The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-03-17

Palmetto, Ga, March 16.-Four dead
negroes lie in Johnson's warehouse
Beside them groaning in agony are five
of their race, all victims of an assault
made by the white men of this neigh
borhood at an early hour this morn
ing. The negroes, who were shot down
while begging for mercy, lie where they
fell on the blood soaked floor of the
improviSed jail, where they were held
on charges of arson.
The dead: Bud Cotton, Henry Bing-
ham. TiD Hotson. Ed Brown.
Dying: John Bigby.
Wounded: Clem Watts, shot in the
abdomen, George Taylor, wounded in
thigh, Isham Brown, shot in body,
John Jamison, arm fractured.
The citizens are Datrolling the main
street of the town and dispensing an
occasional group of muttering negroes,
who seem determined to get some form
Of revenge for the slaughter Of four OF
their race.
The scene at Johnson's warehouse.
where the nine negroes were confined,
and which is now filed with the dead
and dying, is a revolving and miserable
one. Blood covers the floor and the
blackened walls are indented with rifle
shots. Wives and children Of negroes
are kneeling by their side in the dimly
lighted room and piercing the air with
cries and means of anguish.
The bodies of the dead negroes have
not been removed. The coroner has
been notified of the shooting and will
empanel jury about noon. Several
doctors were summoned and spent the
morning working with the wounded.
Mayor Arnold has summoned a guard
of seventy-five citizens to patrol the
streets and warehouses and every citi-
zen seen on the streets is armed with
a gun. The situation is believed to be
practically under control, owing to the
work oe Mayor Arnold.
The Palmetto cotton mills shut down
for the day on account Of the excite
ment.
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 were covered with
out q word In a. minute the mob was
in the big warehouse and the fusillade
opened. The frightened negroes sent
up yell after yell, begging for mercy,
but it had no effect on the mob. Ws-er
its work was finished the masked mob
turned and quickly disappeared as it
had come-on horseback.
Two fires Of incendiary origin have
occurred here this year, one on
February %, and the other five days
later. Fourteen business houses in all
were destroyed
Nine negroes were arrested on sus-
Dicion and taken to Johnson's ware
house to await preliminary trial, which
was to have taken place this morning
Yesterday the leader of the gang, Bud
Cotton, is said to have made a written
confession of the guilt of himself and
associates. He was the first to die in
the mob's bloody work.
The negroes of the community have
threatened in the last week to burn
Fairburn, the county seat, and it is re-
ported that the mob came largely from
that town. Sheriff J. c. Adderhold is
expected from Fairburn with q large
posse at any moment.
The Capitol City guards arrived at II
o'clock and We're put on patrol duty
in different parts of the town. The
citizens are aDDrehensive of an upris-
ing of negroes tonight.
At noon friends of the wounded ar
rived at the warehouse and were given
those injured. Glenn Watts, one of
those who had put in the morning
grOaning loudly. was carefully carried
to a wagon and taken home. Upon his
arrival there it was found that he cid
not bear a scratch John Bigby is badly
wounded and cannot recover.
Atlanta, Ca, March 16.-Governor
Gambler today issued a proclamation
Offering a reward of $500 for the az
prehension and delivery of the first
member of the mob, and a. further re-
ward of 800 for each additional person
implicated in the killing of the four
negroes at Palmetto this morning. The
governor said: Il regard the outrage
as simply inexcusable. These men had
been arrested, as 1 am informed, and
proof was at hand to convict them.
The law was amply able to punish
them"