The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-05-20
BLACK MEN TORTURED
Three Negroes Played Alive and
Then Burned.
DOWN upoNTHE sUwANEE RIVER
They Had Outraged and Slain Girl,
and FITTING Punishment Was
Melted Out 20 Them.
81. I,nns. NAY - specsal from Eta

Sc. Louis, May "a special from Ella
willie, Fla. 10 the Republic says: Three
negroes wers lyncEea Saturday night IN
q dense swamp On the Suwanee river -
white men for assauIttng a white girl
II fs reported that they were 1ayed alive
and then burned. after being subjected TO
fr1ghtfui fortunes.
The crime for which the negroes were
90 horribly put TO death was one Of the
n1oss atrocsous In the history OF this Sec
ton of Florida. TIE scene OF the crime
and retrf5sftton was Lafayette, the adj
joining county 70 Madison On the south
Miss Mamie Armstrong, the beautiful
daughter OF q prominent Lafayette coun-
~ farmer. left her home FIVE days ago 10
spend the night with another ne4ghbor
who lived ewo miles distant The next
day Miss Armstrong; father went to the
house 20 bring her home. and was alarm
ed 10 hear that nothing had been seen OF
her. Mr.. Armstrong warned the nefslbors
and a search was made. The woods were
secured and the Suwanee river dragged.
Finally bout midway between the
home OF Mr.. Armstrong and the neigh
bor's house. Miss Armstrong; handker-
chief was found riiuging 20 a bush and
all around were evidences OF a desperate
struggle. the searc1ers followed the trail
mus indicated. finding all along that the
girl had been dragged into the woods.
After proceeding for a mile the corpse
OF Miss Armstrong WIS found in thick
ciump or bushes. The body of the girl
was in horrible condition. Every shred
OF clothing had been torn from fl. ard
she mad been assaulted The lower limbs
had been torn apart. her head crushed
and her throat cut. II was evident that
the girl had made a desperate fight, for
under her nails were found pieces Of
black cuticle which she had torn from
her asSailants.
Sam Echols was suspected and threat
ened with instant death unless ne con-
fesssd. He did so, and implicated Sim
Crowley and John Brooks Echols said
they kept the girl for twenty-four hours
before killing her forcing her In the
meanwhile 10 repeatedly submit 70 the
most horrible indignities. For the great
er part of the time. the negro said. Miss
Armstrong was unconscious.
Having secured the negroes implicated
ny Echois. the white men proceeded with
the three hends to dense swamp on the
Suwanee river. where they were made TO
suffer tortures similar TO that they had
inflicted on the girl. The people are ter
ribly aroused. and swear they viii exter-
inmate the negroes II these outrages are
continued.
Montgomery, Ala. May 1s.-About
month ago Jerry Shivers and two other
negro men enticed three young daughters
OF a white farmer away from home In
Coffey county, and detained them in the
woods for week. The girls finally made
their way home. but The rascais who had
led them of could not be found In spite Of
the search being made for them Last
night however, 81 was learned that
Shivers was In a certain house near Tab
ernaeie. in that county. and posse was
organized last night and WENT there and
secured him. He was taken 20 Pea river
A rope with a sinker was tied around his
neck. and he was thrown into the river
and drowned. The other two have not
been heard from.