Birmingham state herald., 1897-05-01
MURDER, ARSON AND RAPE Were the Grimes for Which They
 Were Lynched. SIX BODIES WERE FOUND But the Seventh Could Not Be Located Ike groes Avenge Triple Crime Com
 mitted by Their Own. Color.

Houston, Tex, April 30-For three mur- ders, ravishing Two girls and burning down the humble home of three victims and incinerating the bodies, six, perhaps seven, negroes last night suffered the death psnalty at the hands of mob of their own race.
 Last night a. 12 o'clock a mob of ne- gross took from a loom at Sunnyside, Tex, where they were being guarded, Fayette Rhone, aged 21; William Ga;es, aged 35; Lewis Thomas, aged 20; Aaron Thomas, aged 13; Jim Thomas, aged IA; Benny Thomas, agsd 15, the four latter being brothers, and Will Williams, all negroes, and hanged the first six named to an oak tree. The seventh was hang d, but has disappeared. Several shots were heard shortly alter tlhe mob took. them from the room and he may have tried to escape.
 Inc negroes all confessed to having murdered Henry Daniels, an old negro, his stepGuugkter, Marie, and a 7-year-old child, burning the bodies of i.he two old est by setting fire to the cabin, where the crime occurred, and throwing the liotle ones body into a well. Old man Daniels had the proceeds of a robbery, which the Thomas boys committed, and they de- manded i of him under pain of dsa;h. They outraged the grown girl and the 7-year-old girl, and then killed both.
 ANOTHER ACCOUNT.
 Houston, Tex, April 30-For the kill ing or an old man child and woman the 1avish1neDt of two girls the burning of the home of their victims two Of the bodies bsing consumed in the flames, six young negroes were last night sent to their doom by an infuriated mob of ne- groee, the victims also being negroes, at SunLyside, Walt-r county.
 Last fall a German from Brenham was robbed of $65. Suspicion pointed to the four Thomas boys, and they confessed to having committed the theft, saying they lad given $50 of the money to Henry Daniels. Daniels spent the money and on Sunday evening last, the four Thomas boys, according to their confession, de- oJied to either collect their $50 or kill Daniels. They carried out the latter part of the programme Henry Daniels, an old regro, lived in a little hut with his step daughter, Marie, and 7-year-old child. Wednesday night the house was broken open, Marie Daniels and the child ravished and old man Daniels clubbed to death while tryinglto protect those in his charge. Then old man Daniels and his step Daughter were thrown into the house and the child cast into the we'll The house was set on fire and the negroes left, thinking thht they had covered their inhuman deed from the sight of the world The fire had not attracted much attention, but when Daniels and his peo- pie did not show up the charred loca- tion of the house was searched and the terrible truth was soon plain.
 The local officers vert to work with a will and were ably assisted by the best citizens of the neghborhood. The blood- hounds from Steeles plantation were se- cured and they were not long in finding the right track. Before night they went straight into the place where the Thomas boys resided and one by one they were se- cured. Faystte Rhore, 21 years old; Win Gates 35 years old; Louis Thomas, 20 years old; Aaron Thomas, F years old; Jim Thomas, IA years old, and Benny Thomas, 15 years old, were placed under arrest. The last four are brothers. La- ter on William Williams was captured. When taken they were smeared with blood and bloody shirts were found hid- den in Richmond's house. The blood hourds worked splendidy, and after the boys were confronted with the evidence they owned to committing the crime and laid the killing to Louis, the eldest.
 All seven of the prisoners were under guard last night about F o'clock when the guards were overpowered by strong wards the BraZos bottom, north of here. A little later forty CT fifty shots were fired and then all was quiet This morn- ing dangling from the limbs of a large tree were found the bodies of six negroes, limp and likeness. Hundreds of people from all over the county are surging back and forth with the tree as the center of attraction. All of them are still there except Williams and he is not to be found, but the shots probably explain his ab- serce. As far as can be learned the mob was composed of white and black men, with the colored element largely predom- mating. Public opinion is almost univer- sal that if the right parties were appre- hended no harm has been done.