Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1897-05-06
A LYNCHINC BEE.
Six Negroes Are Strung Up by q
Texas Mob.
LYyCHERS MOSTLY COLORED MEN.
The Murder OF an Old Man, q Child and .
Young Woman Was Traced to the
Victims by BIOOdhoands and
They Confessed.

der of an old man in his cottage, a
child and woman in the first flush Of
young womanhood, the assault OF two
girls, the burning Of the home OF the
victims, two Of the bodies being con-
sumed in the flames, six young negroes
were Thursday night sent to their
doom by the hands Of an Infatuated
mob Of negroes, the victims also being
negroes. at Sunnyside, Walter county.
Last fall a gentleman from BRENNAN
was robbed Of S65. Suspicion pointed
to the four Thomas boys and they con-
fessed 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
Thomas boys, according to their con-
fession, decided to either collect their
$50 or kill Daniels. They carried out
the latter part of the programme.
Henry Daniels, an old negro, lived in
little hut with his stepdaughter
Marie and a seven-year-old child.
Wednesday night the house was broken
open, and Marie Daniels and the seven
year-old child were assaulted and old
man Daniels dubbed to death while
trying to protect those in his charge.
Then old man Daniels and his step
daughter were thrown into the house
and the child was thrown into the
we'll. The house was set on fire and
the devils capable of such crime left,
thinking that they had covered their
inhuman deed from the sight OF the
world.
The fire had not attracted much at
tention, but when Daniels and his peo-
pie did not show up the charred loca-
ton Of the house was searched and the
terrible truth was soon only too plain.
The burned remnants of human bodies
left no doubt in one direction, while
the blood stains about the premises in
dicated the commission Of murder.
The local officers went to work with
will, and were ably assisted by the
best citizens OF the neighborhood.
The bloodhounds from Steele's planta-
ton were secured, and 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, IS years old; Louis Thomas, 20
years old; Aaron Thomas, 10 years
old Jim Thomas, IA years old,
and Benny Thomas, Is 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 a
bloody shirt was found hidden in Rich
mond's house. The bloodhounds worked
splendidly, and after the boys were con-
fronted with the evidence they acknowl-
edged the crime and laid the killing
on Louis Thomas. All the seven
prisoners were under guard Thursday
night. About 10 o'clock the guards
were overpowered by strong body Of
men and the prisoners taken toward
the Brazos bottoms north Of here. A
little later 40 or 50 shots were fred and
all was quiet Yesterday morning,
dangling from the limbs Of a large oak
tree, were found the bodies of six
negroes, limp and lifeless. At a late
hour yesterday evening the bodies were
still hanging from the tree. As far as
can be learned, the mob was composed
of white and black men, with the col
ored element largely predominating.