The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-03-21

Palmetto, Ca, March 16.-Twenty
men, armed and masked, rode into this
little town at an early hour this morn
ing and put to death four negroes, ia
tally wounded one, shot another and
broke the arm of a seventh man. Two
others who were of the crowd upon
which the bullets were showered, mi
r~aculously escaped. These unf%ortunates
were under guard of three men await
ing the hour of s o'clock when they
were to have a hearing before a JUS
tice of the peace on the charge of ar
son. William Cotton, the leader of the
nine men confessed some time ago that
"a conspiracy had been entered into
(which resulted in two ~incendiary fires
here in February and on this evidence
the men were to have been tried. The
dead are: William Cotton, Jr., Harri-
son Hudson, Ed Brown, Henry Bing-
ham,. Fatally wounded, John Bigby.
wounded, John Jameson, George Ia
tum, arm broken.
Isom Brown and Glenn Watts, the
other members Of the gan escaped in
jury. After the inquest they were
turned loose and left on the train for
Atlanta. The town is quiet tonight and
dLiOS the pLOIeCllOu VI the capital City
Guards, Of Atlanta and a posse of sew
enty-tve well armed citizens.
The negroes were confined in the Of
flee Of the warehouse, a one
story stone building just across the
track from the Atlanta and West Point
depot. They were arrested yesterday,
and tied together with ropes. They
were passing the night under the pro-
lection of three guards sworn in for
that purpose. Their preliminary trial
was set for 9 o'clock this morning.
About 1 o'clock this morning about
twenty men masked and mounted,
rode up to the warehouse and dis
mounted. Without waiting to announce
themselves to the guards within they
easily forced the door of the warehouse
and a second later stood in the office
of the Johnson Company where the
negroes were lying on the floor around
the fire. The guards were covered by
Winchesters and with hands up were
marched to one side of the little room
and stood against the wall.
The negroes who were frightened into
silence by he bursting of the door now
realized their peril. Scream after
scream went up from the victims as
they saw the CLEAN Of fire arms in the
dim light from the fire place. Their
appeals for mercy were unheeded. A
4 short, heavy set man whose features
were completely concealed by a white
!, handkerchief acted as leader. He ours
ed the blacks into silence for a ONE
and told his men to get ready. After
looking at each negro he commanded
them to get up. The trembling, crying
wretches, Juggling at their ropes in a
vain effort to get away obeyed the
words of the mob's leader.
A last appeal for mercy went un-
Aheeded and the word Fire rang out
IN the little room. The volley filled the
room with fire and smoke and the ne
groes fell in a heap on the floor.
The noise awakened the little town
and as lights began to twinkle in win
dows here and there, a second volley
sealed the doom of those who were for
tunate enough to escape the murderous
fire of the first charge. AS the mob
made ready to depart three or four
men with pistols sent bullets into the
PROSTATE forms On the floor, and inside
of ten mute after the masked crew
had entered Johnson's warehouse on
their murderous errand, they had COM
pleted their work and were on their
way to safety on the backs of fleet
horses.
Soon citizens began to arrive at the
warehouse, being under the impression
that the guards were murdered by the
negro prisoners. When the horrors of
the affair was presented Mayor Arnold
telephoned Governor Gambler, at At
1anta, Of the occurrence and asked for
some militia. He then deputized sew
sSnCy-nVe CITIZENS 10 preserve OTOer ana
arming them with rifles placed them on
duty in different parts of the toWr.
Daylight in the warehouse revealed
a sickening scene. Blood covered the
floor and the walls were indebted with
bullets from .Ninchesters and other
arms. Wives anG children of the ne
.groes to~Wkom the news Of the tragedy
had spread on rapid wings knelt by the
-fbodies of their dead nAendeavored to
console the wounded. The cries of the
negro families filed the room and sent
"a shock through the hearers.
Doctors bent over the wounded and
administered to their wants at inter-
walls until noon when friends of the in
jured came and removed them to their
homes. The dead, whose bodies were
horribly mangled, remained where they
were until shortly after noon, hen a
absence of Coroner Dunlap, justice of
the Peace Cummings summoned the
: jury and conducted the inquest.
Glenn Watts, n Of the negroes who
miraculously escaped being shot, was
the first witness. He said: Il was at
the warehouse n a crowd of masked
men about twenty called upon the
guards to throw up their hands. They
made them leave the guard room. The
leader then ordered his men to fire on
the prisoners, first counting 1, 2, 8. The
men afterwards loaded and fired
again."
Guard Baker testified that the mot
filled the room and the guards were
forced to the wall. 1.-THE leader of the
mob gave a count and the shooting
began. They had pistols, shotguns ant
Winchester rifles. They did not stay
over five minutes / don't know which
way they came or which way they
went when they left"
J. j. Conner, the other guard exam
ined said: II was guarding the prison,
ers about l o'clock. A crowd Of mask,
ed men came in the room by forcing tn,
door open and moved the guards back
The prisoners were commanded to lin,
up and then the order to fire was giveI
which was obeyed. They shot and re
HN loaded and shot the second time. TIL,
room was filed with the masked men
/ don't know the number"
The jury then rendered a verdic
which presented in writing read: Wv