise in such outbreaks
One wild report we are athorized tG
contradict. For the honor of our sec
tion and the sake of humanity. we ar,
glad to utterly discredit the report
| that even the suorst of the women have
been hung. We believe they have es
capped, and trust they will lay to hear
the dearly bought lesson.
Now, let us all take some of thu
teachings of this tragic history. Las
year l saw in our Advocate some