Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1892-03-10
SHOT TO DEATH.
THREE NEGROES SHOT DOWN BY A MASKED
MOB AT MEMPHIS
Tie leaders Of "tha Curve" Murder Of Last Satur-
day Night Taken from the Jail BY Deter
mined Body Of Citizens and Rd1led
With Bullets in a Field Just
Outside The City.

MEMPHIS. Tenn, March 0.-Ihe
dawn OF bright spring morning as IL
cast its light across TenneSSee'S me-
tropols disclosed the dead bodies OF
three negroes riddled with bullets ana
partially covered with brush lying IN an
open lot about one and half miles
from the heart Of the city.
The bodies as they lay OutStretched
with faces heavenward were mute re-
lninderS OF the terrible work Of seventy
FIVE masked men in this city at 3 o'clock
this morning The names OF the negroes
whose bodies were literally shot TO
pieces by this mob, are Calvin Nc
Dowen, 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 Deputy
Sheriffs In bad negro locality known
as The Curve, while the officers were
fulfilling their duty by looking for
negro for whose arrest they had a war
rant. About o'clock this morning
seveuty-hve men, all wearing masks,
appeared suddenly on Front street near
the Jail.
Whence they came, no one will hazard
even a guest. No one saw them as
semble. No officer Of the law noticed
their passage through any street, nor
did any person intercept them In their
Quick and quiet march 70 the Shelby
county jail.
Al tbis time Waterman OD0nnell sat
IN the iail office. Suddenly ring was
heard coming from the outer gate. On
going there, be asked who was there'
and the reply came: "Hugh Williams,
OF White Haven, l have a prisoner.
When he unlocked the gate three men
entered, who seized O'DOnnell, and AFTER
short resistance. secured keys 70 the
cells where the negroes were confined.
There were tweuty-Seven negroes there,
all under arrest for completely in Satur-
day nights affair, and it was no easy
task for these men 70 distinguish their
much wanted negroes from other blacks.
The number OF men had now increased
10 fully seventy-6ve men, from the out
side. and all wore black masks
Not a word was spoken as the men
proceeded quickly and cautiously along
the rows of cells. Suddenly they came
10 the cell where Moss was incarcerated,
and he was soon in possession OF the
mob.
Mcdowell and Stuart were then found
and the party was ready 20 start. The
captives being ready. they were dragged,
pushed and hustled out OF the jail in a
hurry. Turning into Auction street,
they started toward the Mississippi
river, stopping, however, as they
reached the tracks Of the Chesapeake
aud Ohio railroad. A few words In an
undertone was taken as an Order and
the men started north along the track.
In few minutes the suburbs OF the
city were reached, and in an open field
near Wolf river the negroes met their
doom. For the first time they were al
lowed % speak.
As the gags were removed Moss SAID;
'If you are going 70 Kill MS turn our
faces 10 the west" Scarcely had he
uttered the words when the crack OF a
revolver was heard and ball crashed
through his cheek. This was the sig
nal for the work. A terrible volley
was poured I'm upon the shiyering
negroes, who instantly fell dead in their
tracks. The bodies presented horrl-
bic sight. They were brought TO
Walsh's undertaking establishment
about half-past seven this morning.
In less than fifteen minutes the place
was surrounded by about 200 negroes.
All were afraid on account OF the near
proximity Of the whites, but on the
edges of the crowd were heard many
mutterings and curses.
At 1915 A. NJ. word Raced the city
that the negroes were assembling In
large numbers az the curve. Judge
Dubose Immediately equipped $50 men
with winchesters and they have left for
the locality.