The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1895-07-19
SWUNG UP.
A Negro Rapist Meets a
Deserved Fate.

About shutdown on the evening Of
July Sd Mrs. Arabella Vice, a res
pected widow about 10 years OF age,
and living near Wilson's Springs, in
this county, was returning home from
a visit TO a neighbor, living about
half mile distant when she was met
on the main county road by a black
brute named Andrew Thomas and
most cruelty outraged. There are
some features connected with the
crime and its effects that are so hor-
rible that they cannot be put in print.
After the crime he was pursued by a
large number of citizens, but on ac-
count of the darkness Of the night he
eluded arrest, and finally escaped into
Alabama. where he was arrested a
few days thereafter and placed In the
Mobile county Jail. On account Of so
serious a charge il became necessary
to get a requisition from our Govern
or to the Governor of Alabama.
On Wednesday, July 18th on the 2
D.. m. train, Sheriff J. ID. Minor. of
this county and his chief deputy, Mr..
G. ID. Moore, went up to Mobile to
bring Thomas back. As soon as the
officers left the enraged citizens began
to arrange for the prisoners hearty
reception. For some reason the OIL
GERS did not return on the evening
train, as was expected. Yet about
two hundred determined men were
at the depot on the arrival Of the
train. On account of the shyncss OF
the night operator no clear inTorma-
ton could be obtained from the OIL
GERS or Of the whereabouts OF the
prisoner.
1t soon became very clear, however,
that the citizens had convened for
| business. and all night long that large
number Of quiet, orderly, but de-
termincd men awaited around the
depot. Courthouse and Jail. Train
after train would pass, and each one
was searched, and finally, just at the
break Of day a freight train pulled
station and both sides were
soon covefer ~ trp sons f mothers,
anxiously awaiting a chance t~C~ayenge
the great wrong.
The caboose on the end Of the train
was examined and Mr.. G. ID. Moore,
deputy sheriff, got off with a small
satchel and started to his home near
by. lie was c0nddentially questioned
and answered that they had heard OF
expected trouble, and sheriff Minor
had taken the prisoner TO Jackson
City, This was told with So much
grace and candor that many accepted
it as true. However, it was determ-
ined to make il thorough search Of the
train and cabOose, and finally in a
dark corner OF a small dark room,
some one discovered sheriff Minor and
| soon thereafter found the negro. Five
or six rcs0lutc men laid hold of the
sheriff. and as he is a very stout man
they had great difficulty in holding
him, but finally forced him into the
stood guard over him, During this
time at least a score of men had laid
hold of the negro, threw IA rope around
his neck and hurried him away. In
the mean time deputy sheriff Moore
saw his scheme had been laid bare,
and hurried back to the cal to aid his
chief. Before he reached the Car he
was seized by a number Of strong arms
and held like in a vice. The avengers
carried their prisoner to the old live
oak in front of +. ID. Becht's barbc,
shop and threw the rope over a limt
and jerkcd him ten feet above the
ground and fired at least two hundred
balls into his body, and then quietly
went away. While going from tn,
train to the tree, which is only a few
hundred feet the true old rebel vel
could be heard, and this was kept VI
until the last gun was Tired, yet ii
every other way the greatest Of ordcI
prevailed.
1t will be remembered that abOu'
twenty years ago this same oak tree
was used 20 hang the three murderer
of Mr.. Langly, and seems to be yc
strong enough to hang all the rapist
who dare to do as this brute did.
The following is the verdict Of tn
, jury summoned by acting corone
Charles Il. ChidScy:
= The STATE OF MISSISSIPPI,
: Jackson Count.
W. tilt JUL SllulII- AZ an IlIutN
upon the body Of Andrew Thomas, d
! find that the said Andrew ThOma
, came to bis death on the morning O
;, the 18th Of July, 1895 by east O
o hanging by the neck and gun sh0
wounds at the hands or parties ur
known to the jury.
, We, the jury, after carefully cA
, amining the witnesses in above cas-
fully cX0ncrate the sheriff and hi
c deputy of all blame in the matter, a
they evidently did everything whic.
lay in their power to prevent tn
same, and to land the prisoner Easel
n in Jail.
= j. d. CLARK,
NJ. BECK,
l J. L. OsTROM,
p W. G.. PARKER,