The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-03-24

LShdl hlild, AIN, MdIcIl Lo.-"A IdCe
war is on in Little River county, and
during the last "a hours an indefinite
number of negroes have met their
deaths at the hands of an infuriated
white population. Seven are known to
have been lynched shot to death or
slain in some manner, and the work
is not yet done. The bodies of the vic
tins of the mob's vengeance are hang
ing to the limbs of trees in various
parts of the country, strung up where
ever caught, while that of another who
was shot to death while trying to es-
cape was thrown into a creek and left
there. The country is in a state of
most intense excitement. White men
are collecting in mobs heavily armed
and determined; negroes are fleeing
for their lives and the community is in
an uproar. The exact number of ne
groes who have been summarily dealt
with or those who may yet fall into the
hands of the mob before quiet is re-
stored may never be known.
Seven bodies have been found and
others are being hunted and will meet
similar fate when run to earth. The
known dead:
GENERAL DUCKETT.
EDWIN GOODWIN.
ADAM KING.
JOSEPH JONES.
BENJAMIN JONES.
MOSES JONES.
Unknown man.
Joe King and John Johnson We're also
taken in hand by mobs and whipped
They were afterWard turned loose and
have disappeared.
Little River county is in the extreme
southwest corner of the state, border
ed on the west by the Indian territory
and on the south by Texas. The negro
population is large and has for a long
time proved very troublesome to the
whites. Frequent murders have occur
red and thefts and fights have become
common affairs. One or two negroes
have previously been severely dealt
with when the people found it neces-
sary to take the law into their own
hands, but it was not until Tuesday
that the trouble took on a very seri-
Gus aspect. 1t then developed that
carefully laid plans had been made by
a number of negroes to precipitate a
race war and that many white men
had been marked for victims. 1t is
learned that 23 negroes were implicat-
ed in this plot and the whites are now
bent on melting out summary punish
ment to the entire coterie of conspira-
tors. Seven have been killed and the
work of wipng out the entire list con-
tinues without relaxation of determin-
alton. All implicated in the plot are
known and small parties of white men
varying in number from 25 to 50 are
securing the country for them. Wher-
ever one is found he is quickly strung
up, his body perforated with leaden
missiles to make sure of their work
and the mob hastens on in quest of its
next victim. Some of them We're found
near Richmond and the work of dis
patching the first two or three was
an easy matter. But the news soon
spread among the negroes, who, instead
of making the resistance and offering
the battle that they had threatened,
became panic stricken and began get
ting out of the community. Two of
whose names are on the list of con-
spirators got a good start of the men
who were detailed to look after them
and succeeded in reaching the Texas
state line before being captured. How
ever they did not escape. They were
overtaken, out of breath and exhaust
ed. but were swung up without cere-
mony.
The trouble arose over the killing of
James Stockton by Duckett. Just
prior to the lynching of Duckett the
negroes had planned the inauguration
of race war. Duckett was the leader,
and at his death the negroes let the
matter out and the citizens became
greatly enraged. Another negro named
Joe King remarked that Stockton
should have been murdered sooner. He
was taken to the woods and whipped,
as was also John Johnson. Other ne
groes made threats. but nothing occur
red until yesterday. when the dead body
of Goodwin was found hanging to
tree just across Red river from the
Stockton farm in Bowie county, Texas.
He formerly worked for Stockton and
was chased across Mud creek.
The place where the trouble occurred
is several miles from any town of COM
munication and it is difficult to OBJ
tain details, as the people are very re-
luctant about giving out the news. A
justice of the peace went to where
Goodwin was hanged. Advices from
New Boston. Texas, To- might are to
the effect that across the river several
negroes have been lynched, This
morning Benjamin Jones was found
dead on H,1rriaapa hand apI fropo Nau-