Mississippi leader. (Jackson, Miss.) 1892-1895, 1893-07-25
THE MORRIS MURDER.
4 Misdirectei Effort to Locate the MUIR
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The LEADER of June 10Th contained
the following paragraph
\ report comes from the Southwest
ern portion of Lawrence county that
a man named Morris was assassinated
there. last Friday evening. The muir
dered man was at his hog pen about
dusk and was fired upon and struck
with ~ buck shot by two men whom
he failed to recognize. He leaves a
wife and seven children. Our inform
ant says it is believed that Morris was
a member of the White Caps and be-
came the victim of some of the gang
whose displeaSure he had aroused, or
because il was feared he would give
away some of their secrets.
At citizens meeting held at Topi-
saw school house June Both, presided
over by Prof. Ross. an official report of
the proceedings of which was published
in The LEADER of July 18th, among
other things done, the following action
is recorded in reference to the latter
part of the above paragraph:
/
| BY rising vote. the meeting denied
| that any one present believed that w.
! ID. Morris met his death at the hands
of white caps for fear he might divulge
their secrets another libel on our peo-
| pie which found its way into public
print but that such a report was an
infamous falsehood. concocted to serve
a sinister purpose.
But not satisfied with this eXhonera-
ton of their community and the fair
reputation of the white caps. the fol
| lowing correspondence shows that this
particular phase of the subject has
! been still further pursued
SARTINyILLE, MISS, July Is, 1893
Mr. l.. +. Hobbs, Editor Mississippi Leader
DEAR SIR The undersigned commit
tee was appointed at citizens meet
ing, held at Providence church. Law
renee Co.. on Saturday, the 18th. to
write you in regard to an article which
! appeared in the issue of your paper
June ~, 1893. and which alleges the
| killing of w. ID. Morris to whitecapS.
! Mr. ID. \. Dawson wrote you request
ing the name of your informant. but
which you have refused to give him
Since the citizens of southwestern part
of Lawrence regard the publication OF
said paragraph of so grave IA character
as to reflect upon them by stigmatiz
ing them as whitecaps. thus leading the
public to believe either that they are
whitecaps or that such an organized
band has its domicile among them. we
therefore now demand the name OF
your informant. If this demand is not
complied with. it is the purpose of the
committee to visit Brookhaven and
your informant only as the law pro
vides in such cases.
! There will be held in Monticello, on
next Saturday, the 10Th, IA citizens
meeting. and. if possible. come out and
which simple justice to them demands
of you.
Hoping to hear from you by return
mail. we are,
Your obedient servants.
c. B. G. Ross,
ID. a. DAWSON.
j. b. CoTHERN,
|. G.. LAWRENCE.
JOHN DAY,
l.. l.. BOYD.
Committee
In response to this letter the editor
of The LEADER sent the following re
ply
BROOKHAvEN, Miss. July 10. 1893.
MesSrs. {. i. G. Ross, ID. A. Dawson. ct al. Sar-
tnyllc Miss
GENTLEMEN - Your communication
of 10th inst. was received this morn
ing and contents duly noted. | must
| respectfully decline to comply with
your demand to divulge the name of
the person who gave me the informa-
ton on which the news paragraph in
THE LEADER of June Goth in reference
to the Morris murder was predicated
The chief ground of my refusal is that
the report about the Morris murder
was related to me in a casual converse
| ton, not for the purpose of publica
ton, and when | suggested that would
publish it substantially as related to
me. my informant requested me. not
to connect his name with the subject
| So What he. told was purely from
ioe'I say. anu. do a LltuUtl VI ldCU Lie
knew nothing except what he had re-
ceived in that way:
Permit me to add in conclusion that
you appear to be attaching far more
| significance to the publication in The
LEADER than the matter justly war
rants. and think if you will carefully
reread and analyze the paragraph and
see Just what it does say. you will agree
with me-
| have the honor to be,
Your Obedient servant,
b. T. HOBBS.
In pursuance of their warming. the
committee yesterday morning came to
Brookhaven and waited on the editor
of the LEADER in person to press their
demand for his informant's name, but
it was resolutely withheld for the rea.
son given in the above letter.
IN the course of the interview the
committee were forced to admit that
the locality where Morris was murder
ed was infested with white caps and
that there were persons in that locality
who believed what The LEADERS pub
LEGATION asserted. bat tried to Justify
their persistency by saying If they re-
ceived the anonymous informant's
name they hoped to obtain some clew
to the real murderer.