The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1893-03-28
A WHITE CAP KILLED.
A Tragedy in Houston County on Last Sat-
urday Night.

Fort Valley, Ga, March 26.-(Special.)
Some weeks ago white caps visited Mr..
Bassett's plantation and shot one of his ne
gro laborers.
Were tishin. at Barnes's mill when Marion
Bryant, with Il gang of his friends, came
upon them. Bryant called Bill Brown,
the negro shot some weeks ago, to one
side and said with an oath:
You have been accusing us of being
white caps and have put the detectives at
ter US. We will kill you for it tonight"
The climax came about IL o'clock last
night, when a negro, Lewis Jackson, heard
the white caps coming. He jumped out OF
bed and run quarter OF mile to Mr..
Bassett's house and informed him, but Mr..
Bassett thought there was nothing of it,
In Il few minutes, however, he heard the
report of guns and before he could get
out of the house another negro ran up
telling him that the white caps were killing
folks down In the quarter. Mr.. Bas-
ssett then went towards his quarter, meet
ing three of his hands in a sma1grove.
He heard the threats of the white caps
and told his negroes to get in a ditch and
he would get behind the well and await de-
velopments. His wait was Il short one,
for he had hardly fixed himself before he
heard them getting over the fence coming
towards them. One Of them spoke and Mr.
Bassett recognized them, when he came ut
from behind the well and said to thel
Gentlemen, you must stop; you are on
my premises: and you must not advance
any farther"
Marion Bryant, the man whom Mr.. Bas-
sett recognized, said:
'Yes, we will come farther You have
put detective after US and we are going
to settle it,
Killing OF William Hatcher.
Mr.. Bassert then grabbed Bryant, and
as he did SO, his negroes fred on the other
lnnl Lii l, -
one of the advance guard then turned IN
his heel and departed.
The man who was killed was
Hatcher, whose father is good c IS
a Mason in good standing. In
ment and knowing there was p
OF these three, Mr.. Bassett
away and summoned help
bors and from Fort Vallc
woods We're full of wi
i'll ambush to await
two hours time, BSs
q brother of the deud
thought, to remove T;1
on approaching the spot iii
ran into Marshal Cooper's =
quickly secured On being que
said he returned only to remain
corpse until the coroner arrived 4.
yarn did not serve its purpose, a ,,
shall Cooper held him.
The killing JustifiabIe. y
Just as the sun was rising this morning,
the coroner enpaneled jury to investigate
the killing, with y. 5. Martin as foreman
The jury had DR.. j. w. Mitchell to examine
the dead man, and his report was The
mans death was caused by a guy 1t
wound The jury then divided the =
nesses and for over two hours piled { IA
with the most searching questions. { ut
stress was laid on the fact that M. N
Bryant refused to answer the oues
about his threatening the negroes yeste 8
and admitted that Mr.. Ba L
told him several times to p
and not nlrude on his prolg
As to who killed Hatcher. the :
did not determine, but the verdict was
he came to his death from Il gunshot wo !
inflicted by one of the following +
ties, viz: Bill Brown, Douglass Tayloi;Sf
Clark Taylor, all colored, and III their judg-
ment the same was justitiable homicide.
Young Hatcher was a hayward young
man and had given his old father. who is
law-abiding citizen, Il great deal of trou-
bic.
Marion Bryant was held on a war
rant charging him with assault with intent
to murder and is confined in Jail here await
ing his preliminary trial. Marshal Cooper
was wired about the killing and was soon
on the scene. He left with II reliable dep
uty and warrants for the arrest of others
parties whom there is some evidence
against but would not reveal their names.
1t gives immediate relief-we mean Saliva
ton OH, the great pain remedy. Price 25c.