Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1899-03-17
EIGHT NEGROES SHOT Down BY A
NAKED MOB.
ACCUSED OF INcENDIARIsm
FOUR WE'RE KILLED OUTRIGHT AND
ONE OTHER WILL DIE.
Were Confined In . Cotton Ware
house, Where They Were Slain
i'm Cold BlOod-GOvefnOr Or
ders Militia Out and
Offers Reward.

PALMETTO, GA, March 1S.-Four dead
negroes lay dead this morning in Johnson's
warehouse. which Is used as Jail. Beside
them. groaning IN agony. were five others
Of their race, all victims Of an assault mads 3
by white men Of this neighborhood at an
early hour this morning. The dead are Bud
Cotton. Henry Bingham. Tip Hutsoa and
Ed Brown.
The wounded are: John Bigby. dying:
George Taylor, wounded in thigh: Isham
Brown, shot in body; John Jam.son, arm
fractured.
The citizens are patrolling the main
street of the town and dispensing an &C.
casional group Of muttering negroes who
seem determined to get some form Of re-
venge for the slaughter of four OF their
race.
The scene at Johnson's warehouse. where
the nine negroes were confined and which
IS now filled with the dead and dying. Is a
revolving and miserable one. Blood covers
the floor and blackened walls are indensed
with rifle shots. Wives and children OF ne
groes are kneeling by their sides in the
dinly lighted room and piercing the air
with cries and means of anguish.
Tho bodies of the dead negroes have not
been removed. The coroner has been noti-
fled OF the shooting and will fmpanel
jury about noon. Several doctors were
6ummOQeO ana Spent tLc A1OI WSAAAho
with the wounded. Mayor Arnold has sum-
moned a guard Of seventy-five citizens to
patrol the streets and warehouse. and every
citizen seen on the streets Is armed with
a gun. The situation is believed to be
practically under control owing to the work
Of Mayor Arnold.
The Palmetto cotton mills shut down for
the day on account of the excitement.
The mob was composed Of $50 men. Where
they came from Is a mystery. so far as the
people Of the town know. That some OF
the people Of Palmetto. but not the better
class. were in the mob goes without saying.
Every face was masked. and when the
warehouse was reached. the special guard
OF five men was covered without word.
In q minute the mob was in the big ware
house and the fusillade opened. The fright
ened negroes sent up yell after yell. begging
for mercy. but 1t had no effect on the mob.
When its work was finished. the masked
mob turned and quickly disappeared as 1t
had come-on horseback.
Two fires Of incsndiary origin have oc-
Cured here this year. one on February -
and the other five days later. Fourteen
business houses In all were destroyed. Nine
neRroeA were arrested on suspicion and
preliminary trial. which was to have taken
place this morning. Yesterday the leader
OF the gang. Bud Cotton, Is said to nave
made a written confession Of the guilt OF
He was the first to die in the mob's
bloody work. The negroes of this commu-
nifty have threatened in the past week to
burn Fairburn, the county seat. and 1t 10
supposed that this mob came largely from
that town. -.... -.
The, Capital City Guards arrived at II
o'clock, and were put on patrol duty in DIFF
ferent parts Of the town. The citizens are
apprehensive OF. an uprising Of negroes to-
night in an effort to have revenge. At noon
friends Of the wounded arrived at the ware
house and were given those injured. Glen
Watts. one Of those who had put in the
morning groaning loudly, was carefully
carried to q wagon and taken home Upon
his arrival there it was found that he did
not bear a scratch.
ATLANTA. GA. March 16.-Governor
Gambler to-day issued a proclamation offer
ing q reward Of $50 for ''the apprehension
and delivery Of the first member Of the
additional person impllcated' in the killing
OF the four negroes at Palmetto this MORN
ing. The governor said: 'T regard the OUT
rage as simply inexcusable,. These men
had been arrested, as am Informed, and
PROOF was at hand to convict them. The
law was amply able to punish them"