Chariton courier. (Keytesville, Chariton County, Mo.) 1878-current, 1898-01-07

Elmer Williams, a loud-mouthed, In
dolentnegro who has disgraced Keytes-
vile by living. occasionally moving and
having his being here ever since his
early boyhood, is conspicuous for his
absence" as it were, and it is to be
hoped that this peculiar kind of "con-
spicuousnesS viii prove to be perma-
nent so far as Elmer is concerned.
The circumstances which led to E.
mer's sudden departure from his ac-
customed haunts are as follows
Thursday oflast week about 4 p. m,
Miss Ida Harris, aged about r6 years.
who lives in the Hills neighborhood
about FIVE miles south Of this place
but who has been staying at City Mar
shd L. A. Embree's and attending the
KeytesyiIle pubic sch OILS. came down
town on an errand. Shes0G6 met in
the street by the negro, Elmer WI
iams. who asked her where she was
going. and after getting past him she
replied: ~None Of your business"
She started back to Mr.. Embree's
shortly afterward. when she was again
approached just north Of J.P. Tppetfs
blacksmith shop by the same insolent
negro. who asked her If she didn't
want to take walk. AT the same
time the fiend reached out his hand as
If to take hold of Miss Harris arm.
She eluded his grasp, however, and
hurried on to her destination and told
Mrs. Embree what had occurred. Miss
Ida did not know the negro. hence
could not tell Mrs. Embree who he
was. On this account the mater was
kept quiet until Marshal Embree could
discover the identity Of the guilty
wretch, and having gathered sufficient
evidence to lead him to believe that
Elmer Williams perpetrated the outrage
the officer took the suspect to Miss
Ida's indignant presence, and she i'm
mediately identified him as the negro
who had insulted her. -
= nrcnf-es-k;s en,,ks kazaas been fully
established "a committee" took Elmer
In charge and escorted him to that
portion of the City cemetery set apart
fer our colored population, where he
was given his choice of being hung or
taking a whipping, supplemented by a
promise to leave town, never to return.
Naturally enough he chose the latter
alternative, so he was fastened with his
arms around tree, the bosom Of his
trousers lowered and a hickory applied
TO his posterior until to the poor wretch
writhed in pain and pleaded for mercy,
voci6erously yelling between the fast
and furious blows: "I'l leave, III
leave,'
He did make himself scarce until
late Saturday evening, when he again
appeared within the corporate limits Of
Keytesville, but fortunately for himself
he kept in the outskirts of town.
In the meantime the news of Elmer's
brazen conduct had reached the neigh-
borhood of Miss Harris home, and
Sunday morning a mob Of 35 or 40
men, thirsting for Elmer's gore. reached
Keytesville about = O'Clock and insti-
tuted search for the object of their
fury, but he was not to be found.
There is not the slightest doubt that if
he had been captured he would have
'spulled hemp"
II is rumored that he has since been
IN town on one or more occasions un-
der cover of darkness, but there is
every reason to believe that If he is
discovered bY those who were after his
scalp last Sund1y morning he will be
hung wi;hou' Judge or jury or else shot
down like 8 Dig.