The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1894-09-05
BLACK MEN LYNCHED
Six Poor Wretches the Victims
of a Mob.
CHARGED AS BEING FIREBUGS.
Alter Being Arrested the Prisoners Were
Met by . Mob While Chained
Together We're Shot Down.

Together Wore Shot Down.
MEMPHIS, Sept. News comes
this morning of the lynching Of si1
negroes two miles west of Millington
q village on the Chesapeake & Ohio
railroad. For year or more the people
In that part of the country have beer
kept III q continual state Of excitement
by the acts Of incendiarism. Barns
and dwellings have been burned, and
recently buildings on the Millington
fair grounds were destroyed. Suspi'
clon polluted to Dan Hawkins, Robert
Haynes, Warner William, Ed Hall.
John Hayes aud Graham White. Yes
terday they were arrested near Kerr
VILE, In the western part of the county.
by Deputy Sheriff Richardson. Later
In the day the deputy started with the
prisoners In q wagon for Millington,
where they were to have q preliminary
examination.
0nOt OOWu MIC NuHluOUs
The six negroes were chained to-
gether. About midnight. when the
party was nearing Milling:on, 1t was
stopped by so men. armed with shot.
guns, who killed all the prisoners and
then, remounting their horses, which
were tied near by, rode awaJ In the
darkness. The lynchers were not
masked, but the officer Icing new to
that section, recognized none of them.
An inquest was held this morning, and
The jury, which included two negroes,
found the pris ,ners had ''come to their
death at the hands of persons I'm.
known" The sheriff Of the county.
who enters upon office today, will take
the matter in hand promptly.
Hawkins Was a Notorious Firebug.
Dan Hawkins was arrested a year
ugo with several others. charged with
burning barns and residences in the
Kerrville neighborhood. They were
brought to trial and two sentenced to
the penitentiary. They made full
confession and implicated Hawkins as
the leader of band of tirebugs. Haw-
kins got new trial, and after spend.
Ing some months in jail, was released
q few weeks ago. Since that the burn.
ings have recommended, and the Mill
ington neighborhood, as we'll as Kerr.
vile, has suffered. Deputy Sheriff
Richardson was employed to ferret out
the negro incendiariea. and with the
assistance of negro spotter he at
length got evidence that resulted In
the arrest of Hawkins and the other
five negroes lynched.
Decoyed From the Road.
About nightfall yesterday the officer
secured two horses and wagon and q
white man named Tom Atchison to
drive 1t. He loaded the prisoners into
the vehicle, handcufted and chained
together, and started for MillingtoD.
As they reached Big creek, two.miles
west of Millington, somebody in the
woods by the roadside called: Don't
try to cross there; the bridge is down.
Come this way" Richardson got
down, and taking the horses by the
head led them into path that opened
In the direction whence the warning
came. 1t was dark In the woods, but
suddenly Richardson saw two guns
presented ut his stomach aud stern
voice said: "Throw up your hands"
"What does this mean?" demanded
the officer. ''None of your - bust.
nes.." was the reply. "Throw them
up!' The officer obeyed. Then at the
chasm he was ordered to get down and
was placed under guard. The negro
prisoners attempted to leap from the
wagon. A volley rang out from 40 or
SO guns aud they fell back wounded
and dying.
volleys Fired Into tho Helpless Mass.
A dozen Of the mob leaped into the
wagon and threw them out. Volley
after volley was poured into the strug.
Cling mass, and In q few moments all
was still. Hawkins head was almost
shot from the shoulders, and the 9th.
ers were horribly mangied. The mob,
after making sure all six were dead,
mounted aud rode away. Atchisou
then mounted one of the mules and
fastened to Justice Miles house, some
distance away, and notified him of the
slaughter. At daybreak the justice
was at the scene of the lynching with
u jury, composed Of five white men and
two negroes, who rendered the verdict
~ above stated.
Accused Of Arson.
The lynched negroes were all accused
Of arson. and all are said to have be.
longed to M organized band of barn.
burners, that has In I've years destroyed
80 barns. ~ many residences aud other
property OF great value In the vicinity
Of Kerrville. On Thursday, jeff Lax.
ton. q merchant, went before Judge w.
II. hughey and swore out warrants
against the negl oes who live In his
neighborhood, charging them with
having set fire 10 buildings at the
Kerrville Fairgrounds, which were de.
stroyed by fire three months before.
These warrants were placed in the
hands Of Detective Richardson. He
fsaGhed Kerrville at o'clock yester-
day.
The Negroes Arrssted.
Warner William. who works on the
railroad. was arrested as he stepped on
. handoar at the depot. Some were
foand working In the fields, and others
were found at their homes. It was the
inteat40n Of the officers to take the
prisoners 10 Millington ana bring them
10 Memphis on the Chesapeake train
last night, but they had not made all
up TO that time, aud had
10 wait over. There IL no jail In the
village. and the prisoners, as fast rs
were manacled and placed
FY