The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-05-01
WHOLESALE LYNCHING
THREE OF THEM YOUNG BOYS.

Tho Misoreants Had Been Guilty Of
Brutal Murder, and Their Lynchers
We're Mainly Men ofrheir Own Race.
Six Hanged and One Shot.
Houston, Tex, May 1.-For the MUIR
der of an old man, child and wom-
an, the ravishment Of two girls, the
burning Of the home of their victims,
two of the bodies being consumed In
the flames, six young negroes We're on
Thursday sent to their doom by the
hands of an Infatuated mob of negroes,
the victims also being negroes, at Sun
nyside, Walter county.
Last fall q German from Brennan
was robbed of s65. Suspicion pointed
to the four Thomas boys, and they
confessed to having committed the
theft, saying they had given $50 of the
money to Henry Daniels. Daniels
spent the money, and on Sunday even
ing last the Thomas boys. according
to their confession, decided to either
collect their $40 or kill Daniels. They
carried out the latter part Of the pro-
gram.
Daniels an old negro, lived in lit
tie hut with his stepdaughter, Marie,
and a 7-year-old child. On Wednesday
night the house was broken open,
Marie Daniels and the 7-year-old child
were ravished, and old man Daniels
dubbed to death while trying to pro-
tect those in his charge. Then Daniels
and his stepdaughter were thrown into
the house and the child thrown into the
well. The house was set on fire, and
the men left, thinking that they had
covered up their deed.
The fire had not attracted much at
tention, but when Daniels and his peo-
pie did not show up the charred 10.
cation of the house was searched and
the terrible truth discovered. The
burned remnants of human bodies left
no doubt in one direction, while the
blood stains about the premises indi.
Gated the murder The local officers
went to work with a will, and were
ably assisted by the best citizens Of tho
neighborhood.
The bloodhounds from Steel's PLAN
tatlon were secured, and they were not
long in finding the right track. Before
night they went straight to the place
where the Thomas boys resided, and
one by one they were secured Fayette
Rhone, 81 years old; VIII Gates, aged
IS; Louis Thomas, 20; Aaron Thomas,
10; Jim Thomas. IA, and Benny Thomas,
Is years old, were placed under arrest.
The last four are brothers. Later Will
Williams was captured.
When taken they were smeared with
blood, and bloody shirt was found
hidden away. After the boys were
confronted with the evidence they
owned to committing the crime, and
laid the killing to Louis, the oldest. All
seven of the prisoners were under
guard Thursday midnight, when the
guards were oyerpowered by strong
body of men and the prisoners taken
toward the Brazos bottom, north Of
here. A little later 40 or so shots were
fired and all was quiet.
Yesterday, dangling from the limbs
of large tree, were found the bodies
Of six negroes limp and lifeless. Hun
dreds of people from all over the coun-
try are surging back and forth, with
the tree as the center of attraction. All
of the bodies are there except that of
Williams. and ne Is not to be found,
but the shots probably explain his alb
sence. He was evidently riddled with
bullets while attempting to escape.
and his body probably secreted. At a
late hour last evening the six bodies
were still hanging from the tree.
As far as can be learned the mob was
composed Of white and black men,
with the colored element largely pre-
dominating.