The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1895-07-02
TO A EGR o
Leader of a Gang of Firebugs Hanged
by a Mob Near New Orleans, La.

"
Leader of a Gang of Firebugs Hanged
by a Mob Near New Orleans, La.
NEW ORLEANS, La, June 24.-John
Frey, a white man, was lynched at an
early hour this morning at Gretna, a.
suburb of New Orleans, just opposite,
this city in J Jefferson Parish. Jefferson
has been the scene of the greatest law
lessness for the past six years. Three
persons were lynched there last year
and two the year before, but all Of
of these were negroes, and Frey is the
first white man to be lynched in this
portion of Louisiana.
The condition of affairs in the Parish
has been very bad for the past two.
years, the town of Gretna being more
or less in the hands of a gang Of hood
lums, who controlled its politics. most
of the local officials being in sympathy
with the hoodlums. The latter have
lately developed into incendiaries,
burning down the houses of those
whom they disliked. Frey was lynched
this morning as one of the leaders of
the frebugs by a mob composed of the
more respectable citizers of the town,
who thought there was no use in ap-
pealing to the local officials, because
they were in league with the criminals.
At midnight last night a gang of
these hOOdlums, headed by John Frey,
Jim Whitesides, anephew of the sheriff,
and Frank Strable, a nephew of the
Chief of Police, started out to paint
Gretna red. They beat six or seven
negroes, set fire to the house Of Francis
Woodson On Third and Lafayette
avenue, and broke into the house and
smashed the furniture with axes. They
made no secret Of the fact that 4asY
had set fire to the place, but the police
feared to arrest them.
Soon after the fire, they assaulted a
man named Thomas, who was escort.
ing two women home, seriously injured
Thomas, and tried to outrage the wo-
men. The police then came I'D and
arrested StrahIe and Whltesidea, but
Frey escaped.
An officer was sent to. Frey's house
at 3 o'clock this morning and arrested
him, and was bringing him to Jail,
when a mob of 80 men surrounded MIN
with drawn pistols, compelled him to
surrender his prisoner, and then
promptly lynched Frey to a neighbor-
ing telegraph pole on the Texas and
Pacific Railroad.
The officer said nothing of the matter
until this morning, when the body was
discovered by some boys, and even
then declared that he was unable to
recognize anyone in the mob. The
lynchiDg tccurred within $50 yards of
the police station and Of the Parish
Jail.
The more reputable citjz9n ms of Gretna
have been FESTIVE under the rule of the
hoodlums, and the lynchiUg this morn
ing is suppCs ID to have been done by
them in desperation. There are threats
of more lynchings to get rid of the
tire gang of firebugs, and the jail will
be doubly guarded to night.
A party Of white men stood around
the body of Frey this morning and re-
fused to allow any negroes to approach
the lynched man, on the ground that
it might have a demoralizing influence,
upon negroes, in view Of the fact that
SO many Legroes had been lynched in
Jefferson during the last few years.
Governor Foster will be appealed to
and asked to interfere in Jefferson and
restore order there.