The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1894-09-08
Six Poor Wretches the Victims
of a Mob.
CHARGED AS BEING FIREBUGS.
After Being Arrested the Prisoners Were
Met by Mob While Chained
Together Were Shot Down.

/
this morning of the lynching of six
negroes two miles west of Wilmington,
village on the Chesapeake & Ohio
railroad. For year or more the people
In that part of the country have been
kept in continual state of excitement
by the acts of incendiarism. Barns
and dwellings have been burned, and
recently buildings on the Millington
fair grounds we're destroyed. Suspi-
cion pointed 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 wagon for Millington,
where they were to have preliminary
examination.
Shot Down While Chained
The six negroes were chained to-
gether. About midnight, when the
party was nearing Millington, it was
stopped by so men, armed with shot
guns, who killed all the prisoners and
then, remounting their horses, which
darkness. The lynchers were not
masked, but the officer being new TO
that section, recognized none of them.
An inquest was held this morning, and
the jury, which included two negroes,
found the prisoners 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 year
ago 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 a full
confession and implicated Hawkins as
the leader OF a band of tirebugs. Haw-
kns got a new trial, and after spend
ing some months in jail, was released
few weeks ago. Since that the burn.
ings have recommended, and the Mill
ington neighborhood, as we'll as Kerr
willie, has suffered. Deputy Sheriff
Richardson was employed to ferret out
the negro incendiaries, and with the
assistance of "a 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
white man named Tom Atchison to
drive it. He loaded the prisoners into
the vehicle, handcufed and chained
together, and started for Wilmington.
As they reached Big creek, two miles
west of Millington, omebody in the
woods by the roadside called: Don't
try to cross there; the bridge is down.
Come this way.n Richardson got
down, and taking the horses by the
head led them into a path that opened
in the direction whence the warning
came. 1t was dark in the woods, but
suddenly Richardson saw two guns
presented at his stomach and stern
voice said: Throw up your hands'
what does this meanY demanded
the officer. 'NOne of your - BUSH
ness" was the reply. Throw them
upw 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 and they fell back wounded
ana dying.
Volleys Fired Into the 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 a few moments all
was still. Hawkins head was almost
shot from the shoulders, and the 9TH
ers were horribly mangled. The mob,
after making sure all six were dead,
mounted and rode away. Atchison
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
a jury, composed of five white men and
two negroes, who rendered the verdict
as above stated.
Accused OF Arson.
The lynched negroes were all accused
of arson, and all are said TO have be-
longed to an organized band of barn
burners that has in five years destroyed
81 barns, as many residences and other
property OF great value in the vicinity
of Kerrville. On Thursday, JEFF Lax
ton, merchant, went before Judge w.
Ii. Hughey and swore out warrants
against the negl oes VINO live in his
neighborhood, charging them with
having set fire to 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
reached Kerrville at o'clock yester-
day.
The Negroes Arrested.