The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-01-21
A TRIPLE LYNCHING.
Two Of the Men Had Killed Five
Of One Family.
FIsT FIGHT JUST BEFORE DEATH
Their Self Appointed Exeoutioners Per-
inItted the Two Negroes to Pummel
Each Other and Then Strung Them Up
and Riddied Their Bodies with Bullets.

mltted the Two Negroes to Pummel
Each Other and Then Strung Them Up
and Riddied Their Bodies with Bullets.
ANTE CITY, La, Jan. 2l.-Three negro
murderers are dead. They are Arch Joiner
and John johnson, who at the last mo.
ment confessed their guilt of the killing
of five Of the Cotton family, and Gus Will
isms, alias Morrissey, who shot and killed
his young wife The bodies of the two
former were found hanging to limb of o
stout oak In the woods about half a mile
from the house in which they butchered
their Victims.
Johnson's story Of the slaughter Of tho
Cotton family was peculiarly brutal. He
said that he had always liked the family,
and would not have harmed them had 1t
not been for the fact that no was bullied
into what he had done He said he armed
himself with an nx, not to hurt any Of the
people in the house, but to prevent their
escaping, as he had been told to watch
door. The murder johnson said, was
planned by Bud Mcknight, a white man,
who was suitor of the girl, Maude Miller,
whose mother, Mrs Cotton, whipped her
for allowing Meningitis attentions This
Is the only motive he knew for the crime.
He said at first that Arch Joiner shot Cot
ton, the head Of the household. with agun,
then struck Merven Stevens, the son Of
Mrs. Agnes Stevens, with an AK on the
forehead, knocking him back on the bed
and killing him Joiner finished the men
and then went into the room which was
occupied by Mrs. Stevens, Mrs Cotton and
Lizzie Miller, with Maude and several
children, and killed the three woman.
Three hundred men approached the
court house, the greater part on horseback,
and Immediately began searching the
deputies, 80 that they could got the keys
After delay OF about ten minutes the
men found Deputy Wainwright in ono of
The rooms of the hotel and forced him to
heiver up the keys before he had time to
make an attempt to hide them. The work
of getting into the prison was simple
johnson saw his executioners and slipped
ON his shirt, so that when they opened his
cell door he would be ready.
Joiner was told that ho would be TAKEN
TOO, and Immediately set up a wall that
could be heard from outside He swOre
that he was Innocent, but the mon who
were to take charge of all three threw him
down and tied his hands behind his back
johnson asked one of tho men who were
tying his hands ii they meant to burn him
or not. He was told that the crowd meant
to do 80. Williams claimed that he shot
his wife accidentally while endeavoring
Mt O'Clock in the morning, to kill rat
with Winchester. He was jeered at and
told that rat killing was a bad practice,
and he should be hung for 1t. Knowing
shat his fate was scaled, Williams said
nothing more, going with his captors
quietly,
The three negroes were led out into the
court green, where the horsemen sur.
rounded them and waited little while
until tho captain of the squad announced
bis readiness to depart. Before going the
captain thanked the people, and said that
they were there for business only. and II
my one wanted to join in and take hand
In the execution they were welcome The
three captives, with long ropes attached
10 their necks, were led by horsemen to
khe Little Zion church. on Oak street, in
this place, and there it was decided to
hang Williams to tree that did duty be-
fore as "a gallows. One of the men climbed
up the oak and fastened the ropes, while
another slipped the moose over the unfor'
kunate's head
While this was going on johnson said
10 the men about him that II they hung
Arch Joiner, whom he had implicated in
previous statements, they would be kill
. tng an innocent man, as the men who
hslped him. were not in the country. For
his pains he WAS given a rap over the head
with heavy piece Of rope, which quieted
him for the time.
Williams was told to pray and he did so.
after which he was ordered to get upon o
horse. He became contrary and 1t was
necessary Tor some of the men to lift him
upon the back Of the animal. He was
then quickly strung up and the party pro.
Deeded with the other two prisoners
Joiner and Johnson walked about
mile, when johnson said he could go no
further, MS he was exhausted A wagon
was procured and both negroes hustled
Into it. The rain came down in torrents
and the night was dismal, and this, com.
bined with the grotesqus appearance Of
every one as they rode slowly along muf.
fed in big overcoats was enough to fill
the hearts of the negroes with deepest awe.
There were probably 1000 in line, all OK.
ceedngly orderly and quiet,
When they arrived at the Cotton place
Joiner set up pitoous moan, and begged
his captors to shoot him, as he preferred
death by being shot to any other mode.
He then requested to be permitted to fight
johnson, saying that johnson had got
him into all the trouble. johnson sgni.
fed his desire to fight and they were given
an opportunity to crafty their passion
for lsticuff johnson, though much
smaller than Joiner, put up good fight,
and dealt Joiner some telling blows. The
spectacle Of the two men, on the very
brink of the great hereafter, fighting has
probably never been witnessed before,
1t was at first decided to shoot Joiner
and burn johnson at the stake but the
mode Of death was afterwards changed. to
hanging for both of them, At this time
the negroes were brought face to face with
each other, and Joiner confessed, saying
that he had killed Mr.. John Cotton and
Mr.. Meryin Stevens and johnson reiter.
nted his first confession, made when he
WAS first caught, to the effect that he
killed Mrs. John Cotton. Miss Agnes
Miller and Miss Lizzie Miller.
After this statement by the negroes the
men conveyed them several hundred yards
from the Cotton residence and hung theRs
side by side and fired q volley Of shots
anto their bodies Joiners head was al.
most shot off and johnson was filed with
LAT h.la