The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1897-01-21
A TRIPLE LYECIING
Two Of the Men Had Killed Five
Of One Family,
FIST FIGHT JUST BEFORE DEATH

mIttou the Two Negroes 20 Eulntnei
Each othor aud Then Strung Them Up
and RiddIed Their Bodies with Bullets.
ANTE CITY, In, Jan. 21.-Three negro
murderers are dead. They are Arch Joiner
and John johnson, who at the last mo-
ment confessed their guilt of tho killing
of five Of the Cotton family, and Gus VIII
Jams, alias Morrissoy, who shot and killed
his young wife. The bodies of the two
former were found hanging to a limb of q
stout oak i'm the woods about half a mile
from the house in which they butchered
their victims.
Johnson's story Of the slaughter Of the
Cotton family was peculiarly brutal. He
said that he had always liked the family,
and would not have harmed them had It
not been for the fact that he was bullied
into what he had done. He said he armed
himself with an AK, not to hurt any of the
people in the house, but to prevent their
escaping, as he had been told to watch u
door. The murder, johnson said, was
planned by Bud Mcknight, a white man,
who was a sutton of the girl, Maude Miller,
whose mother, Mrs. Cotton, whipped her
for allowing McKnights 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 a gun,
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, so that they could get the keys.
After a delay of about ten minutes the
men found Deputy Wainwright in one Of
the rooms of the hotel and forced him to
deliver up the keys before no had time to
make an attempt to hide them. The work
Of getting into the prison was simple.
johnson saw his exeoutioners and slipped
on his shirt, 50 that when they opened his
cell door he would be ready.
Joiner was told that he would be 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 to take charge Of all three threw him
down and tied his hands behind his back.
johnson asked one Of the men who were
tying his hands If they meant to burr him
or not. He was told that the crowd meant
to do so. Williams claimed that he shot
his wife accidentally while e%ndeavoring,
at 1 o'clock in the morning, to kill a rat
with a Winchester. He was jeered at and
told that rat killing was a bad practice,
and he should be hung for 1t. Knowing
that his fate was sealed, 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 a little while
until the captain Of the squad announced
his readiness to depart. Before going the
captain thanked the people, and said that
they were there for business only, and if
any one wanted to joinin n take a hand
in the execution they we're welcome. The
three oaptives, with long ropes attached
to their necks, were led by horsemen to
the Little Zion church, on Oak street, in
this place, and there it was decided to
hang Williams to a 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-
tunate's head
While this was going on Johnson said
TO the men about him that If they hung
Arch Joiner, whom he had implicated in
previous statements, they would be kill
ing an innocent man, as the men who
helped HIN we're not In the country. For
his pains he was given q zap over the head
with a heavy piece of rope, which 1Uieted
him for the time,
Williams was told to pray and he did so,
after which he was ordered to get upon a
horse. He became contrary and it was
necessary for some Of the men to lift him
upon the back of the animal. He wa:
then quickly strung up and the party pro
oeeded with the other two prisoners.
Joiner and johnson walked about q
mile, when johnson said he could go nc
further, as he was exhausted. A Wagon
was procured and both negroes hustled
Into it. The rain came down in torrents
and the night was dismal, n this, com,
bined with the grotesque appearance Of
every one as they rode slowly along muf
fed in big o%vercoats was enough to fiji
the hearts of the negroes with deepest awe
There were probably 1000 in line, all ex
ceedingly rricrly and quiet.
Whcn.thay arrived at the Cotton place
Joiner set up a piteous moan, and begged
his captors to shoot him, rs he preferred
death by being shot to any other mode
He then requested to be permitted to dgh
Johnson, saying that johnson had 90
him into all the trouble. johnson signi
fed his desire to fight and they were giveI
an opportunity to crafty their passion
for a fsticuff. Johnson, though mucl
smaller han Joiner, put up a good fight
and dealt Joiner some telling blows. Tn
spectacle of the two men, on the yer,
brink Of the great hereafter, fighting ha,
probably never been witnessed before.
1t was at first decided TO shoot Joine.
and burn johnson at the stake, bat tn
mode Of death was afterwards changed Il
hanging for both Of them. At this tim
the negroes were brought face to face will
each other, and Joiner confessed, sayiDi
that he had killed Mr.. John Cotton an,
Mr.. Mervin Stevens, and johnson reiter
Rted his first confession, made whom h
was first caught, to the effect that h
killed Mrs. John Cotton, Miss Agne
Miller and Miss Lizzie Miller.
After this statement by the negroes tn
men conveyed them several hundred yard
from the Cotton residence and hung then
side by side, and fired a volley of shot
Into their bodies Joiner's head was al
most shot OF and johnson was filed wit
bullet holes
Soothing for burns, scalds, ch~appedEhand
and lips. Healing for cuts and sores. In
slant relief for piles, stops pain at ono.
These arc the virtues of DeWitt's Witc
Hazel Salye. Q. II. Hagenbuch.
Aurawfrau no-~..-,L-a--