The record-union., 1897-01-21
Two of Them Had Confessed to the
Killing of Five People.
The First Ore Disposed of Short
Distance From the Jail, While the
Other Two Were Taken to the
Scene of Their Crime, Twelve
Miles Distant, Swung to n Tree
and Their Bodies RiddIed With
Bullets.

AMITE CITY Ua). Jan. 2O.-Thres
| negro murderers, John Johnson, Arch
Joiner and Gus Williams. were taken
tfom 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 members 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, small
groups of strangers from this and ad-
joining parishes began to arrive and
hold low conversations on the street
corners. The night was a most miser-
able one, raining and gloomy. About
O'Clock there We're perhaps 80 people
on the streets, when suddenly some 100
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, and they
took from the cages the three colored
men.
The mob made no hostile demonstra-
held a short consultation. and decided
to hang Gus Williams to an oak tree
near negro church on the outer edge
Of the town. a rope was quickly adj
justed over large limb and one end
around Williams neck. Williams was
made to get on a horse. and the horse
struck with whip. jumping from under
Williams His neck was broken, and
his body was jerked down.
Williams disposed of. the crowd start
ed on the long march to John Cotton's
house, where the murders was commit
ted. The distance travelled was twelve
miles through a heavy rain. There
We're nearly POO in the crowd during the
NAV n. Arch Joiner prayed 81 good deal,
but Johnson was quiet and sullen After
four hours the Cotton residence was
reached and all dismounted. Joiner
made break for liberty, but was cap
tured before he had gone very far.
Joiner and Johnson began cursing
each other, and asked permission from
the crowd to settle the matter in prize
ring style, which was granted The
fight lasted about five minutes John
son, although the smaller man. had con-
siderably the best of the fight when they
were separated. They We're then taken
into the Cotton house, and efforts made
to get full confession from them. John
Johnson stuck to his former statements.
that Arch Joiner was the man who
committed the deeds. Joiner stoutly
maintained his innocence for a while,
but finally confessed that he killed Mrs.
John Cotton, Miss Agnes Miller and
Miss Lizzie Miller
A discussion then arose as to the best
way to dispose of the two self-confessed
Some We're in favor of burn
ing them, and fires We're made for that
purpose, but it was finally decided to
hang them, which was done, and their
bodies riddled with bullets.
1t was Arch Joiner's earnest request
that he be shot to death, and this was
finally determined on as the mode of
death which was to be meted out to
Johnson, but at the last moment, after
the fire had been started. it was urged
that both be hung. as Gus Williams had
been, and they We're taken a quarter
of a mile from the Cotton residence and
executed They both implicated two
other negroes. All is quiet now.