The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-08-12
THE GOOD CITIZENS AROUSED
At the Murderous Doings of a
Gang of Outlaws.
Four Alabama Counties Stirred to the
Highest Pitch by the Doings of the No
torious observation-disclosures Formed
and Three of the Ringleaders Shot
Down.

MOBILE, Ala, Aug. ia special to
the Register from jackson. Ala. says:
The counties OF Clarke, Chockwa, Will
cox and Marengo are stirred to the
highest pitch at the murderous doings
OF the notorious Meachamites, and at
this writing between four hundred and
five hundred heavily armed men are in
Mescham Beat for the avowed purpose
OF wiping out every member of the gang,
and avenging the numerous wrongs per.
petrated upon the good people OF the
counties named. The Meachamites
number between thirry-dve and fifty
men, and their point OF operations is at
Meacham Beat, six miles from CATER
Vile, and about seventeen from
Thomasville. Five years ago, when
the settlement was founded, these
men piled their vocation as farm
ers and were to all intents and purposes
good citizens. A year ago, however, the
trouble began. The county is prohi-
bition one, but one day sign was dis
played on tree in the village that
whiskey could be secured on certain
nights during the week by applying at
certain store. Customers were plenti-
full. When they entered the store they
were mot by masked men who would
deal out to them whiskey in such guam.
titles desired. No questions were asked
by either party and then the buyer was
warned under penalty of death to say
nothing Of the business methods. This
violation of the law went on for some
time and the selling of v Aiskey led to
crimes being committed.
Several fatal shootings between
drunken men occurred. The best citi-
zens expressed themselves freely and
some of them were threatened with
death II they attempted to take any
action. Finally Jno. a Hare had his
barn, stables and house burned. and on
his going into the yard to fight the
flames he was shot at and narrowly
escaped fatal injury. Jos. Anderson
was another victim. He was shot down
on Sunday evening while walking
through a field and died. His assassin
was never arrested, although it was
we'll known who did the deed A few
months later thrifty old negro. and
the only one in Meacham Beat at the
time, was killed while at work at mill.
In December last hrnest McCor-
quodale's death followed. This cowardly
assassination. occurring as it did on
Christmas night, in the presence Of the
unfortunate victims family, worked up
the entire community and his assassin
was finally located. The evidence was
complete and on Monday afterpoo DON the
murderer was shot TO death He was
Kirk James. the leader OF tie Meach
antics and an acknowledged terror of
the community.
Among the other acts of lawlessness
committed by the gang wore distilling
OF Illicit whiskey and counterfeiting
money. TO the killing OF McCorquo.
dales they have added two more crimes
to their catalogue. About q month ago
a negro named Willis House was shot
down while at work in a field near
Cofieeyille for an alleged insult to
alarm was given in Meacham Beat that
negro had attempted to outrage a
white woman. A posse was formed and
all The negroes in the town were
brought before the woman who failed
to identify the guilty person Sam
House, brother of Willis House,
was one OF the men brought forward and
he was identified but proved an alibi by
two prominent men and was released.
About two hours before daylight the
next morning House was called to his
door and shot dead by two unknown
men. Subsequent developments went
to show that there was no attempt to
outrage the woman but the affair was
ruse to get chance to dispose of House
who had related TO certain parties that
he knew who had killed his brother
Willis.
Then followed the trouble at Thomas
vile, the mechanics threatening to
clean out the white town on account of
one OF their numb Der who stole pair of
shoes being caught up with. The last
outbreak on the pair OF the outlaws
caused the law-abiding people to come
together and agree that the gang should
be stamped out
Tom Bedsoe, one of the Meacham
gang, was captured after hard chase
by the posse. Seeing his END was near
he confessed that Booth Burke killed
John Anderson and shot down Willis
House and that Kirk James, the leader
Of the gang, killed Ernest McCorouoda ale
for large sum of money and that
Jan es Gordon killed Sam House, also
that Capt. James Fortescue had been
marked as the next victim. The posse
riddled Redsoe with bullets.
The dead of the gang are: Leo
James, Tom Bedsoe and Kirk James.
Other members of the gang are located
in the swamps, and the posses propose
to bag them all by tomorrow night.
One man. Sandy Norris, who was taken
day, was in so pitiable a condition
that the posse turned him over to the
sheriff instead Of shooting him.