St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1895-11-16
PURvIs FREED.
Mob Breaks Open the Jail
and Releasese the
Prisoner.


Prisoner.
Purvis, Miss, Nov. H. A MOP
OF about one hundred men armed
with Winchester rifles broke into
the Jail last night and liberated Will
Purvis who was confined there and
who was awaiting execution.
The crowd went about their work
in q deter mined way and met with
little or no resistance at the hands OF
the guards whom they easily over
powered.
It was about midnight when the
mob role boldly into town. Each
man was armed with a rifle OF other
weapons. They made their way to
the Jail which they lost no time in
surrounding. There were several
men guarding the Jail, but they
were powcrless to keep tile prison
ers from the hands Of Purvis'
friends. They realized that it
would be foolish and that they
would court death by making any
attempt to balk the mob. The
guards were thoroughly frightened
and each one was covered by about
a dozen guns. They were told that
lii they made the least attempt 10
show fight they would be killed
| While the guards were held at
bay and prevented from giving an
alarm another portion Of the mob
broke down the heavily barred
doors and entered the prison. The
invaders found their way to the
cell occupied by the condemned
man and opened tue door OF his
cage with keys. Where they got
them no one seems to know. The
men were evidently armed with
the keys before they came to the
: prison. Purvis was awaiting his
, friends. He was hurried out oil
the pris on and was hustled into 4
buggy which was OH the outside and
which was occupied by several Of
his friends. He was whirled out Of
! town and the mob remained behind
, to see that No attempt was made 10
+ recapture the young man. The
crowd did not leave until two hours
later when the friends Of Purvis rode
] rapidly away.
Ii is the hope Of those in Purvis
that the CONDEMNED man will never
be captured. They are against
hanging him and will do all in then
power to keep him out the hands
of the laws officers.
FL On last Monday the Supreme
d Court affirmed the sentence Of
Purvis aud fixed the date execution,
for Dec. IL. Purvis it will be re.
: membered, is ore Of the band OF
e White Caps tnat for some time
infested the neighborhood Of
Columbia, Miss, terrorizing that
!. section for long time by burning
barns, whipping negroes, KILN.
stock and other lawless acts. Final
|, ly the good people of the section
who had held aloof from The secre,
uatL-bounj society began to move
in an effort to suppress the law
breakers, and this resulted promptly
in the assassination Of one Of the
principal upholders of the law.
Young Will Purvis was charged
with the murder and was arrested,
tried and convicted Of the crime,
and was sentenced tv hang The
attempt to carry out the sentence
of the court resulted in one of the
; most remarkable scenes ever wit
messed at an execution. People
from the surrounding country,
many of them relatives and friends
of the convicted man, focked to the
gallows aud several thousand peo'
, pie were present when the sheriff
E prepared to fulfill the mandate OF
the court. When every thing was
in readiness the sheriff sprung the
tran and the convicted man sho,
down through space, but owing t
! . disarrangcment Of the moose Pur'
, Wis fell to the ground, from which III
was picked up in an uncOnsciou:
> condition and carried back to tn
platform for another attempt. This
however caused a great murmur t
arise from the simple country peo
Z pie present, many Of whom looked
t u; ON the escape OF Purvis as di
!, vine Intervention. and amid th'
prayers, tears aud entreaties. back
ed by an eloquent appeal Of min
9 ister who was present, the sheriff
4 Induced to forego anv further at
s tempt at hanging Pnrvis until tn
. case was looked into by the lega
: authorities, and Purvis was return
ed to Jail to await their decision
, This action of the Sheriff's createt
Il widespread discussion Throughout
Mississippi and adjacent States
and considerable adverse criticism
i and has finally resulted in Puryi
I again being sentenced to hang.
One of the latest formulas to
ascertaining the age Of an old mai