The evening times., 1899-06-27
TEN ALLEGED LYNCHERS
Preliminary Trials Called in Court
at Athens, Texas.
Companions Turn states Evidence
and Detail stories of the Crime.
Conspiracy Against Three Men He
suIting In Their Murder-Victims
Accused of BetrnyInE NOOnshiners.

Dallas. Texas June 27.-The preliminary
trials of ten white men now in Jail charged
with taking part in the 1ynching of the
three Humphreys men. also white. near
the village of Alley. in Henderson county.
on the night Of May %. were called before
Judge James Ayeritt at Athens yesterday.
Three OF the defendants, however. were
not in court. as they were on the way from
Hiilsboro Jail under charge Of Sheriff Bell.
OF Hill county. This caused a postpone
ment until the afternoon, when about
twenty attorneys representing the prosecu-
ton and the defence. started in on the le-
gal prelimnaries, which occupied nearly
all the afternoon.
The ten men charged with the murders
are John Greenhaw. Arthur Greenhaw. w.
E. Johns. Joseph Wilkinson. Walter Will
kinson, Robert Stephens, Samuel Hall. w.
NJ Brooks, Polk Weeks and John Caddiss.
Assistant Attorney General n. b. Norris.
designated by Governor Sayers to assist the
Henderson county officials. spent four
hours last night listening to the confession
of John Greenhaw who turned States evi-
dence.
Greenhaw says in substance that former
Jusl!Ct VI lEt ttaCt JUN " VI
ganizsd the mob, and W. E. Johns was sec
ond in command. Wilkinson had long been
or bad terms with the Humphreys. and
had had them arrested on charges of theft.
but could net convict them. Last Novem-
ber Constable Rhodes was killed by man
named Pattison, whom he was attempting
TO arrest. Wilkinson at once became ac-
tive, ostensibly to bring about the capture
OF Pattison, but in reality to infiame
ofy,E.
James Humphreys and his two sons. John
and George accusing them Of being ac-
completes in various crimes and Of har-
boring and aiding criminals, particularly
Pattison. The Humphreys were also ac-
cused of being informers 10 the Federal
Government on mon connected with moon
shine whisky in the distilleries in the
brushy part of the Transcedar district
Wilkinson and his friends had frequent
secret meetings at Porter's Bluff on the
Trinity River and anslly determined that
the Humphreys must die. On the night of
May %. Joseph Wilkinson experienced no
difficulty in getting q body Of picked men
to get them to lynch Humphreys
The house of the three man was visited
about midnight. Each OF the doomed men
was placed astride a horse and driven to
the bank of Cedar Creek. Their hands
were tied behind them and nooses placed
about their necks- The free ends of the
rope were thrown over the largest limb
of a large water oak tree. and having been
securely fastened, the horses were driven
from under their riders. The feet OF old
man Humphreys and his son George touch
ed the ground. Strings were tied to the
heels and then fastened TO the seats OF
their trousers The three Humphreys were
soon dead and the mob dispersed.
This confession of informer Greenha~
was carefully committed to paper When
court convened yesterday afternoon he told
his story to a crowd that filed the build
ing. his nine associates facing him as ne
detailed the crime for which they were ar
raigned. Scattered through the crowd We're
Sheriff Richardson and his deputies. si'er-
iffs from half dozen adjacent counties.
and a force of State rangers under Cap
tain Mcdonald. Outside the building were
5000 people. drawn from all parts of Hen
derson and adjoining counties
Perfect order was preserved and no Sc
rious breach of the peace is looked foi-
The line of the defence is to be an alibi
for each of the accused. More than 1G0 wit
nesses are present for that side. The State
has probably a dozen witnesses in its cir
cumstantial list and expect to verify
Greenhaw's statement. Whether the ac-
cused will be remanded without bond is
doubtful. The State has the usual difcuit
part to perform of making men on the wit
ness stand implicate their neighbors in
lynchfngs. The mob law was mandatory
in removing lynching cases on change Of
venue from the counties in which they
originated to other counties where the
State would stand a chance OF having an
even showing with the accused.
Late last evening. Polk Weeks. another
of the alleged lynchers. turned States evil
dence and correborated on the witness
stap1 all that John Greenhaw had con-
a fn