Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1897-01-25
DOOMED MEN FIGHT.
Two Negroes Settle a Personal
Dispute with Fists Before
Being LynChed,


Amite, La, Jan. 2O.-John Johnson
and Archie Joiner, who according to
the confession of the former, were guilty
of the murder of the five members OF
the Cotton family near here some time
ago, and Gus Williams, accused of muir
dering his wife, were taken from the
jail here last night bya mob and lynched.
The men were all colored.
The crowd at first decided to burn
Johnson at the stake, but finally con-
| cluded to hang him. After the negroes
were hanged shots were fired into their
bodies.
The murder was most brutal one.
The only motive for the terrible crime
was the fact that Mrs. Cotton would
not allow her daughter to receive atten-
lions from one of the crowd. Johnson
said that Joiner first shot Mr.. Cotton,
then killed Mrs. Stevens, Mrs. Cotton
and Lizzie Miller with the blood-stained
weapon.
JUST as the ropes were placed around
the necks Of Johnson and Joiner the lat
ter said that Johnson had gotten him
into all the trouble and he wanted to
whip him. johnson said he would light
and the two were allowed to have it out
in regular pugilistic fashion. Johnson,
though much smaller than Joiner, put up
a good fight and dealt Joiner some hard
blows. The spectacle of the two men
who, as it were. on the very brink of
the great hereafter. fighting, has prob
ably never been witnessed before.
They were conveyed into different
rooms of the house and by threats of
severe torture Joiner was asked to tell
all he knew about the Cotton murders.
He stoutly denied ever having seen
John Johnson before and denied having
any knowledge as to who killed them.
Finally by a little tortue and more
threats Joiner admitted that he came to
the fence the night of the murder but
no nearer the house In the meantime
another squad had Johnson off getting
his confession. He vehemently main
tanned that Arch Joiner was the instiga-
tor of the whole plot and that Arch was
the guilty one.
Some one suggested putting them to
death by burning them. Nearly every
| one acquiesced in this suggestion and
three big fires were started, one for
the men who were all wet to dry their
cloths by, and the others presumably for
| the purpose Of burning the negroes.
Most of the men were eager to burn
| Johnson anyway, and it is generally be-
lieved that he was put on the fire for a
minute or two, but others pleaded for
him and the programme was changed.
Last night the Associated press CORE
spondent desiring to get the latest news
to the nearest telegraph station by 3
a. H., did not remain to see him burned.
but consulted some others who stated
positively that Joiner would be shot to
death and Johnson burned at the stake.
| 1t was 2:45 when this decision was
reached and the telegraph office, four
miles off, over a wet and slippery road,
so when the correspondent saw the first
| burning and someone shove Johnson to-
| wards the fire it was perfectly natural
to think that the programme was being
carried out, and he galloped off on Il
| race against time.
| AS soon as the message was filed he
| galloped back and found that the mode
! of death had been suddenly changed TO
hanging for both of them. At this time
| the negroes were brought face to face
with each other and Joiner owned up.
saying that he had killed John Cotton
and Marvin Stevens, and johnson reiter-
ated 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 Neither
of them implicated any white man last
night, but did implicate other negroes.
After this statement by the negroes
the men conveyed them several hundred
yards from the Cotton residence and
hung them side by side and fired vol
ley of shots into their bodies. Joiner's
was filled with bullet holes
Just before Joiner was hanged he made
another effort to escape. One reason adj
vanced why Johnson was not burned is
that the wood was too wet and a good
hot fire could not be had just then. Be
fore daybreak most of the crowd had
disappeared.