The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-01-21
MuRDERERS lYNCHED.
yDree Hundred LOuisiaians Avenge
Death of Cotton Family.
Two of Negroes Confessed
4 Their Guilt.


Amite City, La, Jan. 21.-Three negro
murderers were lynched here yesterday.
Two of them-Joiner and Johnson
confessed that they murdered the Cot
ton family. Gus Williams. the third VIC
tim Of the mob. killed his Wife
Three hundred men approached the
courthouse. the greater part on horse
hack. and some on foot, and immedi-
atciy began searching the deputies, so
that they could get the keys. After
delay of about 10 minutes the men
found Deputy Wainwright in one OF the
rooms of a hotel and forced him to de-
liver up the keys before he had time
TO make an attempt to hide them. The
work of getting into the prison was SIM
pIe. Johnson saw his executioners COM
ing. and slipped on his shirt, so that
when they opened his cell door he would
be ready. Joiner was told that he would
he taken too, and Immediately set up
a wall that could be heard from outside.
He swore that he was innocent, but
the men who were taking charge OF all
three threw him down and tied his hands
behind his back. Johnson asked one
of the men who was tying his hands II
they meant to burn him or not. He was
told that the crowd meant to do 20.
williams claimed that he shot his wife
accidentally, while endeavoring at
o'clock in the morning to kill rat with a
Winchester. He was teered at and told
that rat killing was bad practice. and
people should be hanged for 1t. Know
ing that his fate was sealed. Williams
said nothing more. going with his cap
tors quietly.
The three negroes were led out into
the court green, where the horsemen
surrounded them and waited little
while while the captain. OF the squad an
nounced his readiness to depart. Before
going the captain thanked the people
and said that they were there for busi-
ness only. and If anyone wanted to join
in and take hand in the execution they
were welcome.
The three captives. with long ropes at
tached to their necks. were led by the
horsemen to the little Zion church, on
oak street. in this place, and there 1T was
decided to hang Williams to a tree that
did duty before as a gallows. One of
them climbed up the oak and fastened
the rope, while another slipped a moose
over the unfortunate's head. While this
was going on, Johnson said to the men
about him that IL they hanged Joiner,
statements, they would be killing an in
nocent man, as the men who helped him
were not i'm this country. For his pains
he was given a rap over the head with
a heavy piece of rope, which quieted
him for the time.
williams was told to pray, and ne ala
90, after which he was ordered to get
upon a horse. He became contrary, and
IL was necessary for some of the men
to lift him upon the back of the animal.
In their confession, Johnson and Joiner
said that two section hands working
near Independence took part in the
murders. Their object was robbery, as
they believed old man Cotton had
money In the house. No reason was ad-
vanced why they did not kill Miss Maude
Miller, while they were killing the rest
Of them. This part Of the mystery has
never been explained, and will never be
known now. 1t Is a noticeable fact that
the two negroes they implicated, Willie
Bell and Charles Brooks, left Indepen-
dence the day after the Cottons were
murdered and have not been heard Of
since.
Just before Joiner was hanged he
made another effort to escape. One rea-
son why Johnson was not burned Is that
the wood was too wet and a hot fire could
not be had just then. Several people are
not satisfied with the confession, ad-
vancing the theory that there is more
behind the case than will ever be known
Before daybreak most OF the crowd had
disappeared. All Is quiet now