The San Francisco call., 1897-01-21
LYNCHERS find
THREE VICTIMS
A Mob Lets Wrangling
Negroes Fight, Then
Hangs Every One.
First Decided to Burn Them
Alive, but Rope and Bullets
Prevailed.
Chastity Nights Work in the Rain
of Two Hundred Avengers in
Louisiana.

ANTE CITY, La, Jan. 20.-Three ne
gro murderers, John Johnson, Arch
Joiner and Gus Williams, were taken from
Jail and lynched by mob in this place
about o'clock this morning.
Johnson and Joiner. according to the
confession of the former. were guilty of
the murder of five mem bers of the Cotton
family some time ago. Williams was
awaiting trial for numbering his wife.
Early in the night, when it became
known that John Johnson and Arch
Joiner, charged with the Cotton family
murders, would be lynched, groups of
strangers from every section of this and
adjoining parishes began to arrive. They
held low conversations on the street cor
ners. The night was most miserable
one, rainy and gloomy.
About o'clock there were perhaps 250
people on the street, when suddenly some
$50 men on horses galloped up to the jail,
and having found the deputy who had
charge, forced him to open the Jail door
and also open the steel cages. They then
took from the cages the three colored
men. The mob made no hostile demon
strations. After procuring their men they
held short consultation and decided to
hang Gus Williams to an oak tree near
the negro church, on the outer edge of
town. A rope was quickly adjusted over
a large limb with one end around VIII
ligms' neck. Williams was made to get
on horse. The horse was struck with
whip and jumped from under Williams.
His neck was broken and his body was
jerked down.
Williams disposed of, the crowd started
on the long march to John Cotton
house, where the murders were COM
mitted. The distance travelled was twelve
miles, through heavy rain. There were
nearly 200 in the crowd during the march.
Arch Joiner prayed a great deal, but
Johnson was quiet and sullen.
After four hours the Cotton residence
was reached, and all dismounted. Joiner
made a desperate break for liberty, but
was captured before he had gone very far.
Joiner and Johnson began curs;ng each
other, and asked permission from the
crowd to settle their dispute in prize-ring
style, which was granted.
The fight lasted about five minutes
Johnson, although the smaller man, had
considerably the Test of the fight when
They were then taken into the Cotton
house and efforts were made to get full
confession from them. John Johnston
stuck to his former statement that Arch
Joiner was the man who committed the
murders.
Joiner stoutly maintained his innocence
for a while, but finally confessed that he
killed Mrs. John Cotton, Miss Agnes Mil
ler and Miss Lizzie Miller. a discussion
then arose as to the best way to dispose of
the murderers.
Some were in favor of burning them,
and fires were made for that purpose; but
better judgment prevailed, and 1t was
finally decided to hang them. This was
done, and their bodies riddled with bull
lets. 1t was Arch Joiner's earnest request
that he be shot to death, and this was de-
cided upon as the mode of death to be
meted out to Joiner; but at the last
moment, after the fire had been started, it
was urged that he be hanged, as Gus Will
liams had been. They were taken half
mile from the Cotton residence and
strung up. They both implicated two
other negroes. All is quiet now.