The farmers' union. (Memphis, Mo.) 1891-1895, 1892-01-07
AlabllNa .lustice.

Fob Sims AMI two members of his
bloOdthirsty gang named Tomas aud
John Savage were lynchcd in (hoctaw
County. Alabama, by mob John Saw
age, son of Thomas, was only - years
Of age The inns sang had been
guilty OF many crimes, the elimination
coming when the McMi Ian family was
mui dereG because Of some trouble about
land, the circumstances of the fiendish
crime having been already related. The
people of Choctaw County, tired Of tho
bloody doingS of Fob Sims and his crew,
determined that no ap cal to law was
tolerab!e at tbs time and that summary
justice be mctcI ont A shcriil's posse,
armed with a SiX-pound cannon proceeded
to SINS cottage. Get I'm ned to take
the olilaw d al or alive. inns and
his two CONF ami ms were heavily armed,
I | night, when a dash for be- ty would
b, made. On seeing the cannon. how
eve. III. outlaw sought to barley" with
the Sheriff. offering to surrender ii tie
Sheriff would guarantee him protect on
from the me .nbrr, Of the pc s., This
the sheriff sd q he could rot do under
the existing tate o. u airs and the i'll
tense * element prevailing, bit he
would do TIL next be t thing he clusd
and s,ive him II guard OF fifty armed
men. This lr p stion Sims finally a.
ccptcd, saying that by holding out he
felt h, vCu d sacrifi e the lives of his
wife and dau ut r., at tie same time
r2markiny that he di not expect he
would get As Jar rs II | either dead
or alive.
I he armed guard started with the
prisoners, co. s;>t NJ OF Oh Sins. Tim
.avage and two sons Of John Savage on
the journey to Euticr. After their &C
part' r. the remainder OF the crowd,
VIII CHI had gathered at TIL, enc, num-
boring about $50 deter mined men, held
i meeting and to>k counsel as to what
action was advisable. 1t was soon &c
tcrmincd that the prisoners should be
lynchcd, so, mounting their horses, they
started in pursuit On the road they
met John Savage, previously reported as
captured and hanged Christmas Evo
Without much ado they pit a rope
around his neck and strung him uD to a
convenient tree
Continuing on. they 0 crtcok the other
prisoners about two miles from the start
ing point and, returnin. with them to
| the same tr frum whici John Savage
was hanging. the mob I'D. listed lop,s
about thcr nccks and mounted them two
at time in buggy inns AMI one Of
the younger SaVagcS We're the FIRST OF
| those WHO surrender d 10 fa1 victims to
the fury of the cnraged porU 4 g. Whn
asked If he had anything to say, Sims
rel lied, dcanty y:
Come. feel my II Sc, and see II you
| think / am q coward"
| The buggy YVES then driven ont from
under them and they swung into eter-
| ty. IN like manner Tom Savage and
| his nephew were hanged t, the same
| tree. The SavaGes Pleaded for mercy
and declared their innocence. while
| Sims refused to be Ill ndfolGed. assist ed
! in adjusting the lo,c about his ne k,
and took things as cody as though cat
, ing Christmas dinner instead Of pay
| ing a leading roe in a tragedy which
was to land him in eternity.
| Alter the | nchiug tn mob form ID n
a circle about he dangling bed c>. which
| they filed with lead. They then dis
! pcrsed in the direction OF their several
homes Miss i'c ic Mckinzie, the young
| lady school teacher. who was board ug
at NciliIlans and wEo was shot three
times in the neck hen Sims attacked
the Mcmillan homestead. l. deal.
y later dispatch says that the lynch
| ing still goes on Two NOR. victims
John Sims, brother of oh, and Mos cy,
his nephew-wcre both hanged the fol.
| owing night. an the avengers are in
| hot pursuit of a negro hat WIS with tho
Sims gang the hight of the massacre.
They have burned Fob Sims dive i.Na
| and al the houses N his place. and
| ki led every Twin. thing to be found or
the place except the family. and theS
| had to G cape t. q ncighbor S hou c
! The Sims family say they are going
leave the country. The crowd continue:
to enlarge, and is fu ~ SO strong. an,
| is hunting for Nca! inns 1t is reported
that Neal Sims has gotten tCgcthei
about # rty mt n, and inttn!s to bu -!
WOmack ILL. Tie bodies OF Bob sin
| and the three sara"es have been Gu
Gown and thrown over in the graveyard
John Savage, the first hanged, was lie.
|