The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-06-27

.,,c the three HUMPHREYS began tn'e
Hp'nNe There was no morning session,
ie'' .ha non-arrval of Tom Bell,
s~ !, ul county, who has mad the
' s,.,ody of three of the accused. Inc men
..ad with murder are John and Arthur
n.w 1oe and Walter Wilkinson, w.
a.aols Sam Hall, John Gaddis, Bob
w p. Johns and Polk Weeks.
night John and Arthur Greenhaw
IA. a complete confession in the pres
~ n. B. Norris, assistant attorney
..,srsi: sheriffs Ben E. Cabell oil Daiias
80 Richardson of Henderson coun-
r.n,o,n w j. Mcdonald of the State
,,.,sr service and Sheriff Allen OF Ma
,,ro, This confession was taken down
!, stenographer and sworn to. 1t recites
A., 1oe Wilkinson organized the mob and
.ts leader: that Joe Wilkinson, long
ALA before the lynching, had sworn out
v.,rant against two of the HUMPHREYS,
,A.rglng them with hog stealing and mad
INA /. make out a case. That Wilkinson
IA gone around among his neighbors and
A.ckened the character of the Humphries;
M, when Constable Rhodes was assas-
aaated and Patterson, the alleged slayer,
vas at large. Wilkinson informed his
frsnds and neighbors that the HUMPHREYS
we're harboring Patterson and were openly
lpdorslng the killing OF Rhodes; that there
had been considerable Illicit diJtilling go
,pg on in the Transcedar country and
Wilkinson said the HUMPHREYS had in
ormed the revenue officers and unless
they we're got out of the way that all the
people engaged in that business would be
sent to the United States penitentiary.
That Wilkinson stimulated and encour
sged feeling of hatred against the Hum
pbries and finally called a meeting of the
people in the neighborhood to take action.
This meeting was held at night and it
die, The manner of putting them to death
vas left to Joe Wilkinson. He decided
that they should be hung, and arranged
all the details of the execution. 1t was
never intended to string the HUMPHREYS
up make them tell what they knew and
then release them. Every man swore a
solemn oath that the Humphries should
be permanently removed from this world.
wilkinson said the HUMPHREYS had violat-
"a many OF the laws and should be hanged
ana persuaded the others to go in with
him. The HUMPHREYS denied all of Will
knsons charges, but Wilkinson's influ-
snee was such that the denial of the
Humphries was not believed.
This is the substance of the confession,
except that part which goes into the de-
nHs OF the execution. telling how the
Hunphries piteously begged for mercy
and even when the ropes were around
their necks protested that they had done
10 wrong.
Inc town has never seen such a Grove
as was assembled here today to witnes;
the trial All night long the tramping o.
horses and creaking of wagons told of the
arrivals and this morning when the sur
lose the streets were already crowded b,
mass of people, some of whom had ira
yelled fifty miles
When the Cotton Belt train bringin,
sasiih Bell OF Hill county and thre
prisoners arrived at 80 there were ZOO
VI Se0o persons at the depot. Brooks, tn
most prominent OF the accused. was IL
sner.n Bells bunch. and it had been ar
ansed to give him demonstration whel
ne got off the train. The officers got tn
men OIL before the crowd realized it; whe
ene prisoners were seen going in the direc
uon OF the Jail several hundred peopl
started to follow them, but were drivei
PACK by the officers. AS Brooks passe
HOne the road on the way to the jail sew
na female relatives and friends wave
usr handkerchiefs to him and shoute
s0Oa wishes after him. The prisoners wer
Nnued In the Jail without incident an
"'nin I'VE minutes the crowd had dis
persed
:" 1871 o'clock, when court convened
'ae court room was solid mass of pee
~ justice Averyett gave orders to til
'ih IN whispers; then the crowd wa
v'aered to leave the court room. II wa
|'nef announced that any person havin
Sspons had better leave them downstair
everybody would be searched as the
,''ufned' The crowd slowly filed out
he room.
He Ten prisoners were then escorte
~ me court house at 1875 o'clock. The,
NO demonstration of any sort,
'Ae stiffness pervaded the grel
s Behind them followed three
~, r hundred people who swarmed In
~ 'ourt room and occupied every avail
'0le inch of space.
y. assistant Attorney General N. B. Mo
district Attorney j. NJ. Crook
me- e and County Attorney Faulk al
Atb.n. LOT the State. j. ]. Faux
w ,asaa and NJ. H. Gossett and j.
,s,sr. oi Kaufman looked after the i
ISIS of the accused. Both aides nromn
announced ready.
~ assistant Attorney General Morris sa
4. ueiendants were indicted IN tbr
~ s'e cases. but that it was undo
among counsel that the iudgme
4. 'ue court in one case should he /
ment in all three.
@nsn the names of the witnesses w,
dramatic story was develop,
q Sparks who was living in the neir
OF the lynching, was one Of I
""aesses before M oar..,