The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1897-05-02
A JUST
RETRIBUTION.
Six Negroes Lynched by a Mob Of
Their Own Color.
BLooDHoUNDs PUT ON THEIR
TRAIL AND ONE BY ONE THE
PERPETRATORS OF A TRIPLE
MURDER IN TEXAS ARE TRACK
ED DowN-CoNFEssED TO THE
CRIME AND QUICKLY PUT ITO
DEATH-A SEVENTH MEMBER OF
THE GANG MISSING.

houston, lex, May 1.-FOr the muir
der OF an old man in his dotage, IL child in
It's nonage and II woman in the first flush
OF young womanhood, the ravishment of
two girls, the burning of the home of
their victims, two of the bodies being
consumed in the flames, six young ne
groes were last night sent to their doom
by the hands of an infuriated mob Of ne.
Rroes, the victims also being negroes, ut
Sunnyside. Walter county.
Last fall German from Brenham was
robbed of $50. Suspicion pointed to the
four Thomas boys, and they confessed to
having committed the theft, saying they
had given $50 of the money to Henry
Daniels. Daniels spent the money, and
on Sunday evening last the four Thomas
hoys, according to their confession, de.
cided to either collect their $50 or kill
Daniels.
Ihey carried out the latter part of the
programme. Henry Daniels, an old ne
gro, lived there in little hut, with Ills
step daughter, Marie, and seven year
old child. Wednesday night the house
was broken open, Marie Daniels and the
seven'year old child were ravishei, and
the old man Daniels dubbed to death,
trying to protect those in his charge,
Then old man Daniels and his step-
daughter were thrown into the house and
was set on fire and the perpetrators of
the crime left, thinking they had covered
their inhuman deed from the sight of the
world.
The fire had not attracted much atten-
tion, but when Daniels and his peopie did
not show up the charred ruins of the
house were searched, and the terrible
truth was soon only too plain The
burned remnants of human bodies left no
doubt in one dill ction Will. the blood
stains about the premises indicated the
commission OF murder.
The local officers went to work with n
will, and were ably assisted by the best
citizens of the neighborhood. The blood
hounds from Steele's plantation were Sc
cured anf they were not long in finding
the right track. Before night they went
straight into the place where the Thomas
boys resided, and. one by one, they were
secured. Fayette Rhone, 81 years old:
Will Gates, 30 years old; Louis Thomas,
20 years old; Aaron Thomas, 10 years old
Jim Thomas, IA years old, and Benny
Thomas. 10 years old, were placed under
arrest. The last four are brothers. Later
on Will Williams was captured. When
taken they were smeared with blood. and
bloody shirt was found hidden in Rich
mcnd's house.
The hloodhounds worked splendidly,
and after the boys were confronted with
the evidence they owned to committing
the crime, and laid the killing to Louis,
the Oldest
All seven of the prisoners were under
guard last night about 12 O'Clock. when
the guards were overpowered by strong
body of men, and the prisoners taken to-
ward the Brazos bottom, north of here
A little later forty or fifty shots were
fired, and all was quiet.
This morning dangling from the limbs
of large tree were found the bodies of
the six negroes, limp and lifeless. Hun.
dreds of people from Nil over the country
are surging back and forth, with the tree
rs the center OF attraction. All OF them
are still there, except Williams, and he
is not to he found, but the shots probably
explain his absence.
a n late hour this evening the bodies
are still hanging from the tree AS far as
can be learned, the mob was composed of
| white and black men, with the colored
element largely predominating. Tonight
there is calm after the storm, and pub
lie opinion is almost universal that IL the
right parties were apprehended no harm
has been done.